Guest post by a PhD candidate
Jens’ note: This blog post by a PhD candidate who wishes to remain anonymous. When I read it, it struck me as incredibly useful advice for PhDs and other academics looking to improve their online presence.
I last had professional headshots done in 2017 and since then I’ve grown out my hair and thus look quite different. But it’s a pandemic and it’s cold or hot outside most of the year and… ugh.
Can you relate? You need this post! I need this post.
Sometimes I feel like I don’t belong on LinkedIn.
… I shot my own headshot on my phone propped up on a cat tree & a tissue box at home by myself 😂
Forget that noise: LinkedIn is for everyone. You belong here. You don’t need a fancy, expensive headshot to be here.
This post is for anyone who feels like their profile or picture isn’t good enough. I got you.
Here’s how to take a professional headshot on your phone for $0 at home: 🤩📸
(Skip to the bottom of this post for links to free apps & tools to use!)
1️⃣ 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝘁 👔
• Choose an outfit that you feel confident in and shows your personality 🙌 .
• Pro tip: you can choose more than one outfit 😉 there are no rules here! Be you!
2️⃣ 𝗗𝗜𝗬 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 🛠
• You need a stand for your phone: something at eye level. Look around for a shelf, cabinet, etc. Get creative!
• Stand (or sit!) in front of it. Experiment here to find a camera position (height, distance, angle) that you like!
3️⃣ 𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 🎶
• Put your favourite playlist on: the one that makes you hype. The one that pumps you up! 🤩🙌
• Energy is everything and believe me when I tell you that we can feel your energy from your picture! Don’t skip this step!
4️⃣ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿 ⏱
• Your camera app has a timer that will automatically take a picture 3-10 seconds after you click the capture button
• Take a few test shots to get a feel for the timing 🙂
• Use the front camera if you’re satisfied with the picture quality – it’s a helpful to have a live image preview
• Use the back camera instead for higher quality photos
5️⃣ 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁 (𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆) 📸
• Take your photo!
• Experiment with different poses, postures, angles, and facial expressions!
• This is YOUR picture. I want to see YOU shine. Fill up your entire camera roll with as many shots as you want to take 🙌
6️⃣ 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼 👩🎨
• You don’t need fancy editing software! Touch up your photo on your phone with these free apps (links in comments)
• Brighten your teeth, erase glasses glare, remove your background – you name it. INCREDIBLE 👌
7️⃣ 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘁
• It’s time to show everyone your new headshot – upload it!
• Adjust the zoom level so that your face takes up the majority of the photo. Our profile pictures are quite tiny when we comment/interact on LinkedIn – make sure we can see you!
• YOU LOOK GREAT! 🤩
I can’t wait to see your new pictures! Show me so that I can hype you up!
To whoever needed to hear this today: You deserve to be here. Whenever you hear the voice in your head that tells you that you’re not supposed to be here, it’s not because you don’t deserve to be: it means you haven’t arrived where you’re going yet – you will ✨ You’re onto something incredible.
Everything you need to edit and upload a professional headshot for $0:
🪄 How to remove the background on your photo
🖼 How to change the background of your photo
🤩 How to change your profile picture on LinkedIn
🍃 How to touch up & edit your headshots: Snapseed (Snapseed for iOS | Snapseed for Android)