Head Shots
NatLightPhoto
Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
I have been asked to shoot some head shots for an individual, but have NO idea exactly what is needed for a good head shot.
My question is: What are they looking for in a head shot? What is the background? How is it lit?
Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks.
My question is: What are they looking for in a head shot? What is the background? How is it lit?
Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks.
0
Comments
The person should not be smiling, and ensure that the ears are not covered up, as some people (from what I've read) will think there might be something wrong and that's why they are covered up. Don't get wild and creative with the lighting. If you are doing this with studio lights, then personally I would shoot a 3 light setup, 1 key light, 1 fill light (or reflector if you only have 2 lights) and a third above for hair light. I would probably do a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio on the lighting myself.
Aside from that, there really isn't any more that I can give as far as insight. I've only done 1 headshot shoot, and it seemed to turn out ok. You can always do a search on Google, as it will return much info on the subject also.
Hope this helps a bit!
Take Care,
Joe
North View Studio
http://www.zoradphotography.com
Montreal, Canada
There are several "styles". Give us as much information as you have as it may help us to help you
www.ivarborst.nl & smugmug
Exactly. The current trend with acting headshots is to use only a reflector for lighting and to make them very natural-- almost lifestyle shots-- depending on the roles the actors are going for. Smiles are fine, so are shots from the waist up-- as long as they fit the roles the person is hoping to get.
Portland, Oregon Photographer Pete Springer
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They are a high school student in theater trying to get into acting schools.
I am not sure what they are looking for, but I'm getting some good ideas.
The posing that Joe suggested is usually only used in Passport photos or something similar. However I do agree with the background. Go with a gray background if possible.
Lighting... what do you have? The way you setup your lighting is completely based on what lighting you already have. You could definitely get good results with a speedlight, lightstand, and umbrella. But if all you have is available light, have them sit beside a window and cover the window with a white bed sheet to soften the light. Or if you have fancy studio lighting... use a setup like what Joe said.
I've written a lot about this here at dgrin, so here a couple of threads which may help.
Two great articles about headshots
General discussion of headshots
Link to Reproductions listing of headshot photographers
NYC
Los Angeles
(with links out to galleries - very useful for researching purposes).
NOte that the prevalent style on east and west coasts is different, which can roughly be broken down into theater vs film. NOT a hard and fast rule with tons of blurring and crossover, but you will definitely see differences in the approaches the photographers take on either coast, which reflect the main market in each location.
Dogwood is absolutely right that natural and reflected light shots are all the rage right now, but studio shots are still being used, but try to keep them in keeping with current styles. You'll see plenty of good, current examples in the Reproductions galleries.
Makeup is absolutely fine, but should look natural and NOT be the focus of the image as it might in a fashion shot. The rule of thumb about headshots is that it should look like the person on a VERY good day, but realistically look like them. So basic skin retouching and processing to remove blemishes and obvious skin flaws is fine, just don't airbrush the life out of it.
As a young'un auditioning for schools, people will not necessarily expect a full pro actor's set of headshots BUT you can be sure quite a few of the applicants have them, so if you can provide? All the better. The two articles by the casting agent linked above have some good comment about "looks" and how those can be portrayed in a shot; if you then leaf through the Reproductions gallery, you can see many examples of how people have interpreted this for themselves. The actor's "type" will dictate what they want, but different "looks" include leading lady/man, juvenile, girl/boy-next-door, commercial, host, corporate (for law shows etc), character (quirky), and most actors have three shots in their file that they can submit as appropriate for any given role. Most have an "all-purpose" one for programs as well, which might be the most appropriate for a school submission.
Most important thing: EYES. They need to sparkle and draw the viewer into the performer's personality and suggest what they might be able to bring to a role. The more engaged and "alive" the subject seems, the more effective the headshot. Again, the articles linked describe how a shot is used and how it can help grab the viewer's attention enough to get the audition - which is usually the whole point of submitting the shot in the first place!
Btw, here's my gallery of headshots that I've taken across the last year. I'm still finding my own style and working on how I want to handle the technical side of things (read: exploring different kinds of lighting and how to handle them) so there's quite a variety of styles and approaches in there, but I think one thing they all have in common is that personality comes across.... which was my main goal in each shoot
Please feel free to ask any other questions, but I suspect those links will give you most of the info you need. Most importantly, have FUN extracting your young actor's personality... and share the shots you get!