Help me please!

kyeezie

The following is a picture taken in a studio of my boss (not by me). There are some things that I don't like about it. Anyway, we are going to be taking some more pictures of the rest of us like this, but they want me to take them. I do more of an outdoor, scenery type picture, but know I could do better than her. I want to get your advice on how to shoot a shot like this but, well, you know, better. Any advice is appreciated! Thanks so much in advance.

Jeff_Milo

Hi Kyeezie,

I also do coprorate head shots for my day job company and other companies in the area.

Here's my 2 cents on what works for me.

If you are going for the "corporate" formal type photo the above picture has way to much background. It should be much tighter on the employees face.

For most people a slightly angled pose is better than the straight on look. Expecially for executives, it has a much more formal feel.

Depending on the company or type of business most formal type headshots also dont show the employee with a full smile, a slight smile or serious face is often preferred. I normally take both (full smile and partial/serious) and let the client decide which they want.

We set up an area outside my office once a month or so to take headshots of the new hires. I use two lights (one as a backlight, and the other with an umbrella in front and to the side they are angled away from) and my 580ex flash diffused to provide the fill light.

Here are a couple of examples of what we do:

Seneca

I think Jeff nailed it for you. My only advice to you when you shoot, is make sure your subject's clothes are fixed. The attached picture that you provided has way too many errors in the clothing. The tie is crooked, the arms of the suit are so wrinkled. The back of his suit is riding up on his shoulders. As for his hands...they look very unnatural, like he doesn't know what to do with them.

I do like the coloring. However, I do think it should've been cropped a little bit more.

Overall, when you seat your subject down...look at the whole picture and decided what needs to be done before you click the shutter button.

Good luck on your shoot.

kyeezie

Thank you guys so much for you input! I tried to tell my boss that his photographer didn't apy attention to detail, but that's what he payed her to do. I agree with what both of you have said. Now, one more thing please, our office has bright office light with no windows, you know, the perfect condition for a photo shootI don't want the faces to turn out all white, I want them to have some color to them, so I am trying to figure out what I can do to help myself in these conditions. I know I can change the white balance but since I'm not used to doing this kind of shot under these circumstances, so I didn't know if that would totally correct the lighting. Would umbrellas help me out with this? Please help me! and thanks for all the advice so far

Seneca

Umbrella lighting is always going to work better than just a flash pointing in their face. But if you shoot RAW, you'll be able to correct the WB during PP. I would shoot RAW then manual F8 at 1/60 with umbrella lighting. Good Luck.
Seneca

Jeff_Milo

That is almost exactally what I do. If you dont difuse your on camera flash make sure you bounce it off something, don't point it directly at your subject.