Professional Headshots: The Freedoms of Using a Studio
Creating professional headshots and portraits can be challenging in a real-world environment. I find working in a studio gives me more freedom and flexibility. It is easier to focus on the person, whereas an office space can be limiting, and subject to interruptions. Shooting in-studio is the perfect option for professionals who want to truly capture their personality. In this session, I worked with actor and physical trainer Leon de Ikal to create a diverse range of photographs for marketing purposes, business portraits, and his acting profile.
The purpose of this shoot was to give Leon a good variety of looks. As he is both an actor and a trainer, I wanted to provide him with every kind of shot he would need. We also did some fun, creative pictures, as we have worked together often before and were interested in seeing what we could artistically express.
In my studio, I control everything. When I photograph clients in the real world, I play more by ear and carry little equipment with me. I have to fill in blanks when the surroundings don’t give me the space or lighting I need. A photography studio is a clean canvas where many tools are at my disposal—I have all sorts of light modifiers and backdrops, and I don’t have to worry about sunlight coming in from a window.
The privacy of a studio is a big plus too. Whenever I take professional pictures in an office, there are always people walking past or into the room where I’m working. It is also difficult to take headshots and portraits in a public setting. Most people are not natural actors, and have trouble relaxing and being themselves when onlookers are nearby. People are already self-conscious in front of the camera; an audience adds another stressor. In a studio, I can more easily get people to relax and be natural.
Expressing personality, ideas and feelings in a picture can be achieved largely through lighting. Standard lighting works well for business portraits; dramatic lighting combined with good poses and facial expressions works well for thematic portraits. The deeper the contrast in lighting, the more dramatic the look.
Leon is great at bringing a real presence to his portraits. He has his own creative process for approaching concept photoshoots like ours, which he shared with me:
“My process in getting ready for the shoot is to take my perception out of the equation and become an avatar of sorts. The goal for me is to convey the perspectives of others, especially for concept shoots. I act as a reflection of others’ ideas, rather than using my own perspective of someone else’s concept. Out of all the photographers I have worked with, Paul is the best in his use of light, depth and angles. He knows when he has the photo he is looking for. There have been numerous times when he simply looked up from the lens and said ‘that is the one. Let’s go home.’ I have yet to disagree.”
I enjoyed this portrait session working with Leon, and love the variety of shots we got out of it. If you are looking for marketing images, professional portraits or headshots that stand out and express you, your brand or business, you can talk to me here.
