How to take a great portfolio photo at home

1. Choose the light and what you wear

Stand facing a window in indirect daylight. If bright sun makes you squint or casts a hard line across your face, move back or use a sheer curtain. Turn off nearby coloured lights if they give your skin a distracting tint.

Choose clothing that fits how you want to introduce yourself: a creative portfolio, a professional biography or a personal profile may call for different outfits. The photographed clothing, light and expression stay in your PortraitDock result.

• Clean the camera lens and use ordinary photo mode without beauty filters.
• Choose a simple space with a little distance from the wall.
• Keep the light in front of you rather than placing a bright window behind your head.

2. Put the camera at eye level

Ask a friend to hold the phone around eye level and start roughly 1.5–2 metres away, adjusting until your head, shoulders and some upper chest fit comfortably. This is a starting point, not a required measurement. Avoid the ultra-wide setting or an arm-length close-up that makes the nearest features look larger.

Taking the photo alone? Rest the phone securely on a stand or stable surface and use its timer. Take a test picture to check framing before continuing. The rear camera is a useful option when someone can check the screen for you; a clear front-camera photo can also work.

3. Leave room and look like yourself

Keep the outermost hair or headwear, your chin and both shoulders inside the photo, with background visible around them. Upload the wider original; choose the tighter final crop later. A cut-off crown or missing shoulder cannot be restored by background and framing adjustments.

Look toward the lens, relax your shoulders and try a natural smile as well as a quieter expression. A small turn of your shoulders can feel comfortable, but keep your face clearly visible. Pick the expression that suits your work instead of trying to imitate an identity-document pose.

4. Check several takes before uploading

Take a small set, then zoom in on the eyes and hair edges. Pick the sharpest image with an expression you like. Retake if the face is blurred, the eyes are in deep shadow or part of the head is missing. Background editing cannot recover detail that was never photographed.

Use the original file from the camera rather than a screenshot or an image downloaded from a messaging app. In PortraitDock, choose a background, check the head and chin guides and review the result. Keep one source photo per person.

Common questions