Take a Professional Headshot on a Bus or Train

Claim Your Window Seat as a Studio

Your first move is not opening your camera app. It’s finding the right seat. You need a window seat, obviously, but not just any one. Sit on the side of the bus or train that’s opposite the sun. This puts the light on your face, not behind you creating a silhouette. I once watched a client try to shoot against the glaring afternoon sun; their face was a dark, featureless blob while the world outside burned white. They lost twenty minutes before we figured it out.

Time of day is your secret weapon. Aim for the “golden hour” just after sunrise or before sunset. The light is softer, warmer, and more forgiving. Midday sun creates harsh shadows under your eyes and nose. If you’re stuck commuting at noon, look for a seat where the vehicle will pass under trees or buildings, creating a natural dappled shade instead of that brutal direct hit.

Clean the window with a sleeve. A smudged pane will soften your entire image into a foggy mess. Sit upright, but don’t press your back flat against the seat. Scoot forward three or four inches. This creates a slight separation between your shoulders and the seatback, giving your posture a subtle lift. Your studio is now about two feet wide. Claim it.

Angle Your Body, Not Just Your Face

Here’s the biggest mistake: staring straight into the phone like it’s a bathroom mirror. This flattens your features and looks stiff. Instead, turn your entire torso about 45 degrees away from the window. Then, turn your head back towards the light. This creates dimension. Your shoulders are at an angle, your face is lit, and you look engaged, not like a mugshot.

What do you do with your hands? Rest them in your lap, one lightly over the other. Or, if you’re wearing a jacket, put one hand in a pocket. Just keep your elbows slightly away from your body to avoid squishing your arms. Avoid holding a coffee cup or phone in the shot—it instantly says “commute,” not “professional.”

Your expression matters more than your pose. Think of a specific person you enjoy talking to, or recall a genuine recent win. Your eyes will soften. I ask every client, “Who’s the first person you’ll send this photo to?” Their face always changes when they answer; they stop performing for the lens and start connecting with it. Try it now. Who are you making this headshot for?

Use the Window Light, Kill the Overhead

That harsh, greenish light directly above your head is your enemy. It casts deep shadows in your eye sockets and creates unflattering top-lighting. You must override it. The window is your main light. Position yourself so the light from it is the brightest thing hitting your face. This often means leaning in slightly toward the window, maybe six to eight inches.

Use the window’s reflection to your advantage. Can you see a faint outline of yourself in the glass? Good. That reflection acts as a natural fill light, bouncing a tiny bit of illumination back into the shadowed side of your face. It’s a free, built-in reflector.

Turn off your phone’s flash. Always. On a moving vehicle, it will create a sharp, distracting burst of light on the glass, resulting in a bright white spot right over your face. The window light is all you need. Your job is to position your face to catch it fully.

Avoid the Jerky Phone and Bus Bounce

Blurry photos are the number one technical failure here. Why? Two reasons: shaky hands and vehicle motion. Set your phone to “burst mode” or “live photo.” This lets you take a rapid series of shots with one press. Out of ten frames, two will be sharp where the motion paused for a split second.

Brace your elbows against your ribs or the seatback to create a human tripod. Don’t hold the phone out at arm’s length. Bring it closer to your body for stability. If you’re using the rear camera (which is higher quality), use the volume buttons as your shutter—they’re easier to press without jostling the phone.

Shoot between stops. The smoothest moment is when the bus or train is moving at a constant speed on a straightaway, not when it’s accelerating, braking, or turning. Watch for the lurch. You’ll feel it. Time your burst of shots for the calm stretches. Take fifty. You only need one.

Edit Out the Background, Keep Your Energy

You’ve got a sharp, well-lit shot, but there’s a headrest or a stranger’s elbow behind you. This is where editing saves the day. Use any app that lets you blur the background or replace it with a solid color. A soft, neutral blur (not a fake, swirling “portrait mode” effect) immediately looks professional. It focuses all attention on you.

But editing is not about changing your face. It’s about removing distractions. Adjust the brightness so the light on your face looks natural, not artificial. Increase the “shadows” slider just a touch to lift any darkness under your chin. Add a hint of “warmth” to counteract any leftover green from those overhead lights.

Your final check: does this photo still look like you on a good day, or does it look like a generic avatar? The energy in your eyes and the authenticity of your expression are priceless. The blurry streak of passing trees outside the window is not. One stays, the other goes.

It’s a five-step process: find your light, angle your body, stabilize the shot, capture the moment, and clean up the clutter. The vehicle is just a room that happens to be moving. You’re not taking a picture on a bus. You’re using a window to take a picture of yourself, and the bus is simply along for the ride. Next time you’re commuting, claim that window seat and give it a try. You might just find your best shot comes from the journey, not the destination.