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Marcus Reed

Marcus Reed

Headshot Style & Photography Editor

Marcus covers the craft side of headshots at SnapSuited — what to wear, how to pose, which backgrounds work and why some portraits read as professional while others don’t. He turns working-photographer conventions into practical, plain-English guidance anyone can apply.

42 guides published on professional headshots, portrait lighting, posing for photos. Articles are assigned by subject area, not rotation — Marcus Reed does not write outside this beat. Every piece is fact-checked against primary sources before publication under our editorial standards.

Articles by Marcus Reed

Illustration of three frames of the same office scene showing a true candid, a directed candid and a posed portrait side by side

AI & Photography

What Is a Candid Photo? True Candids, Directed Candids, and Why Your Profile Photo Looks Stiff

A recent graduate in a navy blazer photographed in soft window light, with a folded graduation gown out of focus on a chair beside them

Headshot Guides

The Graduation Headshot: Your First Professional Photo, and How It Differs From the Cap-and-Gown Portrait

Navy scrubs and a charcoal blazer laid out beside an empty posing stool in a softly lit studio, with a stethoscope set aside in the background

Headshot Guides

The Nurse Headshot: What to Wear, What to Leave Out, and Where the Photo Actually Gets Used

A team of about twelve arranged in three staggered rows for a group photo, with seated, standing and elevated positions and a wheelchair user in the front row

Teams & Remote Work

Group Photo Poses: How to Arrange a Team So Every Face Reads

Environmental executive portrait of a seated leader in an office with soft window light, hands visible and background softly blurred

Headshot Guides

The Executive Headshot: What Changes When the Portrait Is Doing Reputational Work

Flat-lay of blotting papers, a powder compact, a brow brush and a mid-tone lipstick on a linen surface in soft daylight.

Headshot Guides

Makeup for Headshots: What Changes When a Key Light Replaces Your Mirror

Flat-lay of a folded jacket, shirt collar, knit tie, glasses, comb and powder tin laid out as headshot preparation

Headshot Guides

Professional Headshots for Men: The Full Commission, From Collar to Expression

Flat illustration of a grid of matching head-and-shoulders portrait frames beside one larger frame set in an office scene, next to a simple studio light and backdrop

Headshot Guides

The Corporate Headshot: What the Genre Actually Specifies, and How to Buy One

Abstract illustration of a portrait frame in a warm consulting room setting

Headshot Guides

The Therapist Headshot: Warmth Is the Whole Brief

Abstract editorial illustration of a physician portrait framed inside a provider directory card

Headshot Guides

The Doctor Headshot: What Health Systems Actually Expect

Illustration of a law firm bio page grid where five attorney portraits match and one is visibly inconsistent in crop, light and background

Headshot Guides

Lawyer Headshot: What the Convention Actually Is, Tier by Tier

A dust jacket flap on a desk showing the small area where an author photo is printed, beside a loupe and a stack of hardcover books.

Headshot Guides

The Author Photo: What a Book Jacket Portrait Has to Do That a Headshot Doesn't

Illustration of a company team page as a grid of portrait tiles, with a few tiles showing alternative formats and one left empty

Teams & Remote Work

Staff Photo Ideas: Seven Formats, and What Each One Actually Costs You

Side-by-side comparison of a studio headshot in colour and the same frame converted to black and white, showing tonal separation between hair, wardrobe and background

Headshot Guides

Black and White Headshot: When Monochrome Works and When It Quietly Costs You

A stack of printed business cards on a desk in raking light, the top card showing a portrait panel with visible halftone print texture and a faint trim line

Headshot Guides

Business Card Photo: Should Your Face Be on It, and Will It Survive Print?

A person photographed at the edge of a building overhang, lit by soft open-shade daylight with a blurred sunlit street behind them

Headshot Guides

Outdoor Headshot: The Light-and-Location Guide

Overhead diagram showing four camera positions at increasing distances from the same subject, each labelled with the focal length needed for identical head-and-shoulders framing

AI & Photography

The Best Focal Length for Portraits: Why the Number on the Lens Isn't What Changes Your Face

Illustration of a 2x2-inch passport photo frame with head-height measurement marks beside dark and pale shirt swatches, the pale one blending into the white background

Headshot Guides

What to Wear for a Passport Photo (and Every Other Rule That Gets You Approved)

Diagram comparing a mid-chest headshot crop with a three-quarter crop and a full-length frame, with the eye line marked in the upper third

Headshot Guides

What Is a Headshot? The Crop, the Types, and What Each One Is For

Line diagram showing three camera positions relative to a head and shoulders: close and low, eye level at distance, and slightly above eye level.

