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First studio shoot: actor headshots (c&c)
Wowee. I have a terrible feeling it was my own bright idea to do this student-actor set of headshots as a "team shoot" all in one day... what was I thinking?!? (Actually, it was a good idea and logistically far better for everybody including the other photographer - just exhausting!)
I wound up shooting 3 of the students plus the acting teacher (!), resulting in about 800 shots before culling. My eyes are bugging out!
However, I did want to post a few - partly cuz I'm excited about it (for all that I see that's wrong, I see some things I like too, which is very exciting for a first time out) and partly because I think my processing is (to put it politely) lacking, and I'd love any feedback from y'all; I'm really dissatisfied with my processing so far. These have had some basic processing and editing done, but are not yet what I would call "finished", so please - bring it on! Processing is really frustrating me at the moment - the images aren't bad, but as soon as I start working on them I find myself increasingly disastisfied (and, as always, please point me to tutorials, threads and articles if appropriate).
Anyway, here are the three gals I shot.
This lovely young lady is not a small girl, but has the most beeeyoootiful bones - I really wanted to bring out those cheeks. While shooting from above is getting a little cliche, I really like it and found myself on the ladder more than the floor. For this gal, I thought it helped slim her down a little more and accentuated those eyes and bones
1. Yes, I was having ALL sorts of fun with gels today
2.
Next up was this pretty girl... who was the most difficult shoot I've done to date. Somewhat self-conscious and even with my best (if inexperienced) prompting and direction, she was a classic example of the "pasted smile". I tried every trick I could think of to get her both to relax and to try and get something more natural, but very few of them got past the planned, canned smile. These are the best in that regard, I think:
3.
4.
5.
6. This shot is useless as a headshot but I just like it - it's more natural and I don't mind the eyes not being straight ntocamera because to me it has so much more life...
Last of my ladies was this one, who seems to light up for the camera (she has apparently done a little bit of advertising/modelling - I'm not surprised, because not only does the camera love her, but the tiniest changes in hair/styling and she looks like a completely different person - I'd have LOVED to have a pro makeup/hair person there for this one, because I think they could have been spectacular!)
7. Demure (yes, more fun with gels. This was aiming for Hello Kitty pink in the studio, but it was actually WAY brighter than I thought, so I toned it down in LR!)
8. I wish I could find a "right" crop for this, because there's something so lovely about the direct gaze. But somethign still doesn't look quite right to me yet... :scratch
9.A bit more sultry
10. And a different look completely....
Btw, is it normal to get home and think, "If only I had {fill in the blank}!" THere were sooooo many things I could have done differently if I'd just been thinking!! :hack :dunno
I wound up shooting 3 of the students plus the acting teacher (!), resulting in about 800 shots before culling. My eyes are bugging out!
However, I did want to post a few - partly cuz I'm excited about it (for all that I see that's wrong, I see some things I like too, which is very exciting for a first time out) and partly because I think my processing is (to put it politely) lacking, and I'd love any feedback from y'all; I'm really dissatisfied with my processing so far. These have had some basic processing and editing done, but are not yet what I would call "finished", so please - bring it on! Processing is really frustrating me at the moment - the images aren't bad, but as soon as I start working on them I find myself increasingly disastisfied (and, as always, please point me to tutorials, threads and articles if appropriate).
Anyway, here are the three gals I shot.
This lovely young lady is not a small girl, but has the most beeeyoootiful bones - I really wanted to bring out those cheeks. While shooting from above is getting a little cliche, I really like it and found myself on the ladder more than the floor. For this gal, I thought it helped slim her down a little more and accentuated those eyes and bones
1. Yes, I was having ALL sorts of fun with gels today
2.
Next up was this pretty girl... who was the most difficult shoot I've done to date. Somewhat self-conscious and even with my best (if inexperienced) prompting and direction, she was a classic example of the "pasted smile". I tried every trick I could think of to get her both to relax and to try and get something more natural, but very few of them got past the planned, canned smile. These are the best in that regard, I think:
3.
4.
5.
6. This shot is useless as a headshot but I just like it - it's more natural and I don't mind the eyes not being straight ntocamera because to me it has so much more life...
Last of my ladies was this one, who seems to light up for the camera (she has apparently done a little bit of advertising/modelling - I'm not surprised, because not only does the camera love her, but the tiniest changes in hair/styling and she looks like a completely different person - I'd have LOVED to have a pro makeup/hair person there for this one, because I think they could have been spectacular!)
7. Demure (yes, more fun with gels. This was aiming for Hello Kitty pink in the studio, but it was actually WAY brighter than I thought, so I toned it down in LR!)
