The 5 Most Common Headshot Mistakes, and Where Each One Gets Fixed
One finished headshot, read against 5 mistakes
- 01Made in a session for this photo, not cropped from another one
- 02One plain dark background, nothing behind her but tone
- 03Shoulders turned, chin forward and a touch down
- 04One solid top; the buttons are the only detail
- 05Retouched, with the skin texture still there
Each note answers the mistake with the same number below. ATX Headshots studio session.
These are the 5 headshot mistakes named in the guidance ATX Headshots gives its clients: a photo cropped from another occasion, a busy background, a raised chin, clothes that fight for attention, and over-editing.
Each one is set out below with how it shows up in a photo and where it gets fixed. They do not all get fixed in the same place, and that is the useful part.
The 5 mistakes
Using a photo cropped from a wedding, a holiday or a group shot
The photo was made for a different day. The light, the angle and the background were set for that occasion, not for you. A cropped group photo is also one of the most common failures on LinkedIn, where the face needs to be large in the frame.
- How it shows
- Someone else's shoulder at the edge, a party behind you, a face that is small in the frame.
- Where it gets fixed
- In the session. A headshot made for the purpose, with the background chosen for what the images are for.
A busy background pulling attention away from your face
The eye goes to the brightest thing in the frame. In a headshot that needs to be the face, so the background should be simple enough to disappear.
- How it shows
- Shelves, windows, signs or other people behind you, competing with your eyes.
- Where it gets fixed
- In the session. The background is chosen before the first frame, to suit what the images are for.
Looking straight at the camera with the chin up
Square to the lens with the chin raised looks stiff. A selfie shot from below has the same problem: the camera looks up at you. A slight lean toward the camera, with the chin forward and a touch down, lets the jawline read cleanly.
- How it shows
- Shoulders square to the camera, a raised chin, a lens looking up at you.
- Where it gets fixed
- In the session. Posture, angle and expression are coached one cue at a time, so you do not need to know how to pose.
Clothes that fight for attention
Thin stripes, small checks and tight repeating patterns can create moiré, a visual interference effect, under studio lighting. Logos pull attention off the face and date the image. Loose fabric reads larger on camera, tight clothing reads as uncomfortable, and large statement jewelry competes with the face.
- How it shows
- Stripes that shimmer, a logo across the chest, a collar that will not sit flat.
- Where it gets fixed
- Before the session, by you. Bring a second option so the best one is chosen on the day. A steamer is on site for a wrinkled shirt or blazer.
Over-editing
The skin gets smoothed until you no longer look like yourself. Retouching should clean up, not reshape: blemishes, stray hairs, glasses glare, lint, color and exposure. No skin smoothed into plastic.
- How it shows
- Skin with no texture, and a face people do not recognise when you walk into the meeting.
- Where it gets fixed
- In retouching. Distractions are cleaned up, and you still look like the person who walked in.
Where the 5 get fixed
Counted from the 5 mistakes above and where each is fixed, per the ATX Headshots session description, checked 2026-10-06.
Only 1 of the 5 is yours to sort out before you arrive, and even that one gets a second look on the day. The other 4 are the photographer's job.
Check the photo you use now
- Was it made for this purpose, or cropped from another photo?
- Is anything behind you more interesting than your face?
- Is your chin raised, or is the camera looking up at you?
- Do your clothes have stripes, a logo or a collar that will not sit flat?
- Would someone recognise you from it when you walk into the meeting?
Where this comes from
| What | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| The 5 mistakes; chin forward and a touch down; retouching cleans up, not reshape | ATX Headshots client guidance, as given to clients | 2026-10-06 |
| Cropped group photo and selfie from below as common LinkedIn failures; background simple enough to disappear | ATX Headshots FAQ, "What makes a good LinkedIn profile photo?" | 2026-10-06 |
| Patterns, moiré, logos, fit and jewelry; the eye goes to the brightest thing in the frame | ATX Headshots FAQ, "What should I avoid wearing for a headshot?" and "What colors photograph best for a headshot?" | 2026-10-06 |
| Background chosen for the images' purpose; cues one at a time; second outfit; steamer | ATX Headshots FAQ, session, outfit and change room answers | 2026-10-06 |
| What retouching covers; no skin smoothed into plastic | ATX Headshots FAQ, "What does headshot retouching include?" | 2026-10-06 |
| Photograph | ATX Headshots studio session | 2026-10-06 |
Every individual session at ATX Headshots handles the 4 that are the photographer's job. What each session covers is set out on the ATX Headshots studio session page.