I've photographed thousands of headshots over the years, for companies and organisations over a whole variety of sectors. The importance of headshots shouldn't be underestimated as they represent the human side of the business online.
There are a few key factors to consider to capture great headshots:
Lighting
In most cases soft, flattering light is the best option for headshots. It will show people off their best and works well with everyone, which is a good option when shooting many people in the same style. There may be some situations when more dramatic lighting is required for a moodier effect, this can look cool, but may not suit certain subjects so well.
Background
Although the emphasis should always be on the person, the choice of background will drastically effect the mood of the shot. A common choice is clean white, which is crisp, modern and versatile. Other popular options are grey and sometimes black. Coloured backdrops can work well to make your headshots lok a bit different. This can either be done with a large roll of coloured paper, or being more creative using coloured gels on the lights.
A different approach to a flat background is using a natural environment. Good examples of this would be a bright minimal office space or some form of minimalistic architecture, either indoors or outside. The main factor with this would be choosing somewhere simple, with a lot of depth and bright usually works best.
Styling
Obviously it's important that everyone looks good on the day. I've done a couple of shoots when people weren't made aware that they would be having their headshot taken and they weren't prepared. Reminders should be sent out to all staff the day before. There should be a dress code agreed beforehand, eg ties/blazers, etc. Thjis should take into acount the background, so if the background was white then people should avoid wearing only white.
The room where the headshots are to take place should not be too hot, otherwise people will experience shiny skin. I usually ask for a pile of paper towels nearby for people who are experiencing shiny skin in the images.
Posing and Expression
It may seem pretty straightforward to get a headshot, just plonk in front of the camera and smile, but I've learnt a few tricks over the years to get people looking their best. Posture and angles can be used to give people a slimmer figure and better jawline, if desired. Also the distance between the photographer and subject, which is called the focal distance, effects the amount of lens distortion, which can make things look stretched or squashed, ie. thinner or fatter. This is why you may often get a strectched head and exaggerated nose on selfies, as the lens is way to close to your face, especially the nose.
Having a friendly and fun atmosphere whilst shooting will ensure people feel relaxed and ready to convey positive energy to the camera. It's all about the positive vibes!
Other factors to consider
- Think about where the shots will be used. If they are going on a web page then look at the design and make sure the background colours and tones fit well. Also do the images need to be portrait, landscape, square or even circular?
- Black and white or colour? Again this will depend on whereabouts the images will be used, but also the feeling you are trying to convey.
- Having a good running order is helpful with people booked in at specific timeslots
So I'm sure you can see getting good headshots isn't straightforward but I've learnt enough over the years to make the whole experience stress free and fun, whilst getting the desired shots. So get in touch today if you’re after corporate headshots in London, or around the UK.