Common Mistakes in Headshot Photography

Common Mistakes in Headshot Photography

Headshot Photography is one of the most in demand types of photography since the old times. May it be for corporate, entertainment or modeling industry; you can never go wrong with a good headshot. Sure some can say that a simple headshot can be easy because you won’t need to worry about background, climate or other factors for full body or scenic photographs but that’s not true. In fact, since you’re working on a more specific canvas, you’ll need to be more meticulous. Here are common mistakes in headshot photography:

Lenses

One of the most frequent mistakes is picking up the wrong lenses. Make sure that you are using the correct lens for your headshot. You don’t want to sacrifice the quality of your image, may it be for business or for your hobby. Invest on good lenses , as long as you know what you’re using them for. Anything 85 mm or above will do for headshot photography because this is equivalent to using a 50 mm lens on a 1.6x crop body. One of the recommended lenses is the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, the built in Image Stabilization (IS) adds to its appeal for a more focus shot. Before choosing the best lens, make sure to visit threads and forums. Ask experts for their opinion and select carefully.

Focus

Don’t just focus on the face as is. That’ll be a dull headshot. Some may think that the only focus of headshot photography is the head itself but there’s more to that. For great headshots, make sure to get the focus on the eyes because that’s one of the most important aspects of headshots. This type of photography is more direct since the photograph targets the face of the person; you’ll need to be able to capture the intensity, emotion, depth and beauty of the eyes so it can stand out.

Lighting

Some photographers focus on brighter lights to be able to get that clear shot but for headshot photography, it’s advisable to use diffused lighting because you want show the natural skin tone of the face as well as the balance light and reflection. Also make sure that you have the correct hair light because the wrong one can damage your shot.

Angle

Be careful on choosing your angle because it can make a huge difference on your photos. Some angels can make your face look bigger, longer or even unproportional. Choose the correct angle by accentuating the eyes, lips and smile. For men, capture the masculinity of the face but the depth in the eyes.

Expression

It’s important for the photographer to know how to bring out the emotion or the expression that he wants to see. Don’t use too much technical terms as to why your subject needs to do this or that, you don’t want to get a confused reaction do you? Try different techniques to be able to bring out the best natural look possible or any emotion that you want. Give examples or ask questions.

Rapport

Most of us tend to forget how important it is to build your connection with your subject. To get the best photographs, your subject must feel at ease with you. If not, the picture will look stiff and unnatural. If your subject becomes too conscious, you won’t get that perfect picture. As a photographer, you’ll also need great communication skills to immediately connect with your subject.

Headshot Photography is not easy, rather it’s much more complicated and will still need scrupulous methods. These common mistakes are also the most important factors that one can consider in headshot photography. Patience is also needed especially if you’re just starting. With these pointers, you’ll be able to make it happen.