Headshot Guides

How to Look Thinner in Photos: The Camera Geometry That Actually Changes Your Face

Overhead view of a desk arranged for video calls, with a window providing soft light from one side and a bounce surface on the other

Teams & Remote Work

The Best Lighting for Zoom Meetings: Free Fixes First, Then What's Worth Buying

A phone on a small tripod photographing a person standing several feet away beside a window in soft daylight

AI & Photography

How to Take a Good Selfie: The Physics Behind a Photo That Looks Like You

A person on a video call at a home desk, with a real room visible several feet behind them

Teams & Remote Work

Professional Zoom Background: What Actually Reads as Competent on Camera

Three types of professional photo laid side by side — a corporate portrait, an actor headshot and a set of plain agency digitals — next to a comp card.

Headshot Guides

Model Headshots: What Agencies Actually Ask For

Illustration of a local search results map next to a contact sheet of portrait frames with one frame circled

Headshot Guides

"Headshot Photographer Near Me": How to Actually Choose One

Illustration of a circular profile photo crop shown at three shrinking sizes to demonstrate background contrast

LinkedIn & Personal Branding

LinkedIn Profile Picture Background: What Actually Works in a Small Circular Crop

Illustration comparing three male headshot stances: squared to the camera, rotated at an angle, and seated on a stool

Headshot Guides

Headshot Poses for Men: A Mirror-Testable Guide to Stance, Jaw and Hands

Illustrated diagram of a face outline with callouts at the mouth corner and the outer corner of the eye, marking the two muscle groups involved in a smile.

Headshot Guides

Should You Smile in a Headshot? The Mechanics of Getting a Real One

A desk with a laptop showing one portrait exported in square, vertical and horizontal crops next to a printed conference program

Teams & Remote Work

Speaker Headshot Requirements: The Press Kit Photo Pack Every Spokesperson Should Have Ready

Illustration of eyeglasses with a light source above and to one side, showing the reflection bouncing downward and away from the camera.

Headshot Guides

Glasses in Headshots: How to Keep Your Frames and Lose the Glare

The same portrait shown at three scales: a yard sign panel, a circular app thumbnail and a business card

Headshot Guides

Real Estate Headshots: What Works on a Yard Sign, a Portal and a Business Card

A woman standing at a three-quarter angle to a studio camera on a plain grey backdrop, with faint guide lines showing shoulder angle and eye line

Headshot Guides

Female Headshot Poses: A Step-by-Step Guide You Can Practice in a Mirror

Illustration of a contact sheet of portrait frames with casting-style grease-pencil marks, one frame selected and enlarged

Headshot Guides

Actor Headshot Examples: What Casting Actually Wants to See

An ordinary living room arranged for a home headshot: window light on one side, a white board bouncing light back on the other, and a phone on a small tripod at eye level.

Headshot Guides

Professional Headshots at Home: The Complete DIY Method

Flat-lay illustration of a camera, softbox, retouching tablet, stopwatch and invoice arranged as a cost breakdown

Headshot Guides

Why Are Headshots So Expensive? A Line-by-Line Breakdown of Where the Money Goes

A professional headshot shown with annotation lines marking the crop, eye line, lighting direction, background separation and collar

Headshot Guides

Professional Headshot Examples: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why

Side-by-side comparison of an acting headshot with a tight natural crop and a corporate headshot with a blazer and clean studio background

Headshot Guides

Acting Headshot vs. Corporate Headshot: Why They're Not the Same Photo

A professional headshot shown before and after light retouching, with natural skin texture and lines preserved in the edited version

Headshot Guides

Headshot Retouching: How Much Is Too Much?

A person lit by soft window light from one side, with a white reflector filling the shadow side of the face

Headshot Guides

Headshot Lighting Explained: A Plain-English Guide for Non-Photographers

The same headshot shown against four different backgrounds: light gray, white, a blurred office, and an urban exterior.

Headshot Guides

Headshot Backgrounds: How to Choose the Right One for Your Purpose

A person posing at a three-quarter angle with relaxed shoulders and a natural smile for a professional headshot

Headshot Guides

How to Pose for a Headshot When You're Not Photogenic

Navy blazer, charcoal sweater, and emerald blouse hanging on a rack in a photography studio before a professional headshot session

Headshot Guides

What to Wear for a Headshot: The Definitive Guide