I am a headshot photographer. So obviously I have a bias here. I would benefit financially if you decided not to take your own headshot and booked a session with me instead.

I want to be upfront about that. Because I am about to tell you that no, I do not think you can take your own headshot. And I want you to understand that I am not saying that just to sell you something.

I am saying it because I understand what a headshot actually is. And most people do not.

A Headshot Is Not a Photograph

That sounds like a contradiction, but stay with me.

Most people think of a headshot as a picture of their face. A photograph that shows what they look like. Something to put on LinkedIn or their website so people can see them.

That is technically true. But it misses the point entirely.

A headshot is not just a photograph. A headshot is a psychological trigger.

Its purpose is not to show what you look like. Its purpose is to make someone trust you in less than two seconds.

That is a completely different job. And it requires a completely different set of skills to pull off.

What It Actually Takes

To create a headshot that builds trust, you need to understand:

• Human interaction—how people respond to each other, what makes someone feel at ease, how to create a dynamic where real expressions emerge
• Relationship dynamics—how to read someone quickly, adjust your approach based on their personality, build enough rapport in a short time that they stop performing
• Marketing psychology—what makes someone stop scrolling, what signals credibility, what creates connection versus distance
• Human influence—how subtle cues in an image affect perception, why certain expressions read as trustworthy and others do not, what makes a face feel approachable

None of that is dramatic. It is just the reality of what goes into an image that actually works.

If you do not understand those things—and most people do not, because why would they—then you are not taking a headshot. You are taking a selfie.

The DIY Trap

When someone tries to take their own headshot, they almost always fall into the same traps:

Overposing. They hold their face in a way they think looks professional. It looks stiff. Unnatural. Like they are trying too hard.

Over-editing. They smooth every pore, brighten their eyes, blur away anything they think is a flaw. The result looks fake. People notice, even if they cannot articulate why.

Chasing perfection. They keep retaking the photo, adjusting, tweaking, trying to get everything “right.” But perfection is not the goal. Connection is. And perfection kills connection.

Missing relatability. This is the big one. They are so focused on looking good that they forget the actual job of the image—to make someone feel like they can trust you. A polished, perfect, carefully-posed photo does the opposite. It creates distance. It signals “I am curating what you see.” That is not trust. That is suspicion.

The Nuance Problem

Here is the deeper issue with DIY headshots.

When you take your own photo, you are focused on the task at hand. You are thinking: “I need a photo for my website.” Or “I need something for LinkedIn.” Or “My boss said I need a new headshot by Friday.”

You are solving a logistical problem. Get a photo. Check the box. Move on.

But that mindset misses all the nuance.

It misses the question of how that photo will be perceived. It misses the psychology of what makes someone stop and pay attention. It misses the subtle difference between an expression that reads as “warm and capable” versus one that reads as “trying to look warm and capable.”

Those are not things you can see when you are staring at yourself in a phone screen.

You need someone else. Someone who can observe you from the outside. Someone who understands what they are looking for. Someone who can guide you into a real moment instead of a performed one.

What You Are Actually Paying For

When you book a headshot session with a photographer who knows what they are doing, you are not paying for someone to press a button on a camera.

You are paying for someone who understands how to make you look like a person other people would want to work with. Someone who can get you out of your head, past your self-consciousness, and into a place where your real personality comes through.

That is not something you can do for yourself. Not because you are not smart or capable. But because you cannot be in the photo and outside the photo at the same time.

You need a second set of eyes. You need interaction. You need someone to talk to, respond to, react to—so that what shows up on your face is real instead of rehearsed.

That is what I do. I call it Conversational Photography. We talk. You forget about the camera. I capture what happens when you stop trying to look a certain way and just exist as yourself.

A selfie will never do that.

So Can You Take Your Own Headshot?

You can take a photo of yourself. That is easy. Anyone with a phone can do it.

But can you create an image that builds trust in under two seconds? An image that makes strangers feel like they already know you? An image that does the psychological work a headshot is supposed to do?

No. I do not think you can.

Not because you are not good enough. But because the job requires two people. And you are only one.

If You Have Been Putting It Off

If you have been using a DIY headshot—or avoiding getting one altogether—I get it. It feels like a small thing. A box to check. Not worth the investment.

But your headshot shows up everywhere. Your website. Your email signature. Your LinkedIn. Your proposals and pitches. Every time someone encounters it, they are making a split-second decision about whether to trust you.

That is not a small thing. That is the first impression you make over and over again, at scale.

My headshot and branding sessions start at $250. I am based in Lake Charles, Louisiana and work throughout Southwest Louisiana—Sulphur, DeQuincy, DeRidder, Leesville, Jennings, and Fort Johnson.

If you are ready to stop relying on selfies and get an image that actually does its job, reach out.

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About the Author

Dalton Barron is a portrait and branding photographer based in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He has been behind a camera for 13 years and specializes in working with people who want photos that actually feel like them. His approach, Conversational Photography, skips the stiff poses in favor of real interaction and natural results. He also photographs weddings under a separate brand at thefadedlens.com.

Dalton is a partner of Visit Lake Charles, supporting local tourism and business in Southwest Louisiana.