Take perfect application photos yourself: 5 tips with your cell phone and without an app

For a large part of employers, a photo is an indicator of how serious the job seeker is. If a person is willing to invest personal time to present himself, it means that he is really interested in finding a new job.

Basically, the rule is: it's worth going to the photographer.

But if you want to take your own application photo, Felix Dietze, photographer, explains how you can take a photo for your CV at home.

Application photo with cell phone - the right position

Do not place the camera or phone below eye level: the chin then appears heavy and the look could appear arrogant, as if you are looking down from above. The camera should also not be placed too high up. The most advantageous position is 20-30 centimeters above eye level.

The right light for the homemade application photo

This is the most important prerequisite. A photo with perfect make-up and poor lighting will lose out to a photo without make-up but with good lighting. The easiest source of even and beautiful light is a window. Choose the brightest and most pleasant room. If the sun is bright and the rays are shining through the window, stand as close to the window as possible, but so that the direct sunlight does not fall on your face. This will avoid harsh shadows and highlights.

Technical points

Secure your cell phone so you don't have to hold it in your hand. Selfies on your CV look unprofessional.

If you don't have any special equipment, use what you have:

- Support the cell phone with books

- Or ask people close to you to take photos of you. This will give you more angles and the photos will look more vivid.

- If you don't have any helpers, switch on the timer mode. Take photos with the main camera and not the front camera - the quality of the front camera is usually much poorer, so if your phone has portrait mode, turn it on. If you don't have portrait mode, don't hold the camera too close to your face as this will distort the proportions.

- It is better to crop the photo a little afterwards. A good close-up for a portrait is the center of the chest.

- Adjust the brightness of the shot so that the photo is not too dark and not too bright. Normally, the camera focuses after a long press on the phone display and the brightness slider appears.

The right application photo background

Objects in the background make the photo look unkempt and distract attention from your face. The goal is to find a neutral background that is as monotone as possible.

1. use a solid color fabric such as bed sheets. Neutral colors: white, gray, beige, black. Stretch the fabric between two chairs and put the camera/phone on the windowsill. The mini photo studio for home is ready. But be careful how the fabric matches your clothes. Black on black, for example, can get lost.
2. Or take a photo against a wall. If it's light-colored (ideally white) and doesn't have colorful wallpaper or textures, the wall is a great background for a portrait.
Stand as close to the wall as possible. If the wall is across from a window in the back of the room, open the curtains to get more light. If the wall is not opposite the window, stand at an angle to the window, otherwise the light will only fall on one half of the face and the photo will not be successful.

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The right pose for the application photo

Make several attempts by turning slightly and changing the position of your face: Turn your chin slightly downward, turn your face slightly to one side or the other, lean forward, or rotate your shoulders.

Sitting or standing?

Both are possible! You can stand or sit for the photo - the main thing is that you feel comfortable, otherwise you can see the discomfort in the photo.

Again, turn the shoulders slightly to the right or left, depending on the purpose for which you are taking the picture.