8. I wish I could find a "right" crop for this, because there's something so lovely about the direct gaze. But somethign still doesn't look quite right to me yet... :scratch
9.A bit more sultry
10. And a different look completely....
Btw, is it normal to get home and think, "If only I had {fill in the blank}!" THere were sooooo many things I could have done differently if I'd just been thinking!! :hack :dunno
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Don't get me wrong, these are really good shots! I do like them. I had good shots to work with, and that's why I think these came out well. And I tried to keep the postwork subtle. That's why I didn't take out the pores and freckles and stuff completely.
Anyway, these are just my take on them. They are in a private gallery on SmugMug, but if you want me to take them down, I will.
Mike
#1
#2
#3
#4
As for eyes... yeah, seriously. The whole time I was shooting and rearranging lights etc I was thinking "sparkly eyes! sparkly eyes!". I really wish I could have done some in natural light since we had a gorgeous day yesterday, but the acting teacher was adamant he wanted studio (I think he may be a little out of touch with current trends - he's also insisted the final print be B&W) and it was a case where I just had to do what was asked of me. I may see if a couple of them - particularly the last gal - are willing to sit for me again in return for some more shots, because I had SO many ideas I didn't get to try out!!
Thanks for the input and the examples
Sheesh, I need to be even more subtle on mine. More working, more learning.
I'm not sure I'm "subtle" as much as having to do it all manually, which means that you do less because it's so darned time-consuming! I actually followed tips from the skin-retouching tutorial/thread here at dgrin for that last one, essentially boiling down to using the healing brush with the picture at huge magnification so I could just get tiny artefacts. I usually do it on a separate layer so I can further tinker with the opacity as necessary. It works, but I have no doubt that portrait pro saves TONS of time!
Working through these again this evening ast I get the galleries setup so the kids can proof what I got - I want to give them the basic files to look at and choose shots, but with one or two fully processed so they get an idea of what can be done with them.
And I think in future I won't even TRY to work on them same day, because I was just too tired last night - I couldn't really even "see" any more so I'm starting from scratch. Learning curve....
Thanks for the continued feedback - appreciated!
CONGRATS!
And I like your idea of letting them choose the shots they like but having one or two processed to give them an idea of what can be done.
Want to see more...post more!!!
Yeah, I"ve learned that the hard way this time out. I half-processed a bunch last night and they're all very mediocre - much better coming at them today. Lesson learned!
Actually, that's how I remember a photog who did mine (on film): he sent back the contact sheets along with retouched prints of the handful HE liked. Interestingly, I never actually chose one of the "photographer's picks" but.... I now understand why. He was simply looking for different things than I was! So, I think it's only fair that they choose the ones from the "electronic" contact sheets; I even set the gallery up as thumbnails so it looks like that (go SM for having that arrangement as an option!
The agreement with these kids is that each student will get one final bw print, but even though I'll only *print* one, I'm telling them they can pick 5 for me to process - I don't mind if they want to use the electronic copies for their own purposes.
I'll post more once I have some finished properly. Getting there. As a performer I love having LOTS of shots to choose from; as a photographer, I am realising now that it is NOT the most fun to have to sort, cull, convert and upload as many as I took yesterday!
WOW thanks for commenting - if they're pleasing to your amazing eye, I must be getting somewhere!!
Diva,
Most headshots are full head and most shoulders. Aside from face shots, they generally also need 3/4 body shots. In some areas they should be black and white or at least on the comp card have b&w also. No sure how they will be used, but touch up and skin work should be minimal too. The actors should look like they would look going into an audition. Makeup should be street wear. And they should look similar to characters they will be playing.
Flash Frozen Photography, Inc.
http://flashfrozenphotography.com
Specifics:
- I think, maybe, your lighting ratio might be a little to large in first shot, but that was nicely corrected for the second. I think you were just working for different looks (good plan!) but the second is better. I'm not so enamored of the hot spot on her forehead in #2
- #3 - Love the light - this is to my personal taste. I think a slightly deeper DOF would have served you a bit better though as I'm not loving how the hair on her right side so quickly goes OOF
- I think I agree with your assessment of model/actor #3. I think she knows how to turn it on and off like a light switch. Her first shot shows some experience.
- #7 - She's turned a bit too much from the camera for my taste - I just don't like "shoulder shots". They tend to cause less then pleasing creases/wrinkles in the neck - as she has here.
- #8 The "perfectly" vertical orientation of her face isn't working for me. Neither is the side lighting. This lighting technique is, usually, reserved for masculine shots.
