Headshots can be a bit stressful, that’s why changing it up to a sitting posture can make all the difference ! Ease your body weight and let the chair soak up all your nerves. We have a variety of things to sit on including chairs with and without backs. In this shot we used our chair with a back so that she could rest her hands nicely creating a personable accent.
Winter is here ! And thankfully Toronto doesn’t trade the sun for the cold, which helps us tremendously when you’re looking to get a light feel-good portrait.
We used our rustic window background to incorporate some natural light in the portrait. In addition to the sun as our main light source, we also used a studio light to fill in the shadows and ensure that the subjects face looks flattering.
What sets your portrait apart ? Does it reflect you on a daily basis ? Does it look and feel like you ?
Beyond wardrobe, one of the best ways to add your personality to the photo is to select your background colour accordingly. Business portrait? Stick with neutrals. Portrait? Stick with shades that have some warmth in it like beige or nutmeg.
Whatever the purpose is, feel free to mention to us all the details and we can suggest the option(s) that works best and why !
In the studio the biggest obstacle we have is to make the photos and posing look natural, and not staged. The inevitable thing is, because in real life there is no situation where we are completely surrounded by a single colour, there always will be an element of “unnatural” that we have to manage. The key is focusing on what tweaks can be made and not seeking what you think is perfection.
In this case, a hunched over seated posture allowed him to rest his hands with ease atop of each other. It’s simple—a comfortable pose will make the subject more comfortable. So if you’re feeling extra nervous in your photoshoot, don’t hesitate to suggest switching things up to some sitting shots for a change.
After you are finished shooting your boringcoughprofessionalcough headshot, try a game changing move by utilizing props in your portrait ! It may seem over the top, but in the modern visual world (that runs on split-second impressions) it’s pivotal to make a splash.
What sets your portrait apart? Does it reflect you on a daily basis? Does it look land feel like you?
Props are objects of comfort, they carry emotional value. Whether it’s a flower for a portrait or a stethoscope for your business profile, why not have a little fun with it ?
Here’s an example of a photoshoot whereby our client was interested in having an image she could use for an acting headshot as well as one for an online profile picture.
We tend to shoot our portraits loosely so that we have the option to crop it how we want in post production. The below image is our 8x10 (standard crop for acting headshots) which frames a bit wide and short, making the face the feature of the photo.
Don’t be alarmed if we chop part of your head off for stylistic purposes. In fact—actors walk around half headless all the time ! But I bet you would never notice that detail if you were looking at someone else’s headshot.
Let us help you take some of the weight off your shoulders! Give us a call or e-mail for a quick same day quote and description of our services offered. We’ve designed our packages to be as simple and digestible as possible, including a description of all fees upfront on the estimate, and options for budget headshots and professional editing.
We’ve definitely noticed that people tend to trash talk white backgrounds for corporate headshots. However what they do not know is the flexibility white can offer when edited and lit tastefully. We don’t blow out the background and make it super bright like a cheeky stock photo.
Instead, we bounce a soft light in the corner to add subtle dimension that you can’t even see, but can surely feel. To top things off we add a tint to our portraits, which in this case swayed warmer rather than cooler.