headshots is a more specific portrait and used mostly in a professional manner for things such as websites, press releases, publications and social media profiles. Headshots capture emotions, personality and possibly professionalism. headshots are quite basic as it just a clean image of the subject looking into the camera.
why are headshots important/useful?
Headshots are important for most people but more specifically they are much more important for people like business owners or for even an employee or potential clients as this photo will be your very first impression which can help to get top known someone before you even meet them.
well known headshot photographers:
There are multiple well known headshot photographers around the world but there are handful that stand out above the rest this list consists of Peter Hurley, Annie Leibovitz, Lindsay Adler and Greg Gorman. these photographers made a name for themselves by creating the best headshots with well known celebrities and models. their photos gained so much attention as they were unique and with how well they were able to capture emotion and personality.
This is my favourite photo because of the contrast between the outline and the red colour in the background as it makes the shape a lot clearer and stand out better. The colour in this image is bright red in the background and then the blue light that is shining on the model contrasts against the dark shadow from the head.
These are my best photos because the lighting and the contrast between the bright coloured lights and the models faces look the best. The shape in the first image is my favourite because the outline of the head is sharp and clear and gives a very defined shape.
Diamond Cameo
This is my Diamond Cameo for headshots and the headshot photos have to be facing all different directions they are not just headshots were the model is facing the same direction.
Here we went into the studio and started taking pictures of each model with different coloured lights to try and get a different perspective of each photo taken, I believe that these colours really change the mood of the photo whether the photo has a light or dark shadowing or none, or if it has a red colour to represent anger or even love, there are so many possibilities to these photos which makes the viewer look and think about all the scenarios. I believe that each photo has a meaning even if its just a random photo taken at any random time there is still some meaning to the phot as to why it was taken at that time and place .
we got each model to do different poses so that after I could edit the photos together to create a dimensional look on the photo, I really like how the red ones turned out as I asked the model to look to the side and therefore I can make the photo look quite different and unusual. The two side photos have very different lighting although they are both red there shadowing is light and dark, for example on the left the shadowing in the side of the models face is a cooler colour which makes the face look more mature and sophisticated and the on eon the right has a much more warmer tone which blended in more with the red colouring this made the features stand out less than the cooler tones did.
overall this photoshoot was a success and I really like how the final outcomes of the photos turned out, personally I really like how the middle blue photo looks in the end as its a very different photo compared to the rest as the lighting is a lot darker, the background of the photo is also a lot lighter and pink which changes the black around to give each person different shadowing.
Headshots are a style of photography in which a persons head and top of their shoulders are in the view. They tend to be a practical choice like a passport photo that is a headshot and things like documentative portraiture. Many famous photographers have done headshot projects which have become what they are known for as while they are most commonly used for a certain purpose like passport photos. Photographers have also used them to document uncomfortable or unsettling images of people, it’s a great way of getting us to look deeper into the photos and the people within the shots.
Technical
When it comes to technical elements within headshot photography there isn’t a huge amount to consider but the things that are involved can completely change the outcome of the headshot. I will need to make sure I have a good lighting set up and if I don’t I need to adjust my camera settings accordingly. These are fairly simple photos so if things are done well it is very noticeable.
Camera settings (flash lighting) Tripod: optional Use transmitter on hot shoe White balance: daylight (5000K) ISO: 100 Exposure: Manual 1/125 shutter-speed > f/16 aperture – check settings before shooting Focal length: 105mm portrait lens
Camera settings (continuous lighting) Tripod: recommended to avoid camera shake Manual exposure mode White balance: tungsten light (3200K) ISO: 400-1600 – depending on how many light sources Exposure: Manual 1/60-1/125 shutter-speed > f/4-f/8 aperture – check settings before shooting Focal length: 50mm portrait lens
Deadpan
Deadpan is an commonly used facial expression that has the model with no emotion on their face. It is used for things like any id photos, as well as being a great tool photographers use to capture a great photo with a model who isn’t making and particular facial expression. Many photographers use it to depict the models feelings about a certain situation particularly one where they should be happy or overly upset. It stops the viewer guessing how the model is feeling by what is shown on their face and instead asks the viewer to look around and consider the context of the photo in cases where there is a background and foreground and not a backdrop. It is achieved by having the model have eye contact with the camera lens with an intense almost glare.
eyes must be open and clearly visible, with no flash reflections and no ‘red eye’
facial expression must be neutral (neither frowning nor smiling), with the mouth closed
photos must show both edges of the face clearly
photos must show a full front view of face and shoulders, squared to the camera
the face and shoulder image must be centred in the photo; the subject must not be looking over one shoulder (portrait style), or tilting their head to one side or backwards or forwards
there must be no hair across the eyes
hats or head coverings are not permitted except when worn for religious reasons and only if the full facial features are clearly visible
photos with shadows on the face are unacceptable
photos must reflect/represent natural skin tone
BACKGROUND:
Photos must have a background which:
has no shadows
has uniform lighting, with no shadows or flash reflection on the face and head
shows a plain, uniform, light grey or cream background (5% to 10% grey is recommended
This is a great example of how to achieve and deadpan headshot and an example of how often they are used in daily life.
