What Makes a Good Headshot?

If you asked most photographers what makes a good headshot, they would probably say something about lighting. Or posing. Maybe composition. The technically-minded ones would talk about lens choice or focal length.

They are not wrong. Those things matter. But they are not the thing that makes a headshot actually work.

The thing that makes a headshot work is trust.

The Problem With Perfection

Here is the scenario most people imagine when they think about getting a headshot:

You walk into a studio. There is a seamless backdrop. Professional lighting. The photographer tells you where to stand, how to tilt your chin, where to put your hands. You hold still. They click the shutter a bunch of times. Then they retouch everything—smooth the skin, brighten the eyes, clean up any “imperfections.”

The result is polished. Clean. Perfect.

And completely forgettable.

Worse than forgettable, actually. It is counterproductive.

Because when someone looks at a headshot that is too polished, too retouched, too posed—something in their brain flags it. They do not consciously think “this person looks fake.” But they feel it. There is a distance. A lack of connection. The image does not pull them in.

That reaction has a name. It is called distrust.

Why Trust Is the Real Metric

Think about what a headshot is actually supposed to do.

It is a first impression. It shows up on your website, your LinkedIn, your email signature, your business card. It is often the very first thing a potential client, employer, or collaborator sees before they decide whether to reach out.

That decision is not based on whether you look “professional” in some generic sense. It is based on whether they feel like they can trust you.

And trust comes from relatability.

People trust people who seem real. People who seem human. People who have texture and warmth and presence—not people who look like they were assembled in Photoshop.

Perfection is not relatable. Perfection is suspicious. When someone looks too polished, we assume they are hiding something. We assume the real version is different from what we are seeing. And we hold back.

A headshot that builds trust is not about removing every flaw. It is about showing the version of you that people will actually meet.

What I Do Differently

This is why I shoot the way I shoot.

I call it Conversational Photography. It is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of stiff poses and rigid direction, we talk. We move. I ask questions, you respond naturally, and I capture what happens when you stop performing and start being yourself.

No fake smiles. No forced posture. No “tilt your head three degrees to the left.”

Just a real interaction that produces real expressions.

The images that come out of this approach are not “perfect.” They are better than perfect. They are true. And true is what connects.

A Quick Example

I had a client come in convinced she needed to look “put together.” Corporate. Serious. She thought that was what a professional headshot required.

For the first few minutes, she was stiff. Held her face a certain way. Kept adjusting her posture. The shots were fine. Technically clean. But they had no life.

Then I asked her about her work. What she actually loved about it. Why she got into her field in the first place.

She forgot about the camera. Her shoulders dropped. She laughed at something. Her face changed completely.

That was the shot.

Not the posed one. Not the “professional” one. The real one. The one where she looked like someone you would actually want to work with.

The Checklist That Actually Matters

If you are evaluating a headshot—yours or anyone else’s—forget the technical stuff for a second. Ask these questions instead:

• Does this person look approachable?
• Would I want to have a conversation with them?
• Do they seem real, or do they seem like a stock photo?
• If I met them in person, would they match this image?

If the answer to any of those is “no,” the headshot is not doing its job. No matter how good the lighting is.

Who This Is For

If you have been putting off getting a headshot because you hate how you look in photos—this might be why. You have probably only experienced the stiff, over-directed version. The version that makes everyone look like a mannequin.

That is not what I do.

I work with entrepreneurs, professionals, creatives, and anyone who needs to show up online in a way that actually represents who they are. My headshot and branding sessions start at $250. Everything is shot on-location—no sterile studios, no generic backdrops.

I am based in Lake Charles, Louisiana and work throughout Southwest Louisiana, including Sulphur, DeQuincy, DeRidder, Leesville, Jennings, and Fort Johnson.

If you want a headshot that builds trust instead of creating distance, let’s talk.

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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.