How to take a professional headshot - folding your arms properly

If you’re doing the classic headshot pose but your photo still looks a bit off, there’s a good chance it isn’t your face, your hair, or your lighting.

It’s your arms.

Folding your arms feels like the easiest thing in the world. It’s comfortable and it gives you something to do with your hands. But in headshots, the way you fold your arms can completely change the vibe of the photo, and it can accidentally make you look more closed off than you actually are.

Why arm placement matters more than you think

Headshots are close up, which means small things become big things.

Your posture, your shoulders, your hands, and your body language all show up more clearly in a headshot than they do in a full body photo. Even if you’re smiling, your arms can still communicate something different.

And if you’re using your headshots for business, you want to look confident, approachable, and professional, not stiff or guarded.

What not to do in the classic headshot pose

There are two super common ways women fold their arms in headshots that don’t translate well on camera.

1. Both hands tucked underneath your arms

This is the “fully folded” arms position, where both hands disappear underneath.

It might feel fine, but in photos it often reads as more closed off and defensive, like you’re putting a barrier between yourself and the viewer.

This doesn’t mean you can never fold your arms, but this particular version can make your headshot feel less warm and less approachable, even if that’s not what you intended.

2. Your finger placement is off

Even when women nail the arm fold, there’s one tiny thing that can still throw the photo off - your fingers.

If your fingers are splayed out, stretched, or gripping, it can look rigid and tense, and sometimes it even looks a bit claw-like on camera.

Instead, place your fingers softly together, like they’re resting, not grabbing. Relaxed fingers instantly makes the whole pose look more polished.

The best way to fold your arms for headshots

Here’s the arm position that works best in the classic headshot pose because it looks confident, open, and natural.

Fold your arms with:

• Your fingers resting on the outside of your arms
  
• Your thumbs tucked behind
  
  

This creates a cleaner shape through your arms and shoulders, and it keeps your body language looking relaxed and confident instead of guarded.

It also gives your hands a clear “job” without drawing attention to them.

Quick checklist to fix your arms in headshots

Next time you’re taking headshots, check this:

• Are your arms helping you look open and confident?
  
• Are your shoulders relaxed and not pulled forward?
  
• Are your fingers resting softly together, not splayed out?

Want to nail your headshots at home with your phone?

If you want help with all of this in a simple step by step way, I made a free guide called Fix Your Headshots.

It shows you exactly how to take professional looking headshots at home using just your phone, and it walks you through the three headshot poses every woman in business needs.

GRAB YOUR FREE HEADSHOTS GUIDE HERE