Top headshot photographers produce outstanding headshots/portraits with just about every subject they photograph. Why is that? What do they know and what do they do that makes their portraits special? The answer to both these questions is “quite a bit,” because there is lots to know about a lot of things in order to produce a great headshot.

The art of shooting Celebrity & Actors headshots is to make your sublect feel at ease,to be confortable with the photographer.

I decided long ago that one of the best ways to do that was to shoot fast, in short sequence bursts. Actors are used to movement in front of a movie or TV camera and most are unconfortable having to stay still in front of a still camera. Also talk to your subject, find out something about them, then use that knowledge to bring out their personality.

WHAT IS A HEADSHOT?

A Headshot/portrait is defined as a likeness of a person, especially of the person’s face. Simply that. But, the word in general use has deeper connotations. A photographic headshot/portrait is understood to be a good quality image that not only captures a person’s physical likeness , but also something of the person’s character, generally in a manner that is attractive and pleasing to the subject, but especially to an agent or casting director.

CHARACTER REVELATION

A good headshot will contain at least one element that reveals the subject’s personality, attitude, unique mannerisms or any of the other features or traits that form the individual nature of the person. It will tell us something about the subject. They are referring in part to the image being a true physical likeness, but what they are really saying is that the image also reveals a significant, identifiable part of the subject’s character. The headshot/portrait photographer