These are the final photos we took for the diamond cameo. For the actual photos we made the model look towards the camera, left and right for the cameo. while editing I made them all black and white because I thought it would look best for the type of design I would like the end result to look like. Then I put the exposure up as when I turned the pictures to black and white they all looked really dark and the model blended in with the background. I turned down the texture and clarity to get rid of any unwanted textures like the curtain in the background.
Final Diamond Cameo
This is the final cameo. I chose a white background for it as I didn’t like an olden day look to these images, so I liked the plain white background with the black and white images standing out. It gave these images a modern style which I preferred. The model is posing seriously as the diamond cameo is showing all angles of the face which I personally preferred a neutral and more serious look for.
Ole Christiansen a Danish photographer who graphically emphasised landscapes which reflects in his portraiture. Ole has over the years provided pictures for a myriad of books, magazines, record covers and annual reports.
Ole Christiansen (Danish): A special preoccupation has been music photography, portraits, but also often strongly graphically emphasized urban landscapes which is reflected in his portraiture. Ole has over the years provided pictures for a myriad of books, magazines, record covers, annual reports, etc.
Headshot – A photograph of someone’s face, head and shoulders.
Headshots are mainly used as passport photos, resumes and for actors and musicians. This style of portrait helps to clearly define the subjects facial features as well as provide a clear basis for people to make assumptions on someone’s character, possibly based of appearance (like how they dress).
The first person to experiment with headshots in 1839 was Robert Cornelius. However, in 1854 André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri produced a more cost effective way of taking headshot photos, by cutting up full-sized plates into 4 seperate small portraits. These photos soon became known as Carte-de-visite.
These grew in popularity across both Europe and the US, where families of wealthy class got them to exercise their wealth. With some people such as queen Victoria getting one to flex her status.
The modern headshot is now used as an art form, for exploring different ways of portraying the face. They can also be used as professional headshots of someone with an influential status, like a celebrity. These can be used as a marketing purpose and can be sold. Another thing headshots are used for today are passport, or ID photographs. These are used to show someone’s age, identity and that they are suitable to fly.
Headshots and Techniques
Lighting-
The technical definition of lighting, or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight.
There are different types of lighting, such as soft lighting, natural lighting, artificial lighting and hard lighting etc. Soft lighting is a type of light with few hard shadows that’s bright yet balanced. In soft lighting, the transition between the light and the shadows is more of a gradient and much smoother. When your subject is bathed in soft light, there will be little to no shadows on their face.
Hard lighting is a focused, often bright light that casts harsh shadows and draws attention to a specific part of a photo. In hard lighting, the transition between the light and the shadows is very harsh and defined.
Framing-
Framing in photography refers to the process of composing a picture. It involves choosing what you’ll include in the frame and what you’ll leave out. The goal is to create a pleasing composition that directs the viewer’s attention to the subject matter.
Headshots-
A headshot is a tightly cropped photo of the face, from the shoulders up. The subject is camera aware and typically looking right in the lens. Years ago, headshots were reserved for actors and models. For talent, these images are in some ways more important than a resume.
Focusing-
In photography, focus is the sharpest area of the image. It is the area where the lens works to highlight an object, a person, or a situation. Focus is one of the pillars of photography, along with ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. You can either use automatic or manual focus.
Focus on eyes-
In photography, focus is the sharpest area of the image. It is the area where the lens works to highlight an object, a person, or a situation. Focus is one of the pillars of photography, along with ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. You can either use automatic or manual focus.
Using AF (Autofocus) place the square, or set of squares on one eye of your subject. If the subject’s other eye is not on the same horizontal plane as the AF square, it will be out of focus. So, move your subject, or tilt your camera (if you can without ruining composition) so that the eyes are on the same plane.
Pose-
If you pose for a photograph or painting, you stay in a particular position so that someone can photograph you or paint you. Eg. position yourself, sit, model, strike a pose etc.
Expression-
Expression is the action of making known one’s thoughts or feelings. In impressionist photography you create an image to communicate to others, using visual language, how you feel about a specific idea or a subject.
Butterfly lighting is a type of portrait lighting technique used primarily in a studio setting. Its name comes from the butterfly-shaped shadow that forms under the nose because the light comes from above the camera. You may also hear it called ‘paramount lighting’ or ‘glamour lighting’.
Photographs :
butterfly lighting context/analysis :
Butterfly lighting is a popular lighting technique in portrait photography that creates a soft and flattering effect on the subject’s face. This technique is named after the butterfly-shaped shadow that is created under the subject’s nose.
why use butterfly lighting ?
Butterfly lighting is a type of lighting pattern for studio portraiture. It is used for taking flattering, glamorous portrait photos. The lighting is soft on the face. It forms a butterfly-shaped shadow under the subject’s nose, which is the source of the name.
my response :
here is my first photoshoot attempt while using butterfly lighting.
best image :
this image could be easily improved by facing the lighting right in front of the models face in order to properly catch the butterfly lighting look on the face.
