Headshots with Glasses: How to Avoid Glare and Get a Clean Shot

Headshots with glasses tips are among the most-searched professional photography questions, and for good reason. Glasses create unique challenges: lens glare, frame reflections, shadow cast on your face, and the question of whether to wear them at all. Get it wrong and your professional headshot looks amateurish. Get it right and glasses become a distinctive element of your professional appearance.

If you wear glasses daily in professional settings, you should wear them in your headshot. The goal of a professional headshot is to represent you accurately. Removing glasses for photos creates disconnect when people meet you in person.

The challenge isn't whether to wear glasses. It's how to photograph them properly.

The Main Problem: Glare

Glare is the reflection of light sources on your lenses. It obscures your eyes, creates bright distracting spots, and makes headshots look unprofessional.

Glare happens when light hits your lenses at an angle that reflects directly back toward the camera. The solution involves controlling where light comes from and how your glasses angle relative to the camera.

Types of Glare

Direct glare: Bright white spots where lights reflect off lenses. This is the most common problem.

Partial glare: Softer reflections that don't completely obscure your eyes but create distracting haze across part of the lens.

Frame reflection: Light reflecting off the frames themselves, particularly with metal frames or glossy finishes.

All three types undermine professional headshots, but they're all preventable with proper technique.

How to Eliminate Glare: The Technical Solutions

Light Positioning

The most effective glare solution is controlling where light comes from.

45-degree angle rule: Position lights at 45-degree angles above and to the side of your face. This creates flattering facial lighting while keeping light from reflecting directly back toward the camera.

Avoid straight-on lighting: Front-facing lights hit your lenses at the perfect angle to create glare. Always angle lights away from the direct camera-lens axis.

Raise the lights: Positioning lights above eye level reduces the chance of direct reflection while still illuminating your face properly.

Multiple light sources: Using multiple lights at different angles lets you illuminate your face evenly while minimizing any single reflection point.

Professional photographers understand these principles and set up lighting specifically to handle glasses. This is one reason studio headshots often look cleaner than DIY attempts.

Glasses Positioning

How you wear your glasses affects glare as much as where lights are positioned.

Tilt slightly downward: Tilting your glasses very slightly downward (pushing the top of the frames slightly away from your face) changes the reflection angle. This feels awkward but photographs cleanly.

Adjust temple arms: Slightly bending the temple arms can change how the glasses sit on your face and alter reflection angles.

Push up or down on your nose: Where glasses sit on your nose changes the angle. Photographers often adjust this during shoots.

Chin position: Extending your chin slightly forward or tilting it slightly down changes the glasses angle relative to the camera.

Small adjustments make big differences. Professional photographers shoot multiple frames while making micro-adjustments to find the sweet spot where glare disappears.

Camera Height and Angle

Where the camera is positioned relative to your glasses matters.

Eye-level or slightly above: Positioning the camera at eye level or slightly above reduces the likelihood of catching light reflections.

Avoid low angles: Shooting from below eye level increases glare risk because it positions the camera to catch reflections from overhead lighting.

Advanced Technical Solutions

Professional photographers have additional tools:

Polarizing filters: Camera lens filters that reduce reflections and glare. These work particularly well for glasses.

Lens hoods: Prevent stray light from hitting the camera lens and creating flare.

Controlled lighting ratios: Balancing multiple light sources to create even illumination that doesn't create hot spots on lenses.

Post-processing: Professional retouchers can reduce minor glare digitally, though it's always better to avoid glare during shooting.

Should You Remove Your Glasses for Headshots?

Only if you rarely wear them in professional settings. The key question is: "Do people who know me professionally expect to see me wearing glasses?"

When to Keep Glasses On

You wear them daily: If colleagues and clients know you with glasses, removing them for photos creates disconnect.

They're part of your professional identity: Some people are so associated with their glasses that removing them seems wrong.

You need vision correction for work: If you wear glasses for computer work, reading, or other professional tasks, keep them on.

Your glasses are distinctive: Unique frames can be a positive identifying element.

When to Remove Glasses

You rarely wear them: If you only wear glasses occasionally for reading or computer work, you might skip them for photos.

You switch between glasses and contacts: If you regularly alternate, consider shooting both versions.

Extreme prescription makes it difficult: Very strong prescriptions that significantly distort your eyes in photos might warrant considering contacts for the headshot session.

Damaged or dated frames: If your current frames are damaged or outdated and you're planning to replace them soon, consider shooting without glasses or waiting until you have new frames.

Shooting Both Versions

The best solution is often shooting both with and without glasses. This gives you options for different uses and ensures you're covered regardless of circumstances.

AI headshot generators make this particularly easy. Upload photos both with and without glasses, and the generator produces professional versions of both.