My "normal" reaction when I get home to a shoot is something along the lines of, "How badly and in how many ways did I screw that one up??" I don't know why. There's only been two I've done where I was less than pleased with the results. This is very timely information for me. In the not too distant past, I donated still photography support to a community theater. One of the actors from one of the shows contacted me about a week ago looking to get me to do her headshots. This information will help me in getting her the best product I can. Thanks.My Photos
Thoughts on photographing a wedding, How to post a picture, AF Microadjustments?, Light Scoop
Equipment List - Check my profile
Your PP needs some work (you know that already). The skin work and eye pop will help these a great deal.
All in all a successful headshot outing for you! Nice job.
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
Diva,
Most headshots are full head and most shoulders. Aside from face shots, they generally also need 3/4 body shots. In some areas they should be black and white or at least on the comp card have b&w also. No sure how they will be used, but touch up and skin work should be minimal too. The actors should look like they would look going into an audition. Makeup should be street wear. And they should look similar to characters they will be playing.
[/quote]
I'll respond to everybody's comments in a few, but wanted to reply with some general comments about headshots - obviously, my "real life" means I see a LOT of headshots, and have plenty of experience on the subject side of the camera having my own taken; I certainly have a long way to go photographically in achieving exactly what I would like to see, but I do know what I would like to see
Kathy you're right, although I'm gonna demur slightly regarding the crops: while I agree that mine are often too tight (learning curve - was on the ladder with the 85mm and got so into shooting and getting some expression out of them that I forgot to give myself enough airspace and these are tight in camera, darnit), from what I'm seeing out there among my performing friends and colleagues current trend is taking them quite a bit tighter than in the past - my eye was leaning towards the look that I'm seeing out there a lot. Again, I agree that I went TOO tight, but the old full head-and-shoulders, straight-on eye-level, static pose of the past is definitely looking a little old-fashioned these days with unusual angles and tighter shots becoming more widespread. It IS atrend, of course, and I have no doubt it will change again, but at the moment I'm seeing a lot of it.
I DO agree that more airspace to work with is good, however and 1000000000% agree about "type", ie looking like the roles they're selling. This is key and possibly the biggest difference between headshots and other portraits. They have to project - either physically or "emotionally" - what they're trying to sell, and that is OUR job as photographers to help them achieve that.
In fact, one of the things I did with these kids was give them a little talk about "typing" before we started shooting - most of them haven't hit the professional world yet, and didn't realise just HOW important their headshot could be in securing the audition. No point having a sexy, pouty soap-star type shot if you're submittting to do a Disney Princess tour.... For many of them, this was a totally new perspective of which they weren't even aware. For those that don't know how this works, what happens is this: you submit for an audition, and -- based on our picture - they will go through and BEFORE EVEN READING YOUR RESUME will have a yes pile and a no pile based on the "type" they're looking for for the character. And with hundreds of submissions for any audition, the "no" pile is usually a lot bigger than the "yes" one! The picture is key.
Kathy, are you now seeing actors submitting comp cards? I"ve only ever heard of that with models - singers/actors IME are expected to have an 8x10 (bw OR colour these days - bw is also now seen as old-fashioned) and a resume - for classical singers, the resume is a separate sheet, but actors and music theater folks usually have them printed on the back of their photo (much smarter - I wish musicians would catch up on that!) Ditto on the 3/4 - I haven't seen much call for those (and personally have never been asked for one). Is that more for film/tv?
Scott, if you have headshots coming up, the Reproductions gallery as a great source of links to headshot specialists and thus tons of shots to look at for ideas of current trends and styles. They have two "directories" - a NYC one and an LA one, and the styles on the two coasts vary, so it's worth perusing examples from both. I found the "must be studio" requirement of this shoot limiting in getting what I wanted for actors since current fashion is often natural light and urban/outdoor environments, but that was the brief and I worked with what was requested, as one does...
http://www.reproductions.com/NYC/index.html
http://www.reproductions.com/LA/la%20index%20pg1.htm
I absolutely agree with Kathy that retouching should be to make them look like the best THEM they can be, rather than the perfection of a fashion shoot, or OUR photographic idea of what they "should" look like. Makeup should give the impression of streetwear, but the best headshot sessions use a skilled pro to create that (and it's often much heavier than people wear in real life on the street, even though it looks natural on camera). I say this from experience on the subject side of the camera! The standard advice is that your headshot should look like you the way you walk in to an audition, but on a VERY VERY VERY good day.
Anyway, just some thoughts. Now I'll get back to responding to people's comments - thanks for chiming in, folks!
ETA: I have decided that 8x10 is The Enemy... at least as far as cropping! Looking through these again I'm realising that as shot, they had plenty of "shoulders" in the equation, but I had to crop it all out when I pulled them to the correct ratio. Note to self for next time: Not just "more airspace" but Lots.More.Airspace. !!
