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Getting headshot images that feel professional (in the sense of being well-lit with a decent background/setting and otherwise good technical execution) is actua

Getting headshot images that feel professional (in the sense of being well-lit with a decent background/setting and otherwise good technical execution) is actually a doddle. Especially these days, what with there being a plethora of resources available - good tutorials, cheap equipment, the equivalent of free film, and immediate feedback. There's no need for necromancy involving light meters, and no need to read the tea leaves of a Polaroid to guess at what the "real" picture will look like after it's souped. You don't need to do anything moody, dramatic or otherwise risky. As picture-taking goes, it's about as low as you can go on the technical difficulty scale. The hard part is getting "a person who happens to be in a picture" rather than "a picture that happens to have a person in it". That's psychology, not photography, and it's a completely separate skill. You can get the book learning from successful headshot types (notably Peter Hurley, but there are certainly others), but that's sort of like knowing the theory of standup comedy. You've got to actually work with people to figure out how to make them seem like they're looking through the camera rather than at it. And you've got to care enough to keep your subject from figuring out that you're doing any of that.

ensignavenger 8y ago
I do some hobbyist photography, and I have kept myself to photographing nature and architecture because I have never been very good at posing / the psychology aspect as you describe it. Recently I have become more interested in doing more people photos, but I'm not sure how to go about learning it. Other than practice, are there any resources you might be able to suggest?
- stan_rogers 8y ago
  First, make an honest assessment of whether or not you (a) are a "people person", or (b) can fake it for long enough for your subjects to really believe you are one. I'm not going to kid you: if you're a severe introvert who can't at least pretend to be open in a convincing way, then the majority of the work you'd need to do to get into the game is actually on your own comfort and skills in the social setting. If you're up to the game, or at least think you could be, then starting with a YouTube search for "Peter Hurley headshot" and watching the excerpts from "The Art Behind the Headshot" (they'll be at the Fstoppers channel) is a great place to start. Hurley's a salesman with an ego, and his clientelle are mostly actors looking for a different sort of headshot than the typical corporate client, but don't let any of that get in the way - the interaction tricks, etc., are still the same. Posing should seem like little offhand comments in the rest of the patter; the idea is to get rid of the obvious, gigantic and scary camera thing, and reminding the subject that the photo is important is going to kill that. Expect a low "keeper" rate, especially early on. (If you allow time for school pictures, you're going to get school pictures.) Once you've watched Hurley, you'll be able to judge others. Joe McNally's humble approach - like he's been given the privilege of taking the photo, no matter who's in front of the camera - also works well. Find someone who reminds you of who you'd like to be, and can be, behind the camera. But it's about reading the people and working with them as people that makes all of the difference.
  - ensignavenger 8y ago
    Thank you. I will follow your advice and lookup these resources!

ensignavenger 8y ago

I do some hobbyist photography, and I have kept myself to photographing nature and architecture because I have never been very good at posing / the psychology aspect as you describe it. Recently I have become more interested in doing more people photos, but I'm not sure how to go about learning it. Other than practice, are there any resources you might be able to suggest?

stan_rogers 8y ago
First, make an honest assessment of whether or not you (a) are a "people person", or (b) can fake it for long enough for your subjects to really believe you are one. I'm not going to kid you: if you're a severe introvert who can't at least pretend to be open in a convincing way, then the majority of the work you'd need to do to get into the game is actually on your own comfort and skills in the social setting. If you're up to the game, or at least think you could be, then starting with a YouTube search for "Peter Hurley headshot" and watching the excerpts from "The Art Behind the Headshot" (they'll be at the Fstoppers channel) is a great place to start. Hurley's a salesman with an ego, and his clientelle are mostly actors looking for a different sort of headshot than the typical corporate client, but don't let any of that get in the way - the interaction tricks, etc., are still the same. Posing should seem like little offhand comments in the rest of the patter; the idea is to get rid of the obvious, gigantic and scary camera thing, and reminding the subject that the photo is important is going to kill that. Expect a low "keeper" rate, especially early on. (If you allow time for school pictures, you're going to get school pictures.) Once you've watched Hurley, you'll be able to judge others. Joe McNally's humble approach - like he's been given the privilege of taking the photo, no matter who's in front of the camera - also works well. Find someone who reminds you of who you'd like to be, and can be, behind the camera. But it's about reading the people and working with them as people that makes all of the difference.
- ensignavenger 8y ago
  Thank you. I will follow your advice and lookup these resources!