Choosing Glasses for Professional Headshots

If you're buying new glasses and professional photos matter to you, consider these elements:

Frame Considerations

Matte finishes reduce reflections: Glossy or metallic frames catch more light and create additional reflection challenges.

Frame size matters: Oversized frames can dominate your face in photos. Frames that suit your face proportionally photograph better.

Color and contrast: Dark frames create strong lines in photos. Light or rimless frames are more subtle. Neither is wrong, but they create different visual impacts.

Current styles: Trendy frame styles date quickly. Classic frame shapes remain appropriate longer.

Lens Considerations

Anti-reflective coating: Also called AR coating, this lens treatment dramatically reduces reflections. It's the single most effective technical solution for photographing glasses.

High-index lenses: Thinner lenses (for stronger prescriptions) reduce the magnification or minification effect that strong prescriptions create.

Photochromic lenses (transitions): Avoid these for professional headshots. Even indoors, these lenses often show slight tint that looks unprofessional in photos.

Tinted lenses: Unless your medical condition requires tinted lenses, avoid them for professional headshots. Clear lenses let people see your eyes.

If you're ordering new glasses and professional photos are a priority, specifically request anti-reflective coating. The upgrade cost is minor compared to the improvement in how you photograph.

AI Headshots and Glasses: How the Technology Handles It

Modern AI headshot generators handle glasses well, often better than amateur photographers.

How AI Handles Glasses

Glare reduction: Quality AI systems automatically reduce or eliminate lens glare from input photos.

Frame preservation: The AI maintains your frame style, color, and fit accurately.

Consistent rendering: If you upload multiple photos with glasses, the AI keeps your glasses consistent across generated headshots.

Natural integration: AI ensures glasses sit naturally on your face with proper shadows and lighting.

Best Practices for AI Input Photos

Upload photos both with and without glasses: This gives the AI more options and ensures it can generate both versions if needed.

Include photos with clear frames: Make sure at least several input photos show your glasses clearly without glare or obstruction.

Various angles: Upload photos from slightly different angles so the AI understands how your glasses sit on your face from different perspectives.

Good lighting: Input photos with even lighting help the AI generate better results.

Remove sunglasses: Don't upload photos with sunglasses. The AI needs to see your eyes clearly to generate accurate professional headshots.

Quality AI headshot generators produce results where glasses look natural and professional, without the glare challenges that plague amateur photography attempts.

DIY Headshots with Glasses: A Practical Guide

If you're shooting your own headshots and wear glasses, follow this process:

Setup

Equipment:

• Smartphone with portrait mode or DSLR camera
• Tripod or stable surface
• Natural window light (no direct sunlight)
• Clean neutral wall or backdrop

Lighting setup:

1. Position yourself 3-4 feet from a clean wall
2. Place the camera 4-6 feet away at eye level
3. Position yourself so window light comes from 45 degrees to your side (not straight-on)
4. Make sure no bright lights are directly in front of you where they'd reflect in your lenses

Shooting Process

Start with glasses on:

1. Take 10-15 shots without adjusting anything
2. Review for glare (zoom in on phone/camera screen to check lenses)
3. If you see glare, make small adjustments:
   • Tilt glasses slightly down
   • Move slightly relative to the light source
   • Adjust your chin angle
   • Change camera height slightly
4. Take another 10-15 shots
5. Repeat adjustment process until you find an angle with no glare

Then shoot without glasses:

1. Remove glasses
2. Take another 10-15 shots
3. This gives you options if the glare-free versions don't work

Review and Selection

Check for:

• No visible glare on lenses
• Eyes clearly visible through lenses
• Frames sitting naturally (not crooked)
• Good overall composition and lighting

Common issues:

• Slight glare you didn't notice during shooting (zoom in to check carefully)
• Glasses sitting crooked (easily fixed by reshooting)
• Shadows from frames on your face (adjust lighting angle)

DIY headshots with glasses require patience and multiple attempts. Professional photographers make it look easy because they've solved these problems thousands of times. Your first attempt might take 50+ shots to find glare-free versions.

Common Mistakes with Glasses in Headshots

Using Glare-Heavy Photos

The most common mistake: accepting photos with obvious lens glare because "that's just how glasses photograph." It's not. Professional headshots with glasses should show clear lenses and visible eyes.

Glare makes you look unprofessional and suggests you settled for low-quality work.

Inconsistent Glasses Usage

Using photos with glasses on some platforms and without glasses on others creates confusion. Pick one version and use it consistently, or clearly label which photo is current.

Outdated Frames

Using a professional headshot that shows glasses you no longer wear creates the same disconnect as using an outdated photo. When you get new glasses, update your headshot.

Sunglasses in Professional Headshots

Never use sunglasses in professional headshots. They hide your eyes, which eliminates connection. Professional headshots require eye contact with the camera.

Exception: If you have a medical condition requiring tinted lenses, that's fine. Make sure the photographer or AI generator handles them properly so people can still see your eyes.

