Headshot vs Bust vs Half-Body: What Each Photo Crop Means
A headshot shows your head and the top of your shoulders. A bust shows head, shoulders and chest. A half-body shot goes down to the waist or hips, and a full-body shot shows you head to toe. The further the frame pulls back, the more it says about you and the less it says about your face.
·When people book a session with me in Stockholm, the question I hear most is not "what should I wear?" but "what do I actually ask for?" Photographers use these terms loosely, and a client's "half bust" may not be my "half-body". Here is how I use them, so you can ask for the right frame and know what you're getting.
The five crops at a glance
| Crop | Where the frame ends | What it's best for |
|---|---|---|
| Headshot | Just below the shoulders | LinkedIn, email, small profile icons |
| Bust | Mid-chest | Company website team pages, speaker bios |
| Half-body (waist-up) | Waist or hips | About pages, press kits, personal branding |
| Three-quarter | Mid-thigh or knees | Editorial, brand and fashion work |
| Full-body | Head to toe | Fashion, lookbooks, full-outfit visuals |
Names vary between photographers and countries. If a booking depends on it, send a reference image instead of relying on the label.
Headshot: the face does the work
A headshot is tight on purpose. The frame ends around the top of the shoulders, so expression, eyes and posture carry everything. This is the crop for places where your photo is shown small, such as LinkedIn, email signatures, Slack and conference badges. At thumbnail size, a wider frame turns your face into a dot.
Bust: a little more context
A bust shot adds the chest and a bit of clothing. Your face is still the focus, but your collar, jacket and posture start to say something about how you work. I use this crop a lot for team pages, where a consistent frame across a whole group matters more than a dramatic image.
Half-body: where personality shows
Waist-up framing is where hands, gestures and body language enter the picture. It works well for About pages, press kits and personal branding, because it shows how you present yourself and not only what you look like. It needs more thought about clothing and background, since more of both is visible.
Three-quarter and full-body: the outfit and the setting
These crops are about the whole picture: clothing, location and stance. They suit fashion, brand imagery and anything where the outfit or the space is part of the story. They are rarely the right choice for a profile photo, because your face ends up small.
How to choose
- Where will it be shown, and at what size? Small and square means headshot. A wide banner or a full page gives room for half-body.
- What is the photo for? Recognition and trust point to a tighter crop. Showing personality or a way of working points to a wider one.
- How many places will use it? If the same image has to work on LinkedIn, your website and a conference page, ask for two or three crops in one session.
That last point is the practical answer for most people: you don't need to choose one. In a single session I shoot the same look at several distances, so one booking gives you a tight headshot for LinkedIn and a wider frame for your website. If you're also deciding between a headshot and a fuller portrait, my post on portrait vs headshot photography covers that choice.
What it costs in Stockholm
The crop doesn't change the price. A standard one-hour session starts at 1,500 SEK excluding VAT and covers both headshots and portraits, so you can get several framings in the same booking. Delivery is typically within 3 to 4 days. For the wider market picture, see my Stockholm photographer pricing guide. If you're unsure what to wear, this guide helps.
Want to work together?
Tell me where the photos will be used and I'll suggest the right crops for it. Book a free consultation.
Frequently asked questions
A headshot ends around the top of the shoulders, so it is almost all face. A bust photo continues to the mid-chest, which adds your collar, clothing and posture. A bust is a little more relaxed and gives slightly more context.
A headshot or a close bust. LinkedIn shows your photo in a small circle, so your face needs to fill most of the frame to be recognizable. Wider shots get lost at that size.
There is no fixed definition. Most people mean a frame somewhere between a headshot and a waist-up shot, usually to the chest or just below. If you need a specific framing, send the photographer a reference image so you both mean the same thing.
Yes. I shoot the same look at several distances in one session, so you leave with a tight headshot for profiles and a wider frame for your website or press kit.
No. With me the crop doesn't change the price. A standard one-hour session starts at 1,500 SEK excluding VAT.
It can be, but a bust or headshot usually looks more consistent across a whole team. Half-body works better for a single About page where you want to show personality.
"Profile picture" describes where the photo is used, while "headshot" describes how it is framed. A profile picture is often a headshot, but it can be any crop that works at small size.