How to photograph a headshot?

You want to learn how to photograph a headshot?  If you are a service provider, an amateur photographer or an aspiring professional, the following article may help you get started.  If you are an individual looking for a quick guide, the following tips may seem a little confusing and sounding more like a riddle and less than a guide.

The following four tips are the most important and crucial aspects for capturing a professional headshot, I am divulging twenty years experience in four lessons.  Enjoy;

Lesson 1.

Consider that in traditional photography schools we taught to capture the subject, and the subject matter.  Please forget that lesson, you are no longer capturing a subject but a human being, it’s all about emotion and life and experiences.  Capture emotions and life experiences of the person in front of the camera.

How to photograph a headshot

Lesson 2.

Listen, listen and listen.  A great headshot portrays the spirit behind the person in front of your camera, the best way for achieving this is by loving and caring towards that individual.  if you think that I am sounding like a hippie, a hugger or simply corny.  You may either have a unique and different style, or maybe consider photographing subjects instead of people.  Sometimes an event photographer, a landscape artist or even a wedding photographer, may excel in their respective area, but not in capturing headshots.  Sensitivity towards others is your greatest asset for a headhsot photographer.

Lesson 3.

Use Rembrandt style of lighting.  If you don’t know what that means, research the artist and his techniques.

Lesson 4.

Less is more.  Chose 1 or 2 images, don’t worry about the other 50 or so other photographs.  Somehow it takes a long time for the photographer and the person being captured to build a rappor, all the images before and after the chosen headshot were simply part of the journey.

Please also consider that one wouldn’t expect a president of a nation, a surgeon or celebrity to go ahead and shoot his or her own headshot.  Important people, know that their value.  How much do you value yourself?  Hire a professional if you are one.

Thank you for reading this article written by Carlos Taylhardat of Art of Headshots,

Feel free to ask any question to ringo@artofheadshots.com