Tips for taking a good photo for LinkdIn, etc?

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Hi guys,
I need to take a good picture for LinkdIn, Handshake, etc. Any tips for how to take a professional looking photo, both in how to stage it and in how to make a good smile? I look really weird in all of my pictures and that insecurity makes me look even weirder.

Try to find some place that looks professional, simple, clean. If you have access to an office building or something that will help a lot.

For LinedIn photos I see a lot of people really pulling off an "almost formal" look. So for a masculine person that might be a suit and shirt but no tie. Or for a feminine person that could be a nice blouse and just the right accessories.

Headshots are best.

For the smile... try practicing in the mirror for a couple of days before the picture. See if there are any smiles that you have that you personally like. Smiling is hard though x.x I am no good at it...

The only other thing I can think of on the smile... is get lots of pictures and try different smiles (little, medium, big, over the top, toothy, mouth closed, etc)... then just pick out your favorite.

Also... if you can get a friend to take the picture rather than doing a selfie... then big +++++ relaxed shoulders look more professional... although a selfie is OK even on LinkedIn if done well.

HTH ♥ (hope that helps)

Something that uniform to the type of work you do or want to do.
For example your best chef whites if you're in hospitality, a suit jacket and white shirt for office/clerical.

No need for whole body shots, just the head and a tiny bit below the neck line. Not too far, though.
And for women especially, avoid cleavage if you can. While unintended there are a lot of horror stories about women being approached on LinkedIn for their photos.

I would also make sure that whatever you're wearing is clean and works well against the lighting of wherever you are taking the shot. Plenty of apps and camera software on phones also have timers you can use if its just being done at home in a room somewhere.

Well that's all I gotta add. Good luck on the job front!

I second what has already been said about selfies, unless you're pretty good at them, use a selfie stick, etc. All my selfies distort my face and look horrible. A decent cell phone camera can do a suitable job, just ask someone else to take the photo.

Only thing I'd add to previous advice would be if you don't have anyone else to take the photo, some phones like my iPhone for example have this feature where you can set a timer to take a picture. Good luck!