You’ve seen both. A good headshot – clean background, decent lighting, nothing wrong with it exactly, but also nothing that makes you stop scrolling. And a great headshot – the one where you think, that’s exactly who this person is.
The gap between the two isn’t luck, and it isn’t really about the camera. Here’s what actually separates them.
It’s Not a Selfie
Selfies are quick, convenient, and – for a professional headshot – almost always working against you. Phone lenses distort at close range, especially wide-angle front cameras, which means your nose, forehead, or chin ends up larger than it should be. Lighting is inconsistent. And a selfie can only show the version of your expression you can manage while also holding the phone and finding the angle. A professional photographer (like me!) is watching your whole face, your posture, your hands – and directing you toward the split second where all of it comes together.
It’s Technically Excellent
This is the foundation everything else sits on. No harsh shadows carving across your face. No blown-out highlights or muddy dark spots. Posing that’s flattering but doesn’t *look* posed – shoulders angled, chin positioned to avoid a double chin, weight shifted so you look relaxed instead of stiff. Sharp focus exactly where it needs to be (your eyes, always your eyes). Color that’s true to life, not oversaturated or washed out. A background that supports you instead of competing with you. None of this is flashy, but skip any one of these and the whole photo quietly falls apart.
It Looks Like You – On Your Best Day
A great headshot is still, unmistakably, you. Retouching exists to handle the stuff that has nothing to do with who you are – the blemish that showed up the morning of your session, a stray flyaway, a wrinkle in your collar. What it doesn’t do is reshape your face into someone else’s. The goal isn’t a filtered version of you; it’s the most you version of you, the one your friends recognize immediately and your future clients trust on sight.
It’s Not AI-Generated
More people are turning to AI headshot generators, and it shows – in the slightly-too-smooth skin, the eyes that don’t quite track right, the generic corporate backdrop that’s clearly been dropped in behind a stock-photo version of a person. These images might technically “work” for a LinkedIn thumbnail, but they carry an uncanny flatness that people register even if they can’t name it. A great headshot is unmistakably a real photo of a real person in a real moment – and that authenticity is exactly what builds trust before you’ve said a word.
It Says What You Want It to Say
This is the part people underestimate the most. A headshot isn’t just a picture of your face – it’s a first impression doing a job. A defence lawyer’s headshot should carry authority; you should look like someone you’d want in your corner. A health therapist’s headshot should feel warm and approachable; you want to look like someone a stranger could open up to. A realtor’s headshot should feel confident but easy to talk to. Getting this right takes more than “smile and look at the camera” – it takes posing, expression coaching, and lighting choices that are deliberately built around the impression you need to make.
The Real Difference
A good headshot documents your face. A great headshot tells people who you are before you’ve said a single word – and makes them want to work with you because of it.
If your current headshot is doing the bare minimum, it might be time for one that actually works for you.
Eran Sudds is a Tsawwassen photographer who specializes in fun & natural sessions for you and your entire family. She is available for maternity, newborn, family portraits and headshots at locations in South Delta, or anywhere in the Lower Mainland. Contact her to book your session!
