The Basic Headshot

After 10 years of shooting headshots on a daily basis I’ve found one constant that never ceases: everyone wants to look good in front of a camera.  Not really an epiphany right?  Well to me it is the challenge I am up against everyday and I’ve found that it’s not a straightforward as it may seem.  

First off, when shooting a headshot you’ll have the barrel of your camera in close proximity to your subject, making them well aware of that fact the nanosecond you point it in their general direction.  Everyone reacts differently to being in front of a camera especially if they know it is pinpointed on their face.  There is no rhyme or reason as to why some behave cool as cucumbers and others seem to instantly have an outer body experience.  Our job as photographers is to not only take a technically beautiful image, but also to coach our subjects in order to bring the best out of them.  I’ve always considered the job twofold, one part photographic technique and the other a flurry of constant photographer banter.  The proper use of both allows the photographer and subject to capture a headshot that you can both can be proud of.  

So how is it done?  That is precisely what we are about to discuss during this lecture called “The Basic Headshot.”

TOPICS INCLUDE:

• The Equipment
• The Light
• The Capture
• The Workflow
• The Crop
• The Direction
• The Coaching
• The Delivery