business head shot for critique

[zulu42]

This is for a business profile. Linked in etc.
All comments and critique welcome.
Thanks!
1

2

 

[SquarePeg]

His head looks like it's at a weird angle.

 

[Frank F.]

looks more relaxed in #1. Somewhat bended in #2

body language not good, his body center is directed away from his "customer"

looks a bit like he wants to make an impression on YOU instead of heart warming his potential customer or employer...

 

[FITBMX]

What kind of business is this for? I ask because you have him looking down at the camera, which is not a very good way to do it, in most cases.

 

[pendennis]

• Drop the head a bit, raise the camera to eye level, or a couple of inches above.
• Posture is too rigid, shoulders should be more relaxed. Facial expression is forced. Sometimes a smile is not as welcoming if it's forced.
  
• Have the subject look over the camera, not directly at the lens.
• Open up the lens at least 1/2-1 stop to shorten DOF.
• Focus dead nuts on the eyes. The catch lights should be in the same place on both eyes.
• Use a longer focal length to compress the subject's nose. As it is, it's a bit too prominent.
• Background is too high key. A darker background, preferably slate gray.
• Lighting ratio is also a bit high. The fill side is too strong.

As to dress, darker suits (navy, gray) work better, along with solid color shirts, and muted, dark ties. The suit texture, with the light, striped tie, and plaid shirt, make things too busy, detracting from the subject.

 

[tirediron]

As Fit alluded to, the nature of the subject's business is critical to the design of the image, but to be honest, I can't imagine any image for which this should would really work well. The lighting is decent, and the background while not ideal, could be lived with, but the posing and camera angle kill it IMO.

 

[KmH]

I agree.
His chin is to high in both shots.

Have the subject lean forward just slightly from the waist and have them lower their chin somewhat.
A man's head should not be tilted any towards the low shoulder, like his head is tilted.
It's OK to have a woman's head tilted some to the low shoulder.

For a head shot I had the subject sit on a stool and lean forward slightly from the waist.
I would bet this guy was standing.

A hair light (high and camera right) or some fill from medium high and camera right would have helped.

 

[zulu42]

Thank you kindly for all the helpful comments.

These are self portraits, shot with a 50mm 1.8 at around f4 or 4.5. single speedlight through an umbrella high camera left with a white reflector center, waist high. Light fall off SOC was more defined, but I brought up the shadows in post.

I was standing. The tripod was at max height and, with the mount rotated to portrait orientation, was about 4 inches below my eyes.
I will consider the wardrobe suggestions when I re-shoot. If I use a paper backdrop, all I have right now are the marine blue and white. I'll pick up a roll of medium to dark grey eventually.

I'll use a stool next time, so I can sit with the camera at eye level. I could also use my 70-300 to compress the "prominent" nose
My wife is better with posing. I'll ask for her help next time. Should I have shoulders square to the camera and level?

I have a management position in the aviation industry, so the shots should be appropriate for a mid level manager.

Thanks very much for the valuable help!

 

[Frank F.]

Use a big monitor attach it to the HDMI Live View output to arrange yourself.

Think that you do look through the lens into the eyes of your future customers or employer. Show a friendly body language. Train in front of a mirror.

 

[JohnnyWrench]

I'm getting a used car salesman vibe out of these, which even if he IS a used car salesman is probably not a good thing.

 

[Derrel]

On Linkedin, the shot will appear very small, so reduce the image size to a small one, and then evaluate the impact; most likely, you will agree that when seen reduced, these both have too small of a face, so a fairly hefty crop-in would be a good idea for the intended use on professional sites like Linkedin.

 

[pendennis]

...
If I use a paper backdrop, all I have right now are the marine blue and white. I'll pick up a roll of medium to dark grey eventually...

You may want to try editing the background. Darken it there, and if you like the results, a couple of rolls of darker paper may work, as would a darker cloth background. Gray is universal, and won't create a color bounce, especially paper.

 

[KmH]

Should I have shoulders square to the camera and level?

No. Keep your shoulders at a angle to the camera, about 30°, with the forward shoulder closest to the camera.
Tilt your head slightly at the neck towards the forward shoulder.

 

[Designer]

I have a management position in the aviation industry, so the shots should be appropriate for a mid level manager.

No smile. Cut the light quite a bit, almost low key. Black background or brown/tan with that suit/shirt/tie. Crop lower edge to the first button, just as you did in the first example. Have wifey straighten the wrinkles in your sleeve just before the shot. Also is that a thread of lint on your breast pocket?

 

[zulu42]

I love the "used car salesman" comment I might even make a composite with Crazy Eddie's Jalopy Lot in the background. Not the vibe I was aiming for, though.

Seriously, though, much gratitude for all the comments. Because of your willingness to share valuable experience, I've become a supporting member. A woefully inadequate price to pay for all the help I've received here. Thanks!