Well, maybe not intensive, but headshots are an important part of your business. It shows the world what you look like and with the right expression, shows your confidence. That’s where the photographer comes in. My job is to pull out that confidence and have it show in the image.
But what kind of headshot? Well, I shoot basically two styles. In studio and usually on white, and cinematic which is often shot outdoors, but can be done indoors if the area behind is far enough away.
Headshots are quite basic in their setup. One light illuminating the client from the front. Can be from either side but relatively close to the camera. Putting the main light farther away from the camera’s side often required either a reflector or another light to illuminate the other side of the clients face. Sometimes a reflector from the bottom is used to open the shadows under the chin and add a secondary ‘catchlight’ in the eyes.
But shooting headshots in-studio versus cinematic can be quite dramatic in their look. Both require that main light up front. Cinematic uses the background as part of the image. I will often choose a location that has either brighter colours or spectral highlights. And the background will always be extremely out of focus; to the point that the viewer cannot distinguish what is in the background. Also, with cinematic headshots, I will add a ‘kicker’ light, from behind the client to add a 3 dimensional feeling to the image, altho I can also do this on an in-studio session.
But its very important, in both styles, to get that expression. This is why when I do shoot headshots it’s not just one shot and we are done. My job isn’t done until I can get that expression from the client, and this is why it often can take 100 or more images to take that perfect image that the client will be happy with.
Which style you prefer is up to you.