Over-Retouching Lenses

Some amateur photo editors try to "fix" glare by digitally whitening or blurring lenses. This looks fake and unprofessional. Either fix glare during shooting or have professional retouchers handle it properly.

Wrong Prescription Visibility

Very strong prescriptions can make your eyes appear magnified (for farsightedness) or minified (for nearsightedness) through lenses. This is natural and fine. Don't try to digitally "fix" it—that creates an uncanny valley effect where something looks wrong but viewers can't identify what.

Glasses as a Professional Branding Element

For many professionals, glasses are part of their visual identity. Embracing this rather than fighting it can be powerful.

When Glasses Enhance Professional Image

Academic and research fields: Glasses carry (perhaps unfairly) an association with intelligence and scholarship. In academic contexts, this association can reinforce credibility.

Creative professionals: Distinctive frames can be a style element that makes you memorable.

Legal and financial services: Professional, conservative frames reinforce the serious, detail-oriented nature of these fields.

Healthcare providers: Glasses can make younger practitioners appear more experienced.

Choosing Frames for Professional Impact

Classic styles age better: Trendy frames date your photo quickly. Classic shapes remain appropriate longer.

Fit matters more than fashion: Frames that fit your face properly photograph better than ill-fitting trendy frames.

Consider your industry: Creative fields allow more frame personality. Conservative fields call for conservative frames.

Quality shows in photos: Well-made frames photograph better than cheap frames. The difference is subtle but visible.

Platform-Specific Considerations

LinkedIn Headshots with Glasses

LinkedIn headshots should match how colleagues know you. If you wear glasses at work, wear them in your LinkedIn photo.

LinkedIn displays photos at 400 x 400 pixels, which means small details are visible. Make sure lens glare is completely eliminated—it's particularly noticeable in the small LinkedIn profile photo size.

Website Headshots with Glasses

Website photos display larger than LinkedIn, which means any glare or frame issues are more visible. Ensure your headshot is completely clean before publishing it prominently on your website.

Business Card Photos with Glasses

Business card photos print small. Subtle lens glare that's barely visible on screen can become a distracting white spot on a printed business card. Check print previews carefully.

Video Conferencing vs. Still Photos

Video conferencing creates different glare challenges than still photos. If you have frequent video calls, consider:

Anti-reflective coating: Essential for video calls where screen light reflects in your glasses.

Lighting position: Position your desk lamp or ring light to avoid direct screen reflection in your lenses.

Camera angle: Position your webcam at eye level, not below, to reduce reflection angles.

Your still headshot should match how you appear in video calls. If colleagues know you from Zoom meetings, your headshot should show the same version of you.

The Cost Factor: Glasses and Professional Headshots

Traditional studio photographers charge the same whether you wear glasses or not, but they might take longer to set up lighting properly. Some photographers charge for extended sessions if glasses prove particularly challenging.

AI headshot generators don't care whether you wear glasses. The cost and timeline are identical.

For professionals who wear glasses, AI headshots offer particular advantages:

• Generate multiple versions (with and without glasses) from one upload
• No concerns about glare during a timed studio session
• Easy to update when you get new frames
• Consistent results without scheduling challenges

Traditional cost for studio headshots: $150-400+ per session. AI headshots cost a fraction of that, with no difference in price for glasses.

Technical Specs: Glasses in High-Resolution Headshots

When reviewing headshots with glasses, zoom to 100% on your computer screen and check:

Lens clarity: No glare, haze, or reflections visible at full resolution

Frame sharpness: Frames should be in sharp focus (unless using artistic shallow depth of field)

Eye visibility: Your eyes should be clearly visible through lenses

Natural shadows: Frames cast slight shadows on your face—this is natural and should look subtle

Consistent frame position: If you have multiple headshots, glasses should sit consistently in all photos

Low-resolution images might hide glare that becomes obvious when printed or displayed at larger sizes. Always review headshots at full resolution before approving them.

Final Recommendations for Headshots with Glasses

If you wear glasses professionally, wear them in your professional headshot. The key is eliminating glare through proper lighting and positioning.

For studio photography, work with a photographer experienced in shooting glasses. Ask to see samples of their work with glasses-wearing subjects. Glare elimination requires skill and proper lighting setup.

For AI-generated headshots, upload multiple photos that clearly show your glasses from various angles. Include some photos without glasses if you want that option. Quality AI generators handle glasses well and automatically reduce glare.

Invest in anti-reflective lens coating if you're ordering new glasses. The upgrade cost is minor compared to how much better your glasses photograph.

Update your headshot when you get new frames. Glasses are a prominent facial feature. Photos showing old frames create the same disconnect as any outdated photo.

Your glasses aren't a problem to work around. When photographed properly, they're a distinctive element of your professional appearance.