How to take a good profile photo
Practical advice on lighting, background, framing and expression for your Houfy profile photo. Advice only - the rules are in the Houfy Photo Guidelines.
Last updated September 3, 2026
This page is advice, not a rule. The rules about profile photographs — what they must show, who may appear in them, and what happens if we remove one — are in our Houfy Photo Guidelines. A profile photograph is optional. This page is for when you have decided to add one and want it to look its best.
Why it is worth doing
Your profile photograph is one of the first things a potential guest sees. A clear, friendly picture helps people feel confident about who they are dealing with, and guests tend to book more readily from a host they can see.
Lighting
Use natural light where you can — near a window, or outdoors in open shade. Avoid a bright light directly behind you, which turns your face into a silhouette. Well-balanced artificial light works too. The aim is simply that your face is clearly lit.
Background
A plain or uncluttered background keeps the attention on you. A busy room, a crowd, or a strong pattern behind you all pull the eye away from your face.
Framing and angle
Head and shoulders is the standard. Take the photograph at eye level rather than from above or below, leave a little space around your head, and make sure you are the main subject and the image is sharp and in focus.
Expression
A natural, relaxed expression works better than a formal one. You are not applying for a job — you are showing someone who may be letting you into their home, or coming to stay in yours.
A few things to avoid
Heavy filters or distortion — they make a face harder to recognise
Sunglasses, or anything else that hides your face
A selfie with a distracting background
A photograph so old that you no longer look much like it
Cropping yourself out of a group photograph so that other people are still visible — that one is a rule rather than a tip, and it is in the Photo Guidelines
If you would rather not add one
You do not have to. A profile without a photograph is a complete profile. And if your account is held in the name of a company rather than a person, you can use the company logo instead — see the Photo Guidelines.
What to do next
Houfy Photo Guidelines — the rules, including how to report a photograph
If you have a question about your profile photograph, write to us at info@houfy.com.