Practicing Head Shots

Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
edited December 1, 2011 in People
Purchased a four foot roll of white seamless and thought I'd take it for a spin along with my homemade muslin.

Think I may have finally gotten ebony skin tones down pretty well. Took me a bit to find the trick.

1.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60399337@N06/6391466795/&quot; title="Female Head Shot by Bryce Wilson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6391466795_7ee7116fee_o.jpg&quot; width="571" height="800" alt="Female Head Shot"></a>

2.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60399337@N06/6391466689/&quot; title="Female Head Shot by Bryce Wilson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6112/6391466689_a93621b2f6_o.jpg&quot; width="640" height="800" alt="Female Head Shot"></a>

3.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60399337@N06/6391467047/&quot; title="Female Head Shot by Bryce Wilson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6391467047_dab41ba41d_o.jpg&quot; width="640" height="800" alt="Female Head Shot"></a>

4.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60399337@N06/6391466917/&quot; title="Female Head Shot by Bryce Wilson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6391466917_5acf3a0a4d_o.jpg&quot; width="800" height="640" alt="Female Head Shot"></a>

Happy Thanksgiving all!

Comments

  • FoquesFoques Registered Users Posts: 1,951 Major grins
    edited November 23, 2011
    waaay too smooth for me.
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  • divamumdivamum Registered Users Posts: 9,021 Major grins
    edited November 23, 2011
    Intended use of shots? (ie "just" portraits, or for an actor?)
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  • adbsgicomadbsgicom Registered Users Posts: 3,615 Major grins
    edited November 23, 2011
    Diva, given the thread title, I'd be interest in your comments on the latter (as an actor)... :D
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  • HackboneHackbone Registered Users Posts: 4,027 Major grins
    edited November 23, 2011
    Bryce, I'm on a tablet and they seem a tad yellow for my taste but it might be the tablet. When you convert them do you have a temperature slider to adjust color?

    You did a great job on the eyes esp thre irsis. Your lighting pattern is the same in all of them so it would be nice to add some Rembrandt lighting.
    They are all very nice and useable. Congrats.
    Charles
    www.cameraone.biz
  • scotthofferphotographyscotthofferphotography Registered Users Posts: 260 Major grins
    edited November 23, 2011
    I think they look amazing.
    check out some of my pics on my smug mug site.
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  • Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
    edited November 23, 2011
    Foques wrote: »
    waaay too smooth for me.
    Opinion noted. Thank you. They might be a bit smooth even for my tastes.
    divamum wrote: »
    Intended use of shots? (ie "just" portraits, or for an actor?)
    Whey chatting with this young lady, she had told me that she hadn't had portraits done of herself since grade school. I asked her if she would mind "modeling" for me. In conversation prior to shooting she had said that she would like something on the glamorous side. So, this is my attempt to make her look glamorous with the outfit she was wearing.

    Indeed though, my next practice session is going to be with actors and models in mind (even though we don't have many of either in my neck of the woods) so any input on that end would be more than welcomed.
    adbsgicom wrote: »
    Diva, given the thread title, I'd be interest in your comments on the latter (as an actor)... :D
    DITTO!
    Hackbone wrote: »
    Bryce, I'm on a tablet and they seem a tad yellow for my taste but it might be the tablet. When you convert them do you have a temperature slider to adjust color?

    You did a great job on the eyes esp thre irsis. Your lighting pattern is the same in all of them so it would be nice to add some Rembrandt lighting.
    They are all very nice and useable. Congrats.
    Thanks Hack...(the eye's are all your doing) I call it the "Hackbone Effect".

    No, no temperature slider. These were shot straight .jpg. Her skin tones, at least on my monitor, really mimic her natural tones.

    I do have some of her with a bit of a Rembrandt look and will post them when I get time to get them ready. These were the first four of the 25 images taken that tickled my fancy.
    scotthofferphotography wrote: »
    I think they look amazing.
    Thank you very much Scott!!!
  • divamumdivamum Registered Users Posts: 9,021 Major grins
    edited November 23, 2011
    Bryce, as portraits these are fine. Well-lit, attractive subject, some flattering angles, and technically solid.

