Professional Headshots

I’m an alum and I don’t remember or have access to my UW email. Can I still get a headshot?

• Yes! Alumni can certainly come in during our operating hours to take headshots. A UW email is not needed as you can request to have your photos sent to a personal email. 

Can I make an appointment or reserve a specific time?

• At the moment, this service operates using a self-serve model and does not allow an appointment to be made prior. However, based on student feedback and usage of the service, our staff may reconsider appointment scheduling and assess the matter appropriately. 

Can I make a group reservation on behalf of an RSO, class, Greek Organization, student athletic team, or professional or academic society?

• We ask that interested groups encourage their UW student members to visit our office individually and at their leisure to have their professional photo taken using the Iris Booth. This is to ensure a wide range of availability to the service and mitigate the possibility of long queues.

How should I come dressed?

• We encourage folks to dress in what makes them feel comfortable and confident! We recommend taking a look at other headshots online for inspiration and consider your own personal style and preferences.

Is there an optimal time to come use the service? When is it most busiest?

• Our headshot service is available during our open hours and due to the large time frame, it is difficult to estimate how busy the service is as it changes day-to-day.
• However, generally any time before noon is less busy than the lunch hour and the afternoon. We find that it’s there can be a wait to use the service at opening, during the middle of the day, and near closing.
• Also, even if there is only one person using the booth, their average time spent taking photos may range from 5-15 minutes, and as such please keep in mind that a wait time may exist and so we recommend coming in when you have ample time.

Is there a fee or cost to take a headshot?

• No. There is no fee or cost to use the Iris Booth or have access to your photos as funding for this services is provided by the Student Technology Fee.

Can I use the Iris Booth to take passport photos?

• Though the Iris Booth takes quality photographs, the Career & Internship Center and the booth do not have the capabilities to format or print photos for any specific passport requirements or applications. Therefore, our office does not recommend use of the Iris Booth for passport photos as we cannot guarantee that photos will meet any required specifications.
• We highly encourage users visit a local photo or printing center near the UW-Seattle campus for any passport photo services.

Is this service available over Summer Quarter or other breaks?

• Our office operates over the summer during which the Iris booth and headshot services is available to users. However, during summer and other breaks, there may be office closures or limited hours and as such to stay up to date with our office hours and any closures, we highly recommend checking out the yellow banner located at the very top of our website. This banner will display any notable notices regarding our hours.

Still have questions? Email askcic@uw.edu.

It’s common to hear online that as long as you have a photo, it’s “better than nothing at all.” While it may ring true in some ways, your LinkedIn photo is the first impression a recruiter sees from you. When you think about your profile photo in terms of impressions and digital introductions, having “just something” may seem like not enough.

From high end photos that can cost up to $200 to casual ‘portrait mode’ smartphone photos, there is a spectrum of options for headshot profiles. Yet despite surface level differences, there is one goal for the ideal headshot: create a solid, first impression that showcases your career enthusiasm and confidence. 

There are common ‘best practices’ like, “smile but not too much,” or “you have to wear a blazer and look off to the side candidly,” but what if you already have a photo you want to use? You’re smiling, you look and feel great about yourself, and it’s authentic. That’s great! Those are important qualities and goals in posting a profile image, however, context is also key.

It’s perfectly fine to feel good about your high school senior photo, a vacation portrait photo, or maybe even your graduation photo, but these photos aren’t the most ideal for LinkedIn profiles.

Instead, if you’re using a photo you already have or plan to take one, here are some tips you can use to get the most out of your photo:

• Avoid torso or full length posing
  • It’s important to remember that on a computer screen or even a mobile device, the circle that is your profile image will only take up so much space and using photos that don’t highlight your face can make recognition difficult.
  • Also sometimes, being too far from the camera may leave you out of focus or the photo may lose quality due to zooming in.
  • Suggestion: Make sure your face occupies more than 60% of the frame. 
• Avoid overly-close headshots
  • Incredibly formal, head-on photos, like those similar to passport photos or even ID cards also aren’t the most ideal. Though simple in nature, they may lack that enthusiasm, professionalism, authenticity, or confidence that is typical for profile images.
  • Suggestion: Be sure to include a bit of your shoulders in your image. This also helps to make sure your face takes up at least 60% of the frame and not more than 80% .
• Share your authenticity and professionalism
  • It can be difficult to figure out which facial expression works best, so why not have a few options?
  • You can also take a few test shots to see what you like best, even trying different poses as well. Do what feels comfortable and natural to you.
  • In terms of clothing and appearance, it’s usually recommended to avoid overly casual clothing and instead consider presenting yourself as you would at work or other formal career setting like a conference or networking event. 
• Final Tips & Recommendations
  • Be the only one in your picture and avoid cropping from group photos, as a hint of another person may be distracting.
  • Consider a background that isn’t too distracting, usually a solid color works best.
    1. Use UW’s Canva Pro access to remove or edit backgrounds in photos. 
  • Remember that having a picture makes your profile 14 times more likely to be viewed by others on LinkedIn. On Handshake, having a photo as part of a complete profile, makes you 5 times more likely to be messaged by recruiters.