How to get a great headshot from an app in 15 minutes

Gather the right photos for the right results

Think of the app as a brilliant, but literal-minded, art student. It can only draw conclusions from what you show it. Feed it ten blurry selfies from a dark bar, and it will think you have three chins and a fondness for red-eye. You need to give it a clear, consistent blueprint of your face. I tell my clients to upload 15 to 20 photos, minimum. Here’s the exact mix that works: five recent, sharp close-ups (like a good passport photo), five photos from the chest up, and five full-body shots. The final five should be different expressions—a genuine smile, a neutral look, a slight grin. Use photos from the last six months. That picture from your cousin's wedding three years ago, where you had different hair and glasses? It’s more harmful than helpful.

Pick a location with simple, bright light

Light is everything. It shapes your face. The best light is free and available to everyone: a large window on a cloudy day, or a shaded spot just outside your front door. Stand about three feet from the window, facing it directly. See how the light softly wraps around your cheeks and fills in the shadows under your eyes? That’s the gold. A common mistake is standing with your back to the window—you become a dark silhouette. If you’re outside, stand in the open shade of a building, not under dappled tree light (it creates distracting spots). The goal is even, bright, shadow-softening light. Your phone’s camera will capture cleaner details, and the app has a perfect, well-lit map to work from.

Wear a solid color that makes you look sharp

Patterns fight with your face. A busy floral print or a tight stripe will distract the app’s focus and can create weird, warped textures in the final image. Your clothing should be a supporting actor, not the star. A solid-color top in a medium tone works best—think navy, charcoal, burgundy, or forest green. Avoid pure white (it can blow out and blend into the background) and jet black (it can swallow detail). The collar matters, too. A simple crewneck or a collared shirt frames your face without fuss. I once had a client upload photos in a loud Hawaiian shirt; his final headshots looked like his face was subtly melting into the pineapples. We redid them in a simple grey sweater, and the difference was night and day.

Avoid the common mistake: bad phone angles

This is where 90% of DIY attempts fail. Holding the phone low and pointing it up at your face is an instant double-chin creator. Tipping it down from above makes your forehead dominate and your eyes look tiny. The camera lens should be exactly level with your eyes. Prop your phone on a stack of books, a shelf, or use a cheap tripod. Position it about an arm’s length away. Look directly into the lens, not at your own image on the screen. Tilt your chin down just a touch—imagine you’re nodding “yes” slightly. This engages your neck and defines your jawline. Take a burst of 20-30 photos this way, turning your shoulders slightly left and right between shots. You’re giving the app a clean, professional-grade angle to replicate.

Review your results and choose the best one

You’ll likely get dozens of options back. Don’t just pick the one where you look the most glamorous or ten years younger. Ask yourself three questions, in this order: First, does it look like me on my best, most well-rested Tuesday? It should be recognizably you, not a generic model. Second, is the lighting consistent? One side of your face shouldn’t be mysteriously darker than the other if your source photos were even. Third, what does your gut say? Show the top three contenders to a brutally honest friend or colleague. Say, “Which one looks most like the competent, approachable person you know?” Their first instinct is usually right. Avoid the one with the slightly unnatural shine in the eyes or the too-perfect hairline; those are often clues the app struggled.

Getting this right saves you time, money, and a lot of frustration in front of a bathroom mirror. It’s not about creating a fantasy version of yourself. It’s about using a smart tool to build the most professional, confident, and real version of you that already exists. A great headshot opens doors before you say a word. Now you know how to make one happen before your next coffee gets cold.