I just went through 10 different galleries for highly acclaimed heatshot photographers via reflections. All of them show head and shoulders and most 3/4 shots as well. If you shot these for the playbill thumbnails, they're useable but for auditions, regarless of trend, I think you can never go wrong with what is considered standard and timeless.
Flash Frozen Photography, Inc.
http://flashfrozenphotography.com
Again, I agree mine are too tight and I absolutely respect your opinion and far greater photographic experience than mine (and am taking your comments on board both for "next time" and as I edit this shoot!), so I don't want this to seem like an argument. Not my intention at all. However.... I'm seeing a lot of the "other" out there. For instance, I just picked this gallery at random from the Reproductions NY listings. Never heard of the guy, literally just clicked where my mouse landed. Have a look at his womens' gallery.
http://www.sgsp.com/
Also note the use of landscape which until about 5 yrs ago was frowned on for headshots, but I see a lot of it out there now.
I think I've just been heavily influenced by the type of style in his galleries. I wonder if it's an east vs west coast thing?
Again, my sincere thanks for your comments which, despite my seeming "opposition" I do appreciate greatly and am definitely factoring in to future shoots!!
Thanks Mitchell! You'll laugh, but as I was doing these I kept thinking about Magic Garage Light. Not sure I quite managed that, but you were much in my thoughts as I was trying to set these up!!
I really do need to plan more for 8x10 cropping, however - am only just realising what a goof I made not thinking beyond the aspect ratio in the viewfinder. Ah well, now I know....
Thanks for the feedback!
You are SO good for my confidence
I'd agree with you on all of these points in fact. In fact, I did three lighting setups (other than the gel switches, which were for fun as much as anything): 1 was what I thought of as a basic "general" setup using a medium-sized softbox @45 degs CL, bg, snooted hairlight (from above), and big scrim/reflector CR. For the two slender girls, I tried a few clamshell, raising the SB up high and sticking a white reflector in their lap and using the scrim for some more bounce. Lastly, I swapped out the SB for a grid to do some harder, more dramatic ones (including the different look for the last girl - we were going for an aggressive "edgy" look since her shirt/jewellery combo kind of lent itself to that). I'd never met these kids before so had to think on my feet - it'd be nice to know a little more about the subject before they walk through thedoor so I could plot some lighting ideas beforehand, with particular reference to that character and typing thing discussed above - I think the lighting could really assist with that, and is possibly where the photographer can have the most influence on the final result (?)
Ha. Yeah, I had a few of those thoughts too, but I'm an unrepentant chimper as needed (I want to see if I'm even getting close). I think that this - compared to weddings - affords more time to think, too. I'm still slow on my feet though - things like forgetting about crop ratio are biting me in the behind, so Ill just chalk that up to experience and make sure I get it right next time
As always, my thanks for all the feedback!!
actually everything I had written as notes for your pic you covered yourself in you nice dialog back on page 2.......so nothing more to say that could be of help.....EXCEPT.....don't be so hard on yourself.....
oh one little nit......might ask the girls to actually comb their hair.....it looked to much like the I just got out of bed style:D
as for the landscape orientation on headshots.....that in the past was used mainly for the manly man with cig. look.....whilst at WSU there was one Opera student that used a landscape and even Samuel Ramey (WSU claims him as an alumn) saw the headshot and said it worked but wasn't the norm....
Thanks for the comments! It's a fine line with headshots - you want them to look as gorgeous as possible, but they still have to look realistic and very much like themselves. A good makeup artist can help enormously and I can see why so many NY photogs actually insist that clients use makeup artist - saves HOURS of time in post and will always look more natural than even the best PP, I think.
I think I can probably be a little more generous with the blending brush, but I don't want to overdo it so I'm still finding that line - i'll get there eventually!
As a serendipitous addendum to this discussion (for anybody else who ever does headshots and might be interested), out of the blue last night I had an email from a NY photographer/actor/acting teacher friend so I took the opportunity to ask him about current trends among actors. His response "Headshots: stay abreast of the trends. color and more casual are the way to go. natural light is good...as long as the scenery is not distracting. for actors...tight TIGHT shots are good, especially if they are doing online casting...which is getting pretty big."
In other worrds, this "trend" for tight is at least partly web-driving for a very specific reason rather than because it's a "style" per se. I'm glad to know that since it both makes more sense AND means there's still some leeway in styles.
In short, this very useful discussion demonstrates that the best solution for the cropping debate is probably to shoot wider in camera and crop down as needed... which is what I'll be doing next time out! Thanks Kathy, for making the point you did - you really REALLY made me think hard about current trends vs "classic", how to work with what I've got despite lack of airspace, and the discussion also encouraged me to find out more about what people will need (and why) so that if/when I get the chance to do it again I can do a better job.