One Session, Two Looks: How to Get More From Your Headshot Session

One question I get often: do I need to book two separate sessions if I want a more polished headshot and a more casual one? The answer is usually no. With a few small adjustments during a single session, you can walk away with two genuinely different looks—no extra time or cost required.

A great headshot session doesn't have to result in just one image. With a few small adjustments—a change of outfit, expression, or even camera angle—you can walk away with two genuinely different looks from a single session. Here are some easy ways to mix it up.

Change Your Hair and Expression

Something as simple as hair up versus hair down, or a closed-mouth smile versus a big open smile, can completely shift the feel of a photo. One look can read as polished and professional, while the other feels more relaxed and approachable—perfect if you need one image for LinkedIn and another for social media.

Professional woman headshot comparison, hair up with closed-mouth smile beside hair down with open smile

Swap Your Outfit

A suit and tie photographs as classic and corporate. Swap in a leather jacket and a warm scarf, keep the same smile, and suddenly the image feels more casual and personal. You don't need a full wardrobe change—just one or two pieces can shift the tone entirely.

Businessman headshot comparison, suit and tie beside leather jacket and scarf for a more casual look

Let the Background Do the Work

Sometimes the outfit stays exactly the same, and it's the background that changes everything. A clean pavement backdrop shot from above gives a crisp, minimal look. A few steps over, near the glass of a nearby building, the reflected light creates a soft, blurred bokeh background instead—same person, same outfit, completely different feel.

Headshot comparison showing same outfit against a clean pavement background versus a softly blurred glass building background

Dress It Up or Down

Pairing a casual piece, like a denim jacket, against the same background as a more polished outfit is another easy way to create contrast. Same smile, same location, but two very different impressions.

Woman's headshot comparison, casual denim jacket beside professional attire against the same background

Adjust the Formality of Your Smile

A closed-mouth, composed expression in a suit and tie can feel more serious and authoritative. Lose the tie, open up the smile, and the same person comes across as warmer and more approachable—useful when you want options for different contexts.

Young professional's headshot comparison, suit and tie with composed smile beside open-collar shirt with a big smile

A Few Other Easy Variations

• Vertical vs. horizontal crops — useful since some platforms (like LinkedIn) favor square or vertical images, while a website banner might need horizontal.

• A change in expression alone — even without changing anything else, a subtle shift between a soft smile and a more neutral expression gives you options.

What to Wear (and How to Prep)

Choose an outfit you feel genuinely comfortable and confident in—that comfort shows on camera far more than any particular style choice. For makeup, keep it close to your everyday routine; the goal is a photo that looks like you, not a different version of you.

One styling note: try to avoid wearing all white or all black. Both tend to lose detail in photographs—white can wash out and overexpose, while black can flatten into a single dark mass with no texture. A mix of tones, or one statement colour against a neutral base, photographs best.

The Takeaway

You don't need a wardrobe full of outfits or a long session to get versatile results. A few thoughtful choices—in expression, styling, or background—can give you two (or more) headshots that each serve a different purpose, all from one quick session.

If you're ready to get headshots that actually look like you—in one look or several—book a session and let's talk about what would work best for you.