Headshot Vs Portrait: What’s The Difference?
A headshot is a portrait with a particular job to do
The words headshot and portrait are often used interchangeably.
That is understandable. A headshot is a portrait.
But not every portrait is a headshot.
The difference is not simply how tightly the photograph is cropped, whether someone is smiling, or how much of the body appears in the frame.
It is what the photograph needs to do.
A headshot is usually made for professional use. It may appear on LinkedIn, a company website, a speaker profile, a publication or anywhere someone needs to recognise the person behind the name.
A portrait can have a much broader purpose.
It may be made for work.
For your family.
For yourself.
Or simply because someone matters enough to photograph.
The difference begins with why the photograph is being made.
Does a headshot have to be head and shoulders?
No.
Some headshots are closely cropped around the face and shoulders. Others may include more of the body.
You may be seated.
You may be standing.
You may be looking directly at the camera or slightly away from it.
The framing should suit the person and the job the photograph needs to do.
The crop does not make it a headshot. Its purpose does.
Does a professional headshot have to look serious?
Definitely not.
A professional photograph should be appropriate for you and the work you do, but that does not mean everyone needs the same expression.
Some people suit a direct, composed portrait.
Others are naturally warmer.
Some laugh easily.
The photograph should still look like the person someone will meet when they walk through the door.
That matters more to me than producing a predetermined idea of what professional is supposed to look like.
Professional does not have to mean expressionless.
So what makes a portrait different?
A professional portrait can have a broader job than a headshot.
It may show more of the person, allow more variation in expression and composition, or say something about the role they hold and the work they do.
An executive portrait, for example, may need to represent both the person and the position they hold.
Personal branding photographs may need to work across a website, social media, speaking profiles and other professional uses.
The difference is not that one is more professional than the other.
It is simply that they are being asked to do different things.
Different photographs. Different jobs.
What if I need photographs for work?
Start with where the photographs need to be used.
If you need one strong professional photograph for LinkedIn, a company website or business profile, you probably need a headshot.
If you need a broader collection of professional photographs for different uses, you may be looking for personal branding photography instead.
And if you are a CEO, director, founder or senior professional whose photograph also represents your role or organisation, an executive portrait may be more appropriate.
You do not need to arrive knowing the terminology.
Tell me where the photographs need to work.
I can help you decide what we need to make.
Start with the job. The photograph follows.
Ready when you are
You can see examples of my headshot photography or find out what happens during a headshot session in my Johannesburg studio.
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JOHANNESBURG PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER
One Moment. One Portrait. Forever
© 2005–2026 Bridget Corke Photography
Blairgowrie · Johannesburg · South Africa
International Master's in Portrait Photography
One of only two in Africa.