Headshot photography: What makes for a good headshot?
A few out-takes mixed with a few keepers from this headshot photo session, and it helps illustrate some of the process of getting to a good headshot.
The lighting is key. Posing is important. But there’s another aspect that makes a great headshot – your subject’s personality needs to come shining through. So, yes, it is in the lighting. It is in the posing. It’s in the expression … but a very important key is the personality of the photographer – how to make your subject feel relaxed. How to make the photography not feel like an intrusion.
For most people, being photographed is a fairly vulnerable thing – we don’t want to appear foolish or unpresentable to the wider world. Although you could make a valid argument against that idea, with the bad snapshots that people post of themselves on social media. So there is that. Still, I’d say it is quite a vulnerable thing to do – to be photographed. And it is up to you as the photographer to make someone feel relaxed in front of the camera.
The key here – your personality. It starts with a warm handshake and a friendly smile. That handshake is important. Not limp, but firm. Go so far as to ask friends to honestly give you their opinion – a brutally truthful opinion about your handshake. Your body language needs to be confident.
By now your skills in basic lighting should be such that you don’t stress about that, but can concentrate on getting the best out of your subject. It’s up to you.
Nicole was the make-up artist with the recent photo-session with Ulorin Vex. We met up a few weeks later for headshots for Nicole’s website.
I did my best here to try and crack Nicole up, and have her lose a little bit of control. “Give me serious” … people generally can’t keep a straight face then. Being a little goofy helps. Be personable. Chat, and keep up an easy conversation. It’s all part of remaining warm and approachable.
This is what I wanted to show with this sequence – the photos where she cracked up a bit, and with that, loosened up in front of the camera. Then the expression and smiles are more real … and somewhere there in the longer sequence of images, are the keepers. I don’t aim for every shot to be successful. I want the shoot to be successful, and if we can pick out the best images and they work well, then we were successful.
Techie details about the photographs
So just to cover how this was lit, because I know you’re curious …
The setup is very similar to that when I had actor Mike Larose in my studio to photograph his headshots.
- I used three Profoto D1 Air 500 Ws studio lights for my lights.
- The main light on her was diffused with the huge Profoto RFi 5.0′ Octa Softbox
- Fill-light was via a Eye-lighter reflector below the subject.
- The hair light was via the second Profoto D1 Air 500 Ws studio light;
diffused with a gridded Profoto RFi 1’×4′ softbox - The background was a grey paper backdrop, which I lit with a 2×3 softbox from which I had removed the diffusers, and instead had placed strips of colored gels. This gives the graduated pattern in the background.
Photo gear used in this photo session
- Nikon D4
- Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 AF-S VR II / Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
- (3x) Profoto D1 Air 500 Ws Monolight
- Profoto 5.0′ RFi Octa Softbox
- Profoto RFi 1’×4′ softbox with a Profoto 50 degree 1×4 soft-grid
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I think all the elements of a head shot are important but the personality is key. It makes the pictures come alive. Lovely pictures of Nicole by the way.
Good pics. I saw the video by Peter Hurley on how he does his headshots and it is great.
Thanks for taking the time to illustrate all the elements of the session. Super helpful! Gorgeous girl and photographs!
Like the quality of light, Neil – soft yet good definition. Also envious of your spacious digs. That backdrop looks to be a fair bit in the distance!
Neil,
A timely post for me — thank you! I’m feeling comfortable with head shots using one light and a reflector for fill. But I’m not yet happy with the results when I add a hair/separation light. I’ve tried a few times to light the hair with a bare speedlite (sometimes diffused with a stofen), positioned behind the subject, similar to your setup. Does the gridded soft box make a big difference here? What would happen if you removed the grid? Or didn’t diffuse the hair light at all? Thanks for any insight you might have.
Cheers,
Justin
The soft-grid on the softbox helps contain the light, and helps prevent flare.
Being a softbox and larger than a speedlight, there’s more control on how the hair-light falls and is spread over your subject’s head and shoulders.
If you compare the headshots photo session with Mike Larose, where I used a much smaller (i.e., harder) light-source behind him, you can see how the hair-light differs between the two shots.
Great point about the importance of presenting yourself with confidence. It’s incredible to see how your subject’s trust in your ability (trust that depends in part on how they see you) can affect how they look in ways they don’t really have conscious control of.
I personally like to get self-deprecating and even make fun of the subject at times–when I judge that this style is appropriate for the client. Knowing your client well enough to judge how to converse in helpful ways is key.
N,
I know you are probably asked this all the time and it becomes a nuisance but I need to know…..what settings did you use for the ductless heat pump on your wall? I find that 68 and auto work well.
Thanks in advance.
K
72 seems to work for this studio.
Hi Neil, what non-photographic light do you have in your studio, in the shooting area so you can see what you’re doing? How does it affect your studio lighting, if it does? Do you turn it off before shooting and if so is the room dark? Thanks.
There are fluorescent lights overhead, but I keep them on when shooting with flash. It’s so low that the room lights just don’t make a difference.
When I shoot with the continuous lights, then I do switch off the room lights.
“It’s in the expression … but a very important key is the personality of the photographer – how to make your subject feel relaxed.” Thanks for pointing this out.
I definitely agree with you here. You see most of my clients (even some professional models) get nervous when they’re in front of the camera. So it is important to talk to them first, make them feel relaxed and comfortable with you.
Some professional photographers seem to forget this and just bark orders for poses to the subjects which make them feel pressured and strained.
By the way great work!