Tangents

photography tutorials, reviews & workshops

tangents photography blog
learn : discuss : share
subscribe today
  • Tangents
  • Tutorials
    • Flash Photography
    • Wedding Photography
    • Studio Photography
    • Posing People
    • Understanding Your Camera
    • Exposure metering
    • BFT
    • Best Photo Books
  • Workshops
    • Info: Workshops
    • In-person
      tutoring sessions
    • Online
      tutoring sessions
    • Video tutorials
    • Workshops in
      New Jersey (NJ)
    • Workshops in
      New York (NYC)
    • Studio Workshop
    • Workshop results
  • Books
    • On-Camera Flash (revised ed.)
    • Direction & Quality of Light
    • Off-Camera Flash Photography
    • Lighting & Design
    • On-Camera Flash (1st ed.)
  • Reviews
    • Nikon
    • Sony
    • Canon
    • Fuji
    • Profoto
    • lighting gear
  • Projects
    • Two Perspectives
    • B&W Infrared
    • Vintage lenses
    • Time-lapse photography
  • Info
    • About
    • Contact
    • My Photo Gear
    • Books by NvN
    • Newsletter
    • Join us on Facebook
    • Acclaim
    • Success Stories
    • Photoshop Actions
  • Forum

Headshot photography lighting setups in the studio

October 25, 2017 Neil vN 6 Comments

Headshot photography lighting setups in the studio

As with most photography, lighting setups and diagrams are more suggestions than absolutes. There are 'best practices' that will help you get constantly good results - such as getting enough light on the eyes so there is a twinkle. Okay, call it a catchlight then. Other than a few guidelines, there is a lot of flexibility in the style of lighting, and also the gear used. In the accompanying article, headshot photography lighting on location, I showed a few examples of how I varied the lighting while out on location. This depended on  Read more inside...

Headshot photography lighting on location

October 24, 2017 Neil vN 8 Comments

Headshot photography lighting on location

Shooting headshots on location needs a different tack than working in the studio. Here I want to show some examples of lighting setups that I have used while shooting headshots indoors, on location. Since these examples are all from indoor sessions, the gear used might be different than when the session is outdoors. The logistics will also likely be different. So this discussion is contained within that framework - the lighting used when shooting headshots on location, indoors. There is a companion article that discusses some lighting setups  Read more inside...

Best photo umbrella for a home-studio & indoor headshots

June 20, 2017 Neil vN 20 Comments

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...

Headshot Photography – securing the tethering cable

April 2, 2017 Neil vN 5 Comments

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...

Headshot photography lighting setup

November 2, 2016 Neil vN 11 Comments

Headshot photography lighting setup

"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...

Headshot photography – Clam-shell lighting setup

March 15, 2016 Neil vN 10 Comments

Headshot photography - Clam-shell lighting setup

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...

Business headshots in the studio with a contemporary, modern look

January 21, 2015 Neil vN 23 Comments

modern / contemporary business headshots in the studio

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...

Studio photography – Working with a large Octa Softbox

June 22, 2014 Neil vN 4 Comments

Studio photography - Working with a large Octa Softbox

It was exciting when I equipped my studio last year with a variety of lighting gear - so much to choose from. A little kid in the toy store! I want everything. The decision obviously has to be made between various lighting items that are only slight changes from other, with little real world difference. And then there ia also lighting gear that is quite esoteric. I chose various gridded stripboxes and reflectors, in addition to the soft boxes and beauty dish that I had. Then I had my eye on an octabank - specifically  Read more inside...

Headshot photography: What makes for good head shots?

April 29, 2014 Neil vN 12 Comments

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  Read more inside...

Headshot photography in the studio

November 18, 2013 Neil vN 11 Comments

Headshot photography in the studio

Mike is an actor / musician friend of mine, who also works with the Modern Gypsies at times. We recently updated his headshots with a session in and around the studio. As a working actor in New York, he has appeared on stage, as well as some spots on television. Amusingly enough, while shooting outside the studio against the warehouse building's facade facing the main street, a young boy, walking past us with his mom, turned around and asked Mike, "Are you famous?" Of course we couldn't disappoint the kid. Being a character actor, and shooting  Read more inside...

categories

Articles & Tutorials

  • • About myself & this site
    • Books by Neil vN
    • Best photography books
    • Black foamie thing
    • Spinlight 360
    • Photographers’ success stories
    • email newsletter
  • • Flash Photography Techniques
    • Natural looking flash
    • Flash + Ambient light
    • Dragging the shutter
    • Bouncing your flash
    • On-camera flash outdoors
    • Exposure metering
    • Flash exposure compensation
    • Bounce flash examples
    • Which is the best flashgun?
    • Flash brackets
    • Off-camera flash photography
    • Flash photography basics
    • Using video lights
    • Flash photography tips
    • Photography books
  • • Photography workshops NJ / NYC
    • Models @ photography workshops
tutorials:
flash photography
Photography
Workshops

Recent Comments

  • Pat: Right up front, I’ll say I would NEVER buy a Sigma lens. That out of the way, and referring to these...
  • Stuard Santana: Poor Garret Shaw! he should know better, lol I got another one today with the same exact wording and...
  • Mohd Zamri Mohd Zan: In my country are even worst, most guest asking professional photographer to take their photo...
  • HenkW: Thanks for this review – one of the very few I could find on this most interesting topic. So, the...
  • Rachel Abi: Thank you so much for this guide!! There are some many options and you made this really clear :D

All rights reserved. Copyright © Neil van Niekerk 2023 · Customization by The Traveling Designer

Copyright © 2023 · NvN on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in