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Top 4 Tips For Stunning Headshot Portraits

Published by WPC Official Account on Jan'07,2023

0 | 1077


Top 4 Tips For Stunning Headshot Portraits

WPC Official Account
0 | 1077 | Nov 30, 2023

Clicking beautiful headshot portraits is a challenging task. Along with lots of practice, you need to know the secret tips that all successful portrait photographers follow. This article will shed light on some such prime tips, which will help you to take your photography to the next level. 

Top 4 Tips For Stunning Headshot Portraits

Observe Your Model Pre-session

 

 

In any genre of photography, you should plan your shots ahead (as much as possible) to make your shooting hassle-free. In portrait photography, this planning stage requires holding a face-to-face pre-session consultation with your model. It will help you to understand which style should you adopt for the shoot, as it varies considerably depending on your model’s appearance and requirements. What works best for one model, might be a total disaster for another. So there is no “one size fits all” style, and you need to have a consultation with the model before shooting for every assignment. In the consultation, ask your model about his/her opinion of the style. If possible, show some of your previous works on the particular stylistic option mentioned. 

Use A Distinct Background

 

 

As you might have already noticed, a good headshot picture always has a clear separation between the head and the background. It means you should not position your model close to the background. Also, try not to use a too colorful or patterned background that might distract the audience from the headshot. But that does not mean it should settle for a plain, dull, background. Choose something that goes with the overall mood of the photo. If you are clicking the photo outdoors, you can have a vast field, grassland, or mountain as the background. If you are shooting indoors, you can position your model in front of walls, staircases, or even types of furniture. No matter which background you choose, a distance of at least 1-2 feet between the model and the background should be maintained, so that it gets blurred. 

Do Not Be Afraid To Click Weird Expressions

 

 

Of course, this tip is not applicable to corporate photos, but in some other styles, you can actually take the liberty to click silly expressions and show your creativity. Make sure your model is comfortable with the idea. Also, do not go overboard, it will make the photos appear really unprofessional. 

Lighting Is The Key

 

 

To excel in headshot photography, you must acquire expertise in using the correct lighting. As a beginner, focus on learning the basic lighting techniques so that you can improvise later according to your needs. While setting up the light, remember that there should be consistency in your model’s overall appearance. So, the light needs to fall evenly over him/her. The most common type of lighting includes two lights- one is placed above, and another below. You can also replace the second light with a reflector. You can set the light above a little away from the exact center, to create more depth in the photo. 

As you have already got to know some of the best tips expert headshot photographers offer, you are all set to click awesome headshots from now on. 

Written By Sanga Basu, Content Writer, WPC.

 


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Clicking beautiful headshot portraits is a challenging task. Along with lots of practice, you need to know the secret tips that all successful portrait photographers follow. This article will shed light on some such prime tips, which will help you to take your photography to the next level. 

Top 4 Tips For Stunning Headshot Portraits

Observe Your Model Pre-session

 

 

In any genre of photography, you should plan your shots ahead (as much as possible) to make your shooting hassle-free. In portrait photography, this planning stage requires holding a face-to-face pre-session consultation with your model. It will help you to understand which style should you adopt for the shoot, as it varies considerably depending on your model’s appearance and requirements. What works best for one model, might be a total disaster for another. So there is no “one size fits all” style, and you need to have a consultation with the model before shooting for every assignment. In the consultation, ask your model about his/her opinion of the style. If possible, show some of your previous works on the particular stylistic option mentioned. 

Use A Distinct Background

 

 

As you might have already noticed, a good headshot picture always has a clear separation between the head and the background. It means you should not position your model close to the background. Also, try not to use a too colorful or patterned background that might distract the audience from the headshot. But that does not mean it should settle for a plain, dull, background. Choose something that goes with the overall mood of the photo. If you are clicking the photo outdoors, you can have a vast field, grassland, or mountain as the background. If you are shooting indoors, you can position your model in front of walls, staircases, or even types of furniture. No matter which background you choose, a distance of at least 1-2 feet between the model and the background should be maintained, so that it gets blurred. 

Do Not Be Afraid To Click Weird Expressions

 

 

Of course, this tip is not applicable to corporate photos, but in some other styles, you can actually take the liberty to click silly expressions and show your creativity. Make sure your model is comfortable with the idea. Also, do not go overboard, it will make the photos appear really unprofessional. 

Lighting Is The Key

 

 

To excel in headshot photography, you must acquire expertise in using the correct lighting. As a beginner, focus on learning the basic lighting techniques so that you can improvise later according to your needs. While setting up the light, remember that there should be consistency in your model’s overall appearance. So, the light needs to fall evenly over him/her. The most common type of lighting includes two lights- one is placed above, and another below. You can also replace the second light with a reflector. You can set the light above a little away from the exact center, to create more depth in the photo. 

As you have already got to know some of the best tips expert headshot photographers offer, you are all set to click awesome headshots from now on. 

Written By Sanga Basu, Content Writer, WPC.