Fujifilm X-T4 + XF56mm f/1.2 R: 1/250s, f/5.6, ISO160

Webco Hawaii commissioned me for a second round of head shots so here are the edits from this go-round. I learned a few things from having done it once before, so I made some adjustments to the formula this time.

First, I remembered to take a setup photo this time, though I barely remembered. This was just before clean-up, so the sitting stool had already been removed. For those that remember the long list of equipment I stuff in my car for these shoots from the last post this is all that stuff. Also, this time I put gaffers tape marks for more consistent framing and lighting positions, and a monopod (with standing base) to also help with framing. I framed the photos a little looser this go-round so I’d have a bit more head room to crop and include a little more torso/arms in the shots.

For those interested in the banal details, these are my thoughts for the setup. The background v-flat is there to provide a relatively clean backdrop to make replacing it for a more precise color in post-processing easier. The subjects are positioned far enough off the backdrop so they don’t cast a shadow on it. The two strip boxes and the above beauty-dish are rim/hair lights to help separate the the subjects from the background. The eye-lighter serves to brighten the pupil a bit (hence the name and the shape), but also to provide some “clamshell” fill light. The default material of the eye-lighter is silver-colored to be more reflective, but I prefer the subtlety of white which provides less intensity so as to disappear as light source instead of calling attention to itself. The second V-flat is setup on the black side to provide more definition on the shadow-side of the head shot so that there’s a more 3-dimensional feel to the photos and also to prevent the key light reflecting onto the background. The parabolic key light modifier is admittedly “extra.” I like it because it can create a range of different light quality (from contrasty to diffuse) while effectively reducing hotspots due to it’s even spread. I opted for the diffuse setting, but I’d love to play around with a contrasty setting sometime.

Here are my tips for posing business head shots. Angle the subject’s torso so that their shoulders are not square to the camera. “45°” is often an easy short-cut instruction. This makes the torso appear less wide. If there are longer sleeves, separate the subject’s arms from their torso to create a slimming effect. This is less important with short sleeves or no sleeves as the contrast in color/texture of skin and fabric already provides a visual separation. I tell subjects to “turtle” they’re necks, which is to say, extend your neck out of its “shell” as longer necks in photos tend to make one appear taller and more elongated. I try to have gentleman open their top shirt button too for this reason. Chins should ideally aim toward the bottom of the lens hood to ensure they’ll be visible in the photo and hide any double-chin insecurities. This is where I’ll mention the camera angle for a minute. For business head shots, I like to position the camera at neck level, affectionately called the “fashion angle.” This is to also make the neck appear longer and to not look down on a subject. I also prefer the compression of an 85mm effective focal length so features don’t feel stretched or reduced so much relative to their distance from the lens, but also don’t feel so flattened. The longer focal length also helps reduce the amount of background actually in the photo. Dropping the shoulder nearest to the camera also has a neck-lengthing effect. I like to have my subjects start with their eyes closed and opening them and emoting only when I count them down so they don’t struggle to not blink or hold on to a “cheese” smile so long that it looks forced or strained. I think I’m learning that I like hair in front of both shoulders or the camera-shoulder, and will try to pay closer attention to that in the future when it applies.

As one can see, there’s often a lot to think about. This is what I love about shooting portraits. It keeps my brain engaged to make my subjects comfortable and looking their best!

04.16.2023