    As actor headshots for submission to professional casting directors in any of the major entertainment centers in the US (ie LA & NY), the studio style - while technically fine, and entirely within reasonable bounds for other professions/styles - would be considered very outdated for an actor and would make it seem the subject/actor wasn't really "up" on current styles and therefore (rightly or wrongly) TPTB would assume the actor was either very green, very out of touch, or very provincial.

    #4 would be the best as an actor's headshot - the landscape orientation works well here, and it's the one that seems most alive and filled with personality; #3 is a nice shot too, but it feels rather static and posed. Much more "classic portrait" than "2011 headshot". HOWEVER... if you play around with the crop, it is a good shot of her and it's pretty easy to move it to a more current style and feel (see attachment - I twiddled with the crop and the hairbow, but just say the word and I'll pull the post if you don't want my version in the thread thumb.gif). Note how just by turning and cropping the eyes connect more strongly with the viewer, and the pose feels more direct and engaged.

    #2 is the one that I think doesn't work at all - it's more like a mall glamour shot than an actor's headshot and I'm definitely not convinced by the purple curtain on her head.... :giggle Kidding aside, I can see what you were trying to do, but if this were an actor submission it would be laughed at if it crossed a professional casting director's desk.

    #1 has potential if you crop it tighter and maybe change the tilt - the high key background is pretty classic. It kind of went out of vogue a few years ago, but I see a lot more of it coming back.

    Looking at these again and again as I write this post, I think what I find works least is the spatter background - the poses actually aren't bad at all, and she has great eyes. But put it against that background and - for an actor headshot - it seems dated and "studio-bound". Also remember that a casting director doesn't look at them over and over - each shot gets maybe 10 seconds, and it needs to go onto the "yes" pile just from that. It needs to really grab the CD.

    Sorry if this is terribly blunt, but you did ask! You know I admire your work, so please don't take this amiss! It's just a different style than the one you often shoot thumb.gif

    ETA: Apologies in advance if I sound grumpy. It's T'giving Eve and my dishwasher just died!!!!
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  • D3SshooterD3Sshooter Registered Users Posts: 1,187 Major grins
    edited November 24, 2011
    Technically perfect for me, what the taste concerns that is upto every individual. So I will not discuss it. However I do like this kind of shots.
    A photographer without a style, is like a pub without beer
  • HackboneHackbone Registered Users Posts: 4,027 Major grins
    edited November 24, 2011
    Bryce,
    Just did a google of head shots and was amazed that they so resembled todays high school seniors. There were alot of traditional shots like yours as well as enviromental shots.
    Charles
    www.cameraone.biz
  • divamumdivamum Registered Users Posts: 9,021 Major grins
    edited November 24, 2011
    These days there are are lots of actor shots which definitely resemble senior shots - something I meant to say when I posted last night, Bryce, is that some of your recent outdoor looks would do very well for an actor. And again, I stress that your shots above are lovely shots, they just don't have the current headshot "feel", hence my comments.

    Hackbone, if you look generally online via google, you will see a huge variation of styles and it's for sure helpful BUT... without knowing when they were taken (some performers continue to use older shots - I was guilty of that myself until recently!), or the actual market the actor is in (amateur/professional, local/national, theatre/music theatre/opera/film/tv etc etc) you can't necessarily use them as examples of what actors and casting directors are looking for in a shot now. I strongly recommend that any photographer interested in doing headshots for actors browse the sites of photographers listed in a professional directory such as the one at Reproductions (with both NY and LA directories, it's helpful for getting a feel for regional trends as well).

