Arna - a couple of headshots

Scott_Quier · April 28, 2009

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to shoot a couple of community theater productions. One of the actors I came to know has since decided to get a bit more professional about it and approached me to do some headshots.

So, we set up a session about a week ago. I delivered about 130 proofs (on-line) for her to select from. She contacted a bunch of friends for help. One such friend had this to say (based on the just the proofs) ...

To answer your voicemail question, one feedback that you will find interesting was from one of my actor friends who lives in NYC. To paraphrase, he was very impressed with the photo quality (that the photo was so professional because he didn't expect to see that from my "neck-of-the-woods" in Virginia.) Not that he thinks we're all hicks down here...but he was suprised is was on par with the NYC photographers. (So that's a huge compliment from him.)

Here are a couple that made it through all the culling processes (mine and her's):D

1. This is one she just ordered

2. And another that I really like

Thoughts and C&C always welcome

Mitchell · April 28, 2009

Glad she likes these. Nice shooting for a hick from VA.

I'm not a big fan of the mid-laugh shot. It looks more relaxed and natural than the second, but it doesn't strike me as the best look for a head shot.

I'm also curious about your catchlights. I prefer larger catchlights. These look so small that they give the appearance of an onboard flash. What light did you use to produce these catchlights.\?

The hair on the right looks a little hot to me in contrast to the other side. I wonder if a better balance would give a more natural look?

Scott_Quier · April 28, 2009

Mitchell wrote:

Glad she likes these. Nice shooting for a hick from VA.

I'm not a big fan of the mid-laugh shot. It looks more relaxed and natural than the second, but it doesn't strike me as the best look for a head shot.

I'm also curious about your catchlights. I prefer larger catchlights. These look so small that they give the appearance of an onboard flash. What light did you use to produce these catchlights.\?

The hair on the right looks a little hot to me in contrast to the other side. I wonder if a better balance would give a more natural look?

Mitch,

I appreciate your comments - they are quite "on point".

The laugh shot - yup I agree. But she selected this to better portray her personality. The target audience for this is the Virginia Opera Company and, I think, they are little less formal than some so the injection of a little personality might be a plus. And, this lady does not know how to keep a straight face. We tried and failed .... over and over and over again. She was so much fun!

Catchlights - those are from my 43" shoot through umby acting the part of fill. Distance from her to the umby was about 10' - maybe. She's wearing contacts and those tend to alter the curvature of the corena - so that might have something to do with it as well.

A better balance for a more natural look - maybe. I'll have to try it sometime and see what I get. I think, based on the positive feedback she got and, in turn, related to me that I will get an opportunity to shoot here again. Like I said, she is/was quite pleased with the results - it took her 3 days to get her top 10 and another 5 or 6 to to narrow her selection from those 10 to just 2.

ChatKat · April 28, 2009

Hot
Hi Scott,

Couple things I am thinking:

For headshots: 130 is too many! Of course she had a hard time. Something I have learned recently is to really hard edit. Deliver enough to accomplish the task but not so many that it's hard for them to choose. Your chances of bigger sales are better this way as well.

Tech: Mitchell is right on about the pose and light - I think that the first looks hot on the side. In post, I'd soften that light just a tad before delivery on her cheek and hair.

Mitchell · April 28, 2009

I love that problem. When clients have too many good photos to choose from, it means you've done a great job!

I tend to move the umbrella closer for a solo head shot like this. I think you get a more pleasing, softer light with a larger catchlight. At greater distances, the light acts more like a point source even in an umbrella.

divamum · April 28, 2009

sending from my phone (while sitting in an opera rehearsal waiting for my entrance!) so apologies for typos & abbreviations...!In general opera shots are MORE formal tham actors. more glam makeup etc. personality is for sure important, but an element of glamour is still expected even in a more casual style shot.because I'm seeing these small I can't be sure, but my initial impression is that as a SINGER the bw is a more appropriate overall look (of course if she's approaching them as an actor - ie to be a super - then this isn't an issue as such so fwiw). I know the folks at VO and they're quite old school in that way and like a bit of the diva look :)also, re #s of shots: lots is good! 200 is usually the magic # in NY shoots - generally they're given to the client as UNretouched proofs (photog makes the first cull of course) and then client chooses however many were agreed as final shots. I'll look at these again when I'm at a computer, but figured I'd write this while I wqs thinking about it and had the time!(also, Scott - feel free to pm or email me regarding anything operatically connected you might want to know about - happy to help in any way I can)

ChatKat · April 28, 2009

Prop Protraits
As Professionals, the number of images is a frequent issue. I found that if you offer too many choices then there are fewer sales because the clients can't make up their mind. In LA there is no way a headshot photographer would do 200 shots. If you know what you are doing, then taking more than 100 is too many and the final result less than half that! So maybe it's a regional issue.

divamum · April 28, 2009

ChatKat wrote:

As Professionals, the number of images is a frequent issue. I found that if you offer too many choices then there are fewer sales because the clients can't make up their mind. In LA there is no way a headshot photographer would do 200 shots. If you know what you are doing, then taking more than 100 is too many and the final result less than half that! So maybe it's a regional issue.

