How to get a great headshot if you have a tremor or tic

Set up your camera for stability first

Forget about holding the camera. Your tremor means the camera should hold you. Start with a solid tripod; I tell clients to get one that feels heavy enough to be annoying to carry. That weight is your friend. Mount your camera, then use a remote shutter release or your phone’s app to trigger shots without touching the body. This removes 90% of the shake from the equation.

Now, let's talk shutter speed. What’s the single biggest technical mistake I see? Using a speed that’s too slow. You need a minimum of 1/250th of a second to freeze minor motion. I shoot at 1/400th or faster for clients with tics. This isn't a suggestion—it's the rule. Pair that with a wider aperture, like f/2.8 or f/4, to let in more light so you can keep that speed high.

I once photographed a brilliant software developer with a pronounced head tremor. We tried a few shots with my handheld camera, and every image had a slight blur that made him look unsure. The moment we locked the camera down on a tripod and I handed him the remote, his shoulders dropped three inches. The camera was steady, so he could focus on being himself.

Use posture to anchor your upper body

Standing straight and tense often amplifies a tremor. Instead, find points of contact. Sit on a stool and press your lower back firmly into its back support. Place your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart, and feel your weight settle into your heels. If standing, lean a hip against a solid table or wall. This isn't about being rigid; it's about giving your body reference points so it's not floating in space.

Where should your hands go? This is the question I get most. Rest them on your thighs if seated, or lightly clasp them in your lap. Avoid crossing your arms tightly—that creates tension that can travel up to your neck and jaw. I keep a few textured props, like a smooth stone or a book, for clients to hold. The simple, grounded weight gives their hands a job and reduces fidgeting.

Your clothing matters here, too. A stiff, tight collar can make every neck tic feel more pronounced. Go for a soft cotton or a knit fabric that moves with you. I had a client whose tic involved a quick shoulder shrug; her stiff blazer jacket made the movement look jarring. We switched to a soft sweater, and the same motion became a gentle, natural-looking roll.

Time your shots with your natural rhythm

Fighting against your rhythm is exhausting. Working with it is smart. Spend two minutes just observing yourself in the mirror before you shoot. Does your head have a steady, slow sway? Is there a tic that happens every 20 seconds or so after a period of calm? You are not a metronome, but you have patterns. Your camera has a continuous shooting mode—use it.

Instead of trying to be perfectly still for one perfect shot, take bursts of 5-10 images in a row. Fire that burst during a calm moment, or right after a tic has passed. Statistically, you'll capture more frames where the movement is at its natural midpoint, which looks far more authentic than a strained, held position. From a burst of ten, you’ll likely get three or four where your expression is perfect and any motion is a graceful blur, not a distraction.

I tell my clients, "We're not hunting for one shot. We're collecting a series of moments, and your best one is in there." This changes the psychology of the session from a high-pressure performance to a collaborative discovery.

Avoid the common mistake of forcing stillness

The most common mistake is clenching. You try to lock your jaw, grip your muscles, and hold your breath to stop the movement. The result? You look like you're in pain or terrified. The camera sees that strain instantly. It shows in your eyes, your tightened mouth, the cords in your neck. A gentle, natural motion is always better than strained paralysis.

What does this look like in practice? Let’s say you have a slight head tremor. If you try to force it still, your eyes will get wide and your smile will look fixed. Instead, let the motion happen, but keep your gaze locked softly on the lens. I’ll say, “Let your head do what it needs to, but keep your eyes right here with me.” The photo becomes about your engaging eyes, not the quarter-inch of movement in your chin.

Your expression is connected to your body. A forced, still body rarely produces a relaxed, confident face. They are linked. So we let the body be, and we work on the face.

Let your confident expression be the focus

Ultimately, people remember your expression, not your stillness. Think of a great, animated speaker—they move, and we’re captivated. Your goal is the same: to have such a good, genuine expression that the viewer is drawn to your eyes and smile. A technical trick? Use a longer lens. I shoot headshots with an 85mm or 105mm lens. This compresses the background and makes your face the undeniable subject, so any peripheral movement feels less central.

Practice in the mirror. Find a thought that makes your eyes light up. It could be remembering your child’s laugh, the satisfaction of solving a hard problem, or your favorite joke. Your real smile uses the muscles around your eyes. A fake smile only uses the mouth. Think the thought, don’t just make the face.

During a session, I watch for the moment a client forgets about the camera. It might be when they’re explaining their work or after they’ve taken a deep breath. I saw a lawyer with a persistent tic finally relax when he started talking about why he chose his field. For five seconds, his face was completely alive with passion. That’s the shot I took. The tic was still there in the motion blur of his shoulder, but you only see the conviction in his eyes.

Your best headshot won't be the one where you managed to be perfectly still. It will be the one where you look like yourself—engaged, capable, and present. The technical setup handles the stability; your job is simply to show up in your eyes. Start with the tripod and the fast shutter speed, then let your rhythm and your confidence do the rest.

Where this stops short, How to Place Your Hands in a Headshot (Without Looking stiff) picks the thread up.