    Fwiw, opera tends towards a more studio "classic portrait" style, straight theatre often a more dramatically lit/serious expression, MT a smilier lighter-feel, and film/TV the natural light, landscape, tight-crop look that resembles a still from a movie as much as a portrait. You will find variations, of course, but that's a general trend at the moment. Important to note too that these trends CHANGE!!! Studio looks are now coming back into the vocabulary after 8 years or so of natural light looks, and some fashion-lighting styles are creeping in more and more too. It's fluid, so what's true today isn't necessarily the case last year or next. What IS always the case is that the headshot should

    1. Look like the subject will look when they appear in person, thus only realistic retouching, lighting and posing.
    2. The personality should leap off the page
    3. Eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes (you've nailed that in your shots above, Bryce! thumb.gif)

    I will agree that studio shots ARE coming back into vogue again - they've been "out of style" for a few years now - but it's usually a lighter, brighter feel than the traditional splatter background.

    D3S, just to clarify, this is not exclusively my personal taste (although I do admire a really good headshot in the currently-popular style), but "shooting to industry expectations". Here in the US, an actor's headshot is what can determine whether or not they get invited to do the in-person audition and, as such, is a huge big deal. I'd say this is much more true in the US than in Europe, as well. Whether it "should" be like that is very open to debate, but if one is shooting for an actor it's really important to know the kind of style that's expected, which is why I responded to Bryce as I did. He and I have discussed this before, so I'm pretty confident he'll take my comments in the spirit they were intended thumb.gif

    Lastly, some links to current well-known, currently-popular US headshot photographers:
    Peter Hurley (quite a few interesting BTS videos as well as an interesting portfolio)
    Kevin Major Howard (very well known LA photographer)
    Jordan Matter (another big-name headshot photographer)
    Brian McConkey(one of my favorite headshot photographers - love the individuality of expression in his shots)
    Sean Turi (relative newcomer, but quickly developing a following - like Hurley, a former model/actor turned photographer - a lot of useful info on his site)
    Kristin Hoebermann (very identifiable style with her golden backlights - extremely popular among classical singers)
    Christian Steiner (iconic - and more traditional style - photographer of classical musicians for 30+ years)
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  • Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
    edited November 24, 2011
    divamum wrote: »
    Bryce, as portraits these are fine. Well-lit, attractive subject, some flattering angles, and technically solid.

    As actor headshots for submission to professional casting directors in any of the major entertainment centers in the US (ie LA & NY), the studio style - while technically fine, and entirely within reasonable bounds for other professions/styles - would be considered very outdated for an actor and would make it seem the subject/actor wasn't really "up" on current styles and therefore (rightly or wrongly) TPTB would assume the actor was either very green, very out of touch, or very provincial.

    #4 would be the best as an actor's headshot - the landscape orientation works well here, and it's the one that seems most alive and filled with personality; #3 is a nice shot too, but it feels rather static and posed. Much more "classic portrait" than "2011 headshot". HOWEVER... if you play around with the crop, it is a good shot of her and it's pretty easy to move it to a more current style and feel (see attachment - I twiddled with the crop and the hairbow, but just say the word and I'll pull the post if you don't want my version in the thread thumb.gif). Note how just by turning and cropping the eyes connect more strongly with the viewer, and the pose feels more direct and engaged.

    #2 is the one that I think doesn't work at all - it's more like a mall glamour shot than an actor's headshot and I'm definitely not convinced by the purple curtain on her head.... :giggle Kidding aside, I can see what you were trying to do, but if this were an actor submission it would be laughed at if it crossed a professional casting director's desk.

    #1 has potential if you crop it tighter and maybe change the tilt - the high key background is pretty classic. It kind of went out of vogue a few years ago, but I see a lot more of it coming back.

    Looking at these again and again as I write this post, I think what I find works least is the spatter background - the poses actually aren't bad at all, and she has great eyes. But put it against that background and - for an actor headshot - it seems dated and "studio-bound". Also remember that a casting director doesn't look at them over and over - each shot gets maybe 10 seconds, and it needs to go onto the "yes" pile just from that. It needs to really grab the CD.

