The LinkedIn Profile Photo Guide: Framing, Expression and Background

Recruiters, clients and colleagues decide whether to read your profile in a second or two, and your photo is a large part of that first impression. A LinkedIn photo has a different job from a portrait on a wall. It has to work as a tiny circle on a phone screen.

Framing for a circle

LinkedIn crops your photo into a circle and shows it at very small sizes. That means:

• Head and top of shoulders should fill most of the frame, with your face taking up roughly 60% of it.
• Leave a little space above your head so the circle crop doesn't cut it off.
• Look straight into the lens, or very slightly off it. Eye contact reads as confidence.

Expression

The best LinkedIn photos look approachable and competent at the same time. A relaxed, closed-mouth smile or a slight open smile both work. A forced smile doesn't. That is why we shoot continuously during a LinkedIn headshot session, coach expression between frames, and let you choose from every shot.

Background

• Plain grey or white backgrounds are timeless and keep attention on you.
• An environmental background, such as your office or a clean wall in your home, can work if it is softly blurred.
• Avoid holiday photos, group crops and busy rooms.

We can shoot at our Bangalore studio or come to you. Our headshot sessions include grey and white backgrounds, and we can produce clean or blurred backgrounds when we shoot on location.

Lighting and quality

Soft, even light from the front flatters everyone. Phone selfies tend to distort features because the lens is so close, so a photographer working from a few metres away with a portrait lens gives a more natural face shape.

When to update

Update your photo when your look changes noticeably (hair, glasses, beard) or every two to three years. People should recognise you when they meet you.

Using the same photo everywhere

Consistency helps people recognise you. Use the same headshot on LinkedIn, your company page, conference profiles and email signature.

Need a new profile photo? See our Bangalore headshot sessions, including what's included and delivery times, or message us on WhatsApp.