If your headshot is outdated or unflattering, it might be sending the wrong message before you ever get in the room. Today we’re talking with Chris Gillett, a former attorney who became one of the nation’s top headshot photographers and facial expression coaches. He discusses why the image of your face could be holding back your career, and explains why small body language cues can make or break first impressions. Chris also shares the most important thing a headshot must communicate in order to open doors professionally, why AI-generated portraits fail to capture genuine likability, and how anyone can look more confident and trustworthy in a single frame.
Chris Gillett is a nationally recognized headshot photographer and facial expression coach with an unconventional path to the camera.
More than a decade ago, while thriving as a trial lawyer, he received a professional headshot so unflattering it nearly undermined his credibility—sparking a deep fascination with how portraits communicate confidence, likability, and authenticity.
After a 19-year legal career and time spent as an adjunct law professor, Chris reinvented himself and quickly became one of Houston’s most in-demand photographers.
He now works with attorneys, executives, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders—including senior corporate figures at Shell North America—helping them project trust, leadership, and approachability in a single frame.
His signature approach blends technical precision with real-time expression coaching, uncovering the subtle facial shifts that elevate an image from ordinary to compelling.
A mentor to photographers worldwide, Chris views a headshot as a “visual handshake” that should foster connection and convey genuine presence—something he believes AI cannot replicate.
Outside the studio, Chris is a father of three, an avid guitarist, and a nationally ranked masters powerlifter holding multiple Texas records.