DIY vs Professional Headshot: When to Hire a Photographer
With smartphone cameras getting better every year and the AI image generation quality rapidly increasing, it’s easy to wonder if you really need to hire someone.
Maybe you’ve thought, “I’ll just stand near a window, use portrait mode, and crop it.” While that works for many people, it’s not the best option for everyone.
The real question isn’t whether you can take your own headshot. It’s whether you should.
If you represent a business, lead a team, or appear publicly as part of your company’s brand, a professional photoshoot becomes more of a necessity. This guide breaks down the difference between doing it yourself (DIY) and professional headshots so you can decide when it’s time to hire someone.
What Makes a Good Professional Headshot?
Before comparing DIY and professional photography, we need to define the standard for a good headshot photo. It may surprise you to find out that it’s about more than getting one that isn’t blurry. (Although, that is important too.)
Lighting
It starts with lighting. Good lighting clearly shows off your face. It creates depth that flatters your features and makes you easily recognizable even in tiny profile icons. When done correctly, lighting can help you look confident and approachable. If you have poor lighting, image quality becomes grainy and shadows may distort your facial features.
Background
Many people mistakenly think a professional background is just a blank wall. However, that is far from reality. The background of your headshot photo should be chosen intentionally to support your role and your brand. For example, a corporate executive may use the front of the company’s building while a private chef uses a kitchen. The background should support your identity.
Framing
Framing and lens choice make the most notable difference between professional headshot photography and DIY headshot photos. When you use your phone to take a headshot photo, it’s hard to get your full shoulder width in frame. If you use the wide-lense to accomplish that, it slightly distorts your features. Professional photographers use lenses and settings that enhance your facial features. They’re able to capture you in different frames with poses that match your brand identity.
Posing
Expression and poses are small details that are often overlooked. A photographer can guide you to make small adjustments in posture, chin angle, and eye engagement so you’re doing more than “just smiling” for the camera. Those small shifts change how authority and warmth are communicated.
Editing
The final part is editing. People either over-do it or don't touch up at all. The best professional headshot photos strike a balance between cleanly refined and too filtered. The goal is to fix any mistakes, not artificially perfect someone. Not all photographers edit or retouch photos, so make sure to ask before hiring someone.
When all of these pieces come together, the result looks clean and professional.
When Is a DIY Headshot “Good Enough”?
To be clear, not everyone needs to hire a professional headshot photographer.
If you are a student updating a resume, someone early in your career building a LinkedIn profile, or updating an internal company directory, learning how to take a headshot at home can absolutely be enough.
There are plenty of solid DIY headshot tips out there that help you produce a photo that works. If the image is temporary or low stakes, DIY makes sense.
Where it stops making sense is when that image represents your company, your leadership role, or your team’s professionalism to clients and partners. That is when the standards change.
What Are the Limitations of DIY Headshot Photos?
You can usually tell when someone took their own headshot.
It is not always obvious at first glance, but some clear indicators are:
Shoulders are cropped out of the photo
Lighting is uneven/ face has shadows
The background is distracting
These are common headshot mistakes. They happen because most people quickly snap a selfie without worrying about lighting, angles, or posture. Directing all of those pieces is difficult.
When you look at a bad vs good headshot comparison side by side, the difference becomes clear. The professional image feels intentional. The DIY version often looks unpolished.
For individuals, that difference may not matter much. For business owners and executives, it absolutely does. Clients notice the subtle signals of professionalism.
When You Should Hire a Professional Headshot Photographer?
When does DIY is not good enough:
You should strongly consider hiring a professional headshot photographer if you lead a company, manage a team, or operate in a client-facing industry. This includes:
Real estate brokerages
Corporate leadership teams
Consulting firms
Law offices
Startup businesses
Established business owners
If you are coordinating business team headshots, consistency becomes critical. A group of mismatched photos taken in different lighting conditions can look disorganized. Cohesive corporate headshots communicate stability and brand alignment.
You should also hire a professional when your company is rebranding, redesigning its website, preparing for press coverage, or presenting itself in a new or more elevated market position.
At that stage, the decision between professional headshot vs DIY becomes less ‘if’ and more about ‘when’.
What Professional Headshots Do That DIY Can’t
Do professional headshots actually make a difference? The simple answer is yes. They change how your business is perceived.
To explain deeper, a professional headshot photographer is experienced in controlling different variables to capture you in your best lighting, angles, and keep consistency across your branding.
They have specialized lenses that clearly capture small details, ensuring your photo comes out high quality. They guide you on backgrounds and expressions/ poses that fit your aesthetic and business needs.
For companies scheduling team headshot photos in NYC, professionals also create consistency. Every team member is photographed under the same lighting setup, with the same framing, and with a unified editing style. That consistency strengthens brand perception immediately.
A business headshot photographer in NYC also understands how these images will be used. (Ex. website bios, LinkedIn profiles, speaking engagements, and press releases) The images are created for a specific purpose, so they work intentionally for every format.
Businesses can rely on professional headshots because they are not just portraits. They are an investment for your brand.
How to Prepare for a Professional Headshot Photoshoot
If you decide to move forward with a professional session, preparation helps everything run smoothly. Your photographer will likely provide specific steps for your photoshoot day, but you can use this list to get a general idea of what to expect.
Many people start with what to wear. Your wardrobe represents who you are, so for creatives, this is where you can highlight your personality. For teams, it’s important to coordinate with team members for a color, theme, or style to ensure photos are cohesive.
Next, think about scheduling and timelines. If you need new images for an event happening, make sure to book your photoshoot with enough time for the photographer to take the headshot photos and edit them. Larger companies may benefit from staggered time slots for team members to swap places during workdays. Clear communication ahead of time prevents last-minute stress and ensures you get quality headshot photos.
Clarify how the images will be used. It’s important for photographers to know how the images will be used. Knowing the purpose allows the photographer to tailor framing appropriately. For example, if you use them strictly for social media, the photographer will likely only take photos in portrait mode. If you need photos for a website redesign, you will likely need a mix of portrait and landscape photos.
If you are wondering how to prepare business for headshots, the answer boils down to planning ahead. This is the best way to align your team and get the best out of your investment.
DIY or Hire a Professional? Choosing the Right Path
To summarize, DIY works when you just start out or don’t have the time or money to invest in it. Professional headshots become necessary when your image represents your company, your leadership, or your team’s credibility.
If you are building a business, updating your brand, or presenting yourself to clients in a competitive market like New York City, professional photography elevates professionalism immediately.
If you are ready to level up your image, explore GHNYC’s
Portrait Services or coordinate cohesive Team Headshot Sessions.
Your headshot is often the first impression someone has of you or your company. Make sure it reflects the level you operate in.