Possibly; I do know that this is how it's always been presented to me and my operatic colleagues when we've been subjects (rather than photographers), so I can be pretty certain this is fairly standard practice on this coast (there are of course photographers who offer smaller packages, but that seems to be the number that is thrown around a lot). It seems to frequently be used as a marketing blurb in information packages, too - the phrase I see a lot (now that, as a budding photographer, I'm taking note from the other side of the camera!) is "a minimum of 200 shots to choose from". Since many headshot shoots are package deals with a stated included number of finished master prints ready for mass repro, the "sales" aspect becomes less of an issue I suspect, although most of the photogs I know also quote a "per photo" charge for any final prints/images above the number in the package.

I will also say that when I've been having my own headshots done I've never chosen the same pictures as the photographer, and in the recent batches I've taken the subject chose different ones than I would have picked! And I LOVED having lots of different expressions to choose from so that I could really find the shot that I felt sold my personality and craft the best. Clearly photog and subject are looking for and seeing very different things; it's fascinating for me to be on the other side of the lens, as it will help me a lot next time I get some more shots of my own done!!

divamum · April 28, 2009

Scott -

I am now at home and can see these full size, and I like both of them a lot. I can absolutely see why she chose the first one - there's a load of life in it which is the very most important thing of all. I think you really captured something in her smile, which is a great feature - while it's big and wide and yes it is the "half laugh", I think it works for her.

The second one is nice and alive too, but would possibly be a more "traditional" pose and look. I wonder, what happens if you darken the background a bit on that one? The white works, but with her fair hair, what does it look like if you soften the bg itself? I think the second one is more flattering to her chinline, too, btw - it's less "natural", but I think it's flattering.

If she is indeed wanting her final choice to be a headshot for operatic auditions (vs straight theatre or musical theatre), will she let you do a little more skin retouching and boosting of her makeup? She actually looks good, but just a touch more of the "glamour" element as previously mentioned (without going overboard into "1980's plastic") would not be out of place.

And as previously mentioned, if there's any questions I can answer as a performer (I wouldn't presume to have answers to photoggraphic questions ... yet!!

) please don't hesitate to ask - I'd love to be able to return/pay forward some of the wonderful advice you have all been generous enough to give to me!

Scott_Quier · April 29, 2009

divamum wrote:

Scott -

I am now at home and can see these full size, and I like both of them a lot. I can absolutely see why she chose the first one - there's a load of life in it which is the very most important thing of all. I think you really captured something in her smile, which is a great feature - while it's big and wide and yes it is the "half laugh", I think it works for her.

The second one is nice and alive too, but would possibly be a more "traditional" pose and look. I wonder, what happens if you darken the background a bit on that one? The white works, but with her fair hair, what does it look like if you soften the bg itself? I think the second one is more flattering to her chinline, too, btw - it's less "natural", but I think it's flattering.

If she is indeed wanting her final choice to be a headshot for operatic auditions (vs straight theatre or musical theatre), will she let you do a little more skin retouching and boosting of her makeup? She actually looks good, but just a touch more of the "glamour" element as previously mentioned (without going overboard into "1980's plastic") would not be out of place.

And as previously mentioned, if there's any questions I can answer as a performer (I wouldn't presume to have answers to photoggraphic questions ... yet!! ) please don't hesitate to ask - I'd love to be able to return/pay forward some of the wonderful advice you have all been generous enough to give to me!

Well, to be honest I don't know if she's going for the operatic auditions or more musical theater. Either way, if she can get her toe in the door (actually get to the point that they will listen to her sing) I think she has a near 100% chance of landing it - she's got projection, personality, and can actually sing!

I've never had any doubt that I could touch you for help should the question arrise. In this particular case, she pretty much knew what what she wanted and that's what was (more or less) delivered.

I tend to agree about the hot spot on her left side. It's not so evident on my calibrated monitor but is more so on every other screen I've used to look at it. Oh well, next time.

And Kathy, as to the image count through which she waded - for most clients, I would agree 100%. They usually aren't motivated to do the second culling (I do the first) properly. In this case, Arna was quite insistant that she see all that might qualify - so that's what she got.

After it's all said and done, it'll be interesting to see if one of these does it's job for her - get's her the audition she's working for.

Arna - a couple of headshots

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