    Sorry if this is terribly blunt, but you did ask! You know I admire your work, so please don't take this amiss! It's just a different style than the one you often shoot thumb.gif

    ETA: Apologies in advance if I sound grumpy. It's T'giving Eve and my dishwasher just died!!!!

    Don't sound grumpy at all.ne_nau.gif

    Thank-you for taking the time to write such a detailed response! It is greatly appreciated.

    I do understand completely the "dated" feeling. When I first looked at #3 the first thing I thought of was "classic Lana Turner head shot.":D If I converted it to sepia or BW it would indeed look more dated than it does already.

    I'm thinking I may watch a few recent high budget motion pictures (I tend to watch a whole lot of old movies) and look at the way cinematographers are handling close up shots in various scenes these days and see if recreating some of those looks and crops might not give me some "fresh" ideas before doing the next head session.

    Which kind of brings up a thought. Seems to me that a head portrait done in landscape was almost unheard of 10 years ago. Could the fact that people are so used to seeing images on a wide screen these days, not only at the local movie house but with wide screen tv's being the norm in many households, people have become more accustomed to seeing people this way and their expectations of what is proper is fueled by this? If this might be true, it begs the question, how long will it be before full frame enlargements (8x12, 11 x 17 etc.) becomes the norm and replaces the standard 8x10 and 11x14?

    Thanks again for your time and I hope your Thanksgiving goes well, dishwasher or not. Then again, you do have a voice activated dishwasher in your home don't you? :D
    D3Sshooter wrote: »
    Technically perfect for me, what the taste concerns that is upto every individual. So I will not discuss it. However I do like this kind of shots.
    Thank you very much sir!
    Hackbone wrote: »
    Bryce,
    Just did a google of head shots and was amazed that they so resembled todays high school seniors. There were alot of traditional shots like yours as well as enviromental shots.
    Think I'll take a peak around myself! Thinking about trying the "environmental" style on the next practice session.

    Thanks.
  • divamumdivamum Registered Users Posts: 9,021 Major grins
    edited November 24, 2011
    thumb.gif

    Bryce, check out the photographers linked out of Reproductions (cited above). Seriously - quickest and easiest way to see LOTS of professional-actor shots from working headshot photographers on both coasts thumb.gif

    THEN check your local market too. As we is true in any niche, some places DON'T follow the trends of the major centers, and what's perfect for LA or NY might seem too "out there" for (eg) a local community theater. It's always about knowing one's market... ;)
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  • GemGemGemGem Registered Users Posts: 355 Major grins
    edited November 24, 2011
    I think these shots are really nice :)
  • BrettDeutschBrettDeutsch Registered Users Posts: 365 Major grins
    edited November 24, 2011
    I'm with Charles. These look a tad yellow/green to me. As for smoothness, as noted above, they do look too blurred in part to me. But oddly, they also look over-sharpened in some areas. Perhaps you sharpened and then blurred with a mask in photoshop? I'm not sure, but her skin and makeup just looks a bit off to me. Otherwise, good first shoot on seamless (not to mention the homemade muslin).
    Deutsch Photography: Actor & Executive Headshot Photographer | NY Wedding, Mitzvah and Corporate Event Photographer | Family & Child Portrait Studio
  • zoomerzoomer Registered Users Posts: 3,688 Major grins
    edited November 24, 2011
    They look fine to me. Might rethink the brown background for brown skin the next time. The brighter ones may have just a hair to much yellow as mentioned, she will never notice it.
    She should love these.
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  • Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
    edited November 25, 2011
    divamum wrote: »
    <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/thumb.gif&quot; border="0" alt="" >

    Bryce, check out the photographers linked out of Reproductions (cited above). Seriously - quickest and easiest way to see LOTS of professional-actor shots from working headshot photographers on both coasts <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/thumb.gif&quot; border="0" alt="" >

    THEN check your local market too. As we is true in any niche, some places DON'T follow the trends of the major centers, and what's perfect for LA or NY might seem too "out there" for (eg) a local community theater. It's always about knowing one's market... ;)

    Have checked your links THANK YOU, and I'm sure I will visit them again, soon.

