Practicing Headshots

[rexbobcat]

While I'm trying to get the equipment together to attempt large format photography, I've been experimenting with headshots - mostly just offering free ones to my friends. They're not really corporate shots though, so idk if anyone would use them for their Linkedin or something.

I know odd catchlights aren't really considered a positive aspect by a lot of people. I kind of like the cat eye thing going on. I don't think it would work with everybody though.



In this one the OOF hand is a bit distracting. I wish I had used a narrower f-stop so it would have been less fuzzy, but this is the pose he wanted for his new Facebook profile pic lol.

 

[Tazman32]

I like the first one, catch lights look good to me, well done. Not liking the second one although his pose and the lighting are good the blurry hand and watch just seem to dominate the shot, not sure if DOF would make this shot right.

 

[rexbobcat]

Thanks! Yeah I'm kind of on the fence about the second one. On one hand, I like it because it's not just a stoic "here's my face" shot, but at the same time that hand is a bit annoying. Maybe if it was lower in the frame and I was farther back, so more of his chin was visible.

 

[D-B-J]

Love the first. How did you light it?

Best,
Jake

 

[Derrel]

First one has cool catchlights and open "airy" lighting. I really stands out, and I think it's pretty good.

The out of focus hand in the second one looks like a mistake; if the lens had been closed down probably three more f/stops, the OOF hand would have registered better, yet still been OOF enough to both "see and read" the gesture clearly enough for the idea of it to really have come through. As shown,the OOF hand and gesture doesn't work all that well.

 

[paigew]

I really love the lighting, processing, and catchlights. I agree the oof hand ruins the shot

 

[jenko]

Stylistically, I love both shots.

The first, I would suggest a more "straight on" shot instead of slightly downward because his head looks kinda large. Not trying to be rude! But you know, since he doesn't have hair, the forehead just looks larger.

The second I am on the fence ... I understand what others are saying about the OOF hand being distracting, but it's also interesting. May have worked better if you took a few steps back.

Overall, nice work.

 

[rexbobcat]

Stylistically, I love both shots.

The first, I would suggest a more "straight on" shot instead of slightly downward because his head looks kinda large. Not trying to be rude! But you know, since he doesn't have hair, the forehead just looks larger.

The second I am on the fence ... I understand what others are saying about the OOF hand being distracting, but it's also interesting. May have worked better if you took a few steps back.

Overall, nice work.

Thank you. Yeah, I see what you mean about the big head. I do have some photos straight on. I think I just chose this one because of his eyes. He's not a model or anything so it took some time for him to understand what I wanted when I explained "smeyesing" and he got it down just for this split second photo and I had a "that's the one" moment. lol I need to work on knowing how to pose people based on their individual features.

The second one...I'm going to be honest...I like it. I don't like it as much as when I first got done editing it (as is always the case it seems) but, I guess I just like it because it's something I haven't done before. Generally when I shoot a head shot-type portrait the hands don't come into play at all.

 

[rexbobcat]

Love the first. How did you light it?

Best,
Jake

I'll try to get some photos of the setup in the morning. It's not at hard to set up at all. The challenge is just getting the light and shadows even, which I haven't been able to to do very well. :/

 

[mmaria]

I really like David's shot

 

[Robin Usagani]

I like it man. GJ.

 

[bingbang]

Funny trick for the catchlight on the first one. If he would have had a kind of snake/cat attitude (for whatever this could possibly mean), this could have been possibly even more striking. But I like it already like that. Not a big fan of the second one

 

[Robin Usagani]

That light source must be giant.. what did you use? Or was it just a super big window?

 

[DiskoJoe]

Pretty good. keep the hands out of the frame and you have some winners. Super sharp!

 

[rexbobcat]

Here's the setup that I'm using right now to take these. Two pretty large stripboxes and a speedlite with a 1/4 blue gel along with two flags and a white piece of posterboard.