The Great Headshot Background Debate

Photography is an art, and as such there varying opinions on what looks good in many aspects of the work. One of those that is often debated is what background to use for headshots. There are several schools of thought – some clients want headshots with a blurred background that puts the person in an environment – an office, lab, outside, etc.. Another school of thought is to have a plain, solid color background – most often the background is either very dark, grey, or white, but sometimes there be may be blue or other colors. Sometimes there is a spotlight on the background behind the person’s head, although this look doesn’t seem to be very popular in the last several years for headshots unless you’re going for something artistic. So which is better?

First, remember that if you ask 10 photographers, you’ll likely get at least several different answers, and ultimately the choice is the clients’. And the arguments are different for portraits vs. headshots – portraits generally refer to an image where more of the body and it’s environment are shown, vs. headshots where the image is largely dominated by the person’s face, up close and personal (many people use the word headshot when they really are referring to a portrait). In a portrait, the environment, props such as a computer or musical instrument or poses such as standing with arms folded all work to create an impression. Portraits are best used where the image is large enough to view the person’s face, body, and environment…

For headshots, the focus (no pun intended) is on the person’s face – you’re looking at their expression, their eyes. If the background is “busy”, the viewer’s eye can get distracted and wander. On the other had, a solid color background “directs” the viewer’s eyes to the face, providing the greatest impact. Objects, even if blurred, can be a bit distracting – it’s a cleaner look. Now, I want to emphasize a headshot with a blurred background isn’t wrong or bad – and ultimately it’s a matter of choice/taste (and I’m definitely biased!). I know that when I look at headshots, I have the strongest reaction to the person’s face when the background is simple. BTW, if you are going to use a blurred environment of your background, be careful not to have structures such as poles or columns growing out of people’s heads – that can definitely look weird.

Look at the example images below of the same person, one against a plain background, the other not.

Which do you prefer?