    As far as my local market, there is none.:D Well, there is a few really low budget community groups but the rest of the theater in this area are traveling productions. Did get to see "Guy's and Dolls" a couple of years ago, but that was a NY production. If I remember correctly, it starred Gregory Hines brother.

    Mostly, I'm doing this style for my own enjoyment and self betterment. I really don't think there is a big enough market here in the good old rust belt.
    GemGem wrote: »
    I think these shots are really nice :)
    Very nice of you to say, thank-you!
    BrettDeutsch wrote: »
    I'm with Charles. These look a tad yellow/green to me. As for smoothness, as noted above, they do look too blurred in part to me. But oddly, they also look over-sharpened in some areas. Perhaps you sharpened and then blurred with a mask in photoshop? I'm not sure, but her skin and makeup just looks a bit off to me. Otherwise, good first shoot on seamless (not to mention the homemade muslin).

    Thanks...

    See images below for a few corrections made from comments!
    zoomer wrote: »
    They look fine to me. Might rethink the brown background for brown skin the next time. The brighter ones may have just a hair to much yellow as mentioned, she will never notice it.
    She should love these.

    Well, I'll know in a couple of days if she does or doesn't. :D

    Unfortunately, the "Rembrandt" style I tried were a bust. Guess I didn't use a large enough panel to block the light as I had major lens flare in them. The one I didn't have the flare problem makes her cheek look HUGE.

    Here is an image that took advice from The Diva on the crop. This is just slightly tighter than as shot and because of input from several of you good folks, I tried to tone down the smoothing as well as played with the skin tones some more to remove some of the yellows.

    I also did it in a tinted version of black and white that I like. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I just does something for me.

    LMKWYT

    <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60399337@N06/6401898619/&quot; title="Ebony Female Head Shot by Bryce Wilson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6401898619_571ccfd5c2_o.jpg&quot; width="640" height="800" alt="Ebony Female Head Shot"></a>

    <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60399337@N06/6401898729/&quot; title="Ebony Female Head Shot - Black and White by Bryce Wilson, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6401898729_418375ba37_o.jpg&quot; width="640" height="800" alt="Ebony Female Head Shot - Black and White"></a>
  • adbsgicomadbsgicom Registered Users Posts: 3,615 Major grins
    edited November 30, 2011
    When looking through one of the site, a teen is referred to as "18 TPY". What does TPY stand for in this industry. I've seen it a couple of times, and haven't found a definition.
    - Andrew

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  • divamumdivamum Registered Users Posts: 9,021 Major grins
    edited November 30, 2011
    "18-to-play-younger".

    Here's an article with info on various child-actor terms and requirements

    http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/000165.html
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  • divamumdivamum Registered Users Posts: 9,021 Major grins
    edited November 30, 2011
    Here's another (slightly more recent) of Bonnie Gillespie's articles on headshots - I'll add it to the sticky, as well.

    http://cricketfeet.com/temp/showfax/headshots3.html
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  • adbsgicomadbsgicom Registered Users Posts: 3,615 Major grins
    edited December 1, 2011
    Thanks!
    - Andrew

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  • JoiJoiJoiJoi Registered Users Posts: 108 Major grins
    edited December 1, 2011
    Really like #2
    Bryce Wilson wrote: »
    Purchased a four foot roll of white seamless and thought I'd take it for a spin along with my homemade muslin.

    Think I may have finally gotten ebony skin tones down pretty well. Took me a bit to find the trick.

    1.
    6391466795_7ee7116fee_o.jpg

    2.
    6391466689_a93621b2f6_o.jpg

    3.
    6391467047_dab41ba41d_o.jpg

    4.
    6391466917_5acf3a0a4d_o.jpg

    Happy Thanksgiving all!
    Joi Cohen-Haroun
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