I use a range of continuous lighting in the studio - it is essential for video of course, but even for stills, it is sometimes easier to work with continuous lighting than flash. When the Spekular LED lights (B&H / Amazon) hit the market, they caught my eye. What makes them unusual is that the kit comes as 4 LED bars which can be hooked up as a panel, or in any number of shapes up to 8 bars. The Spekular website shows some of the options. This kind of flexibility makes it a versatile continuous lighting kit.
I have other Read more inside...
With these on-location headshots of actor and TV presenter, Andy Peeke, there is a lot going on despite the apparent simplicity. The photos were done in a very short space of time - we rained out! So I had to work fast and still nail the images as intended. Also,
- I wanted that out-of-focus city scene behind Andy, and I wanted it to appear bright.
- The lighting, off-camera flash added to the ambient light, shouldn't intrude and make itself obvious. I wanted the light on him perfectly balanced with the way I intended the background to appear.
- Unusual for Read more inside...
Best photo umbrella for a home-studio & indoor headshots
When I discovered the rectangular photo umbrellas, my first reaction was, "so what's the point", but then someone explained to me that it allows you to get the center of axis closer to the ceiling (or a wall). Brilliant! It instantly made sense why a rectangular photo umbrella might be more useful indoors than the traditional, round umbrella. I would even go so far as to say that a rectangular photo umbrella is the best umbrella for a home-studio & indoor headshots.
Along with my usual array of light modifiers, I now Read more inside...
For headshot photography in the studio, I have a (flexible) default lighting setup - clam-shell lighting setup. On location (but still working indoors), I have another setup - studio lighting setup for headshots. Nothing is really specific - as long as the final results look flattering and your client loves the images. Your lighting setup should match what your client expects. Then there is also the question of logistics. I'm often asked if all that equipment is a necessity. It's not. Here is my favorite, most simple setup .... bounce Read more inside...
Headshot Photography - securing the tethering cable
When shooting in the studio or a fixed location, it makes a lot of sense to shoot tethered if you want your client to give input on the photos. With headshots in the studio, I run a tethering cable between the camera and the computer. This makes it easier for the client to see the photos, and adjust what they need to. Of course, it is slightly redundant if you use WiFi to transfer the images from your camera to the computer. But for faster transfer of RAW files, shooting with a tethered cable still makes sense.
Keeping the cable Read more inside...
"OMG, this was so much better than the experience we had last time!" That's the comment by the contact person who had arranged for the headshots photo session for 8 people at their office. That's the kind of thing I like to hear from a new client! What made this headshots photo session interesting for me is that I had to match an existing headshot by the CEO of the company. I had to make the headshots of the eight people I had to photograph, look very similar to the example they had given me. So I had to do mild reverse engineering to match the Read more inside...
There isn't only one correct way of lighting portraits or headshots. There are numerous ways to attractively light your subject. My favorite go-to lighting setup involved the large Profoto 5' Octa Softbox, which allowed me fine control over the contrast, by having my subject move slightly forward or back, or rotating slightly. (The linked article explains more.) Using the 5' Octabox though, meant that I had to shoot around the massive light modifier.
A simpler way of shooting, which allows me slightly more freedom in how I moved, Read more inside...
Best portable softbox for on-location headshot photography
I vary the lighting kit that I use for on-location portraits and headshot photography. It could involve multiple lights, or a single-light setup on location. My choice of lighting is most often decided by how complex it need to be, and the logistics of getting to the location and setting up.
More than struggling with something, I detest the appearance of struggling with something. Let me explain - when working with clients, it all needs to appear smooth and efficient. Everything in place, and professional. No struggling Read more inside...
Business headshots in the studio with a contemporary, modern look
When Matt Sweetwood, the owner of the largest Camera Store in New Jersey, discussed doing new new business headshots for him, we agreed that a more contemporary look suited him. There's a large dynamic personality at work here ... and using an 85mm f/1.4 lens wide open would place attention on his eyes and his expression. Nothing else is really in focus aside from his eyes, and this really makes for a compelling portrait that grabs your attention.
We shot various sequences, with the background brighter and darker. Read more inside...
With any professional shoot, forethought and planning is a necessity. For personal photography there's always place for serendipity. But relying on luck with a professional shoot isn't going to go all that far. The same goes for photographing on-location headshots - planning is essential.
With the on-location corporate headshots described in a previous article, I aimed for efficiency and speed. I set up various speedlights and soft boxes around the office place for environmental headshots. This way I could step each person through Read more inside...
