Source-photo guide

How to choose a photo for your professional headshot.

Start with one sharp, unfiltered photo showing your whole head and shoulders. A phone photo can work. Clear facial detail matters more than having a studio background.

You can add up to two supporting photos. We personally check suitability before production; the upload checks are not a substitute for that review.

Choose a photo that shows you clearly.

Your whole head, hair and shoulders are visible, with room around them.
Your face is in focus when you enlarge the image.
Light falls evenly across your face, without deep shadows hiding details.
The image has no beauty filters or edits that change your features.
Your glasses, hair and distinctive details are clearly visible.

For chest-up framing, include your chest and shoulders. A knees-up custom request needs a source photo showing at least that much of your body.

Taking a new photo with your phone.

Clean the lens and face a window with soft light. Avoid direct sun or strong overhead light.
Keep the camera near eye level. Use a timer or ask someone to hold it farther away to reduce close-up selfie distortion.
Turn off beauty filters. Check that portrait-mode blur has not cut into your hair or glasses.
Take several photos and choose the sharpest, most natural expression. Keep the original file without cropping it.

Which photos are likely to need replacing?

Blurry images, tiny screenshots, heavily filtered photos, cropped-off hair and faces hidden by sunglasses or strong shadows may not provide enough detail. More pixels cannot restore information that was never captured clearly.

You do not need to remove the background yourself. We handle background replacement and masking manually. See what AI assists with and what we finish by hand.

What file types and sizes can I upload?

Verity accepts up to three photos, with a limit of 15 MB per photo. JPG, PNG and WebP are supported. HEIC works only when your browser can read it; if it will not open, export a JPG from your photo app.

Use the original-resolution file where possible, rather than a screenshot or a copy compressed by a messaging app. Do not enlarge a small image just to increase its dimensions.

What happens if my photo is unsuitable?

We review new submissions within one business day. If a clearer reference is needed, we explain what to replace before production starts. Suitability is about whether the photo supports the portrait you want; it is not a rating of your appearance.

For a team, share this guide with participants and agree the collection and approval process with the studio first. Plan your team’s headshots.

Choose my headshot

How your uploaded photos are handled