“Photography has no rules, it is not a sport. It is the result which counts, no matter how it is achieved” Bill Brandt
Although the result counts, a few tips from experienced photographers may improve things.
So if you want to become an expert in photography then you need to learn something important, right? ( also practice makes a man perfect ;D )
Today, in this article, I will share some important tips related to one of the most famous types of photography.
Yes, I’m going to share tips on headshot photography.
This article is going to help you learn everything about headshot photography.
what is headshot photography?
Here is the simple definition of headshot photography for example…
Photo by Jimmy Fermin on Unsplash
A photograph of a person`s face or head and shoulders doesn’t take a full body picture focusing on the face of the person to determine the face behind the name.
It is usually used for official/professional purposes.
Headshots are used for the company website, business cards, brochures, marketing collateral, magazine articles, newspapers, press releases, CVS, resumes, etc…
And even online platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Headshot photography is an overwhelmingly awesome market for photographers.
Everyone needs a headshot, for instance, school and college students need headshots for admissions to different institutions while adults want them for their professional work and legal work.
So, as you can see it’s a pretty wide and popular type of photography, and as a photographer, you can easily earn some good money by just doing headshot photography.
Headshot photography tips
So here are some tips to remember before scheduling or connecting with your clients…
Pre-session consultation with the client
The initial step and the most important step is to know about your client and what he expects for a perfect headshot.
Therefore you need to schedule a meeting with your client for this purpose or You need to know your client’s profession and the targeted location where they want to shoot.
You need to know the purpose of the headshot photograph they want, perform accordingly, and compulsorily have a conversation about the wardrobe for the said purpose.
If the client’s purpose is professional or legal image usage, the client should be formally dressed.
Make sure you make your client comfortable to initiate a conversation.
Chat with the purpose of images and make sure you clear everything from the desired background to looks and dresses for the headshot.
Here are some quick suggestions for your clients, if you’re a client and looking for some headshot photography suggestions…
Suggestions to clients
- Dress officially
- Look natural
- Do not look inappropriate for the image for which it would be used.
- Keep things classy and simple
- Do not overdo makeup or hairstyle
- Get shots in your environment
Now, let’s talk about the location, as I mentioned earlier location plays a very big role while you’re performing this type of photography.
Perfect Location
The backgrounds of the image should be well-chosen and should be appropriate.
Make sure the selected background is not distracting.
Preferably select neutral colours, stairwells, empty offices, and plain colours.
The most usual background for a headshot is plane white.
The location of the image depends on the purpose of the image.
It can go anywhere from pretty aesthetic indoor backgrounds to outdoor ones, completely depends on you.
Now here is the fun part, what focal length is important and good for headshot photography?
Yeah, here are some of my favourite focal lengths which I use to capture better headshots.
Focal Lengths for headshots
- 35mm
- 50mm
- 85mm
- 135mm
- 24-70 mm
- 70-200mm
In case you wanna know which ones are the most favourite then you should know it’s of focal length 50mm.
Don’t choose too wide lens to capture headshots, you can try and checkout the result 😀
Here are some more important headshot photography tips, which you might need to remember.
Create a separation from the background
The most common mistake that occurs in headshots is the shadow in the background.
To avoid this make sure your client doesn’t stand too close to the background and that would lead to shadow formation of that person on the wall and certainly makes the image vague and not desirable.
Nondescript background especially when you shoot a wide aperture preferably choose f/4 for the natural shoot and preferably use f/8 for studio-style shoots.
During the shoot
Make sure you have a general talk with your client to make him/her comfortable for the shoot.
Just have a 5-minute conversation before the shoot with your client.
And make them confident and comfortable because generally, people are nervous about having their photographs taken.
Lightening & Positioning
Make sure the subject is turned with their body 45 degrees away from the camera and toward the main light source.
Their face should be pointed towards the camera. Ask your client to look straight in front of the lens.
Lightning is one of the most important aspects of capturing headshots as it can change the whole look of a headshot.
The standard setup consists of a large soft light source to the left or right of the client, a reflector under the face, and another reflector opposite the main light source can do wonders.
Consider how light is falling on your client, make sure lightening looks natural and avoid making it too harsh
For most people, the light source above their eye works fantastic
These small arrangements make an average headshot different from a perfect headshot.
Tip: try shooting tethered, as people see a couple of shots on the screen, they can very quickly get an idea of what needs to be changed
Know the difference between Artificial vs. natural Light sources ( with examples )
Take multiple shots
This is a very important headshot photography tip that you need to remember if you’re working on such big projects or something like that.
Try taking multiple images of your client.
That would not leave you short on choices ever because usually when you take multiple images few of them have the best focus and you can choose the ones you like the best.
You just need to figure them out and find your best shot which is perfectly composed.
learn how shutter speed works under the hood.
Don’t forget to focus
Focus is still what makes an image perfect in headshots.
The focus should be the eyes of a person, “eyes reflect the soul of the person” ( also it’s a good subject to capture sharp portraits ).
Make sure you select the right aperture and focal length for your shoot.
You can also try their whole face shoulder in focus which is best considered in terms of headshots.
Now let’s talk about editing your headshots…
Headshot Photography – Editing
Post-processing is an essential part of photography as a whole. Even perfect shots go through this process sometimes.
You can use editing to sharpen the image and erase softness you can also selectively sharpen the image.
It can be used to remove blemishes and alter skin imperfections that the client wants to remove.
Editing can be done, anyway, you just have to figure out what you require from the image and how you can make it a perfect headshot and desirable image for your client.
In the end, as you know Photography is all about creativity.
Make yourself creative! all the best and go ahead for your perfect headshot!
Here are my top picks for better photo editing apps, which I personally like to use for quick edits.
Check out some more photo editing tips, which might help you to get better headshot results.
Hope you guys like all these important headshot photography tips.
Comment below your favourite one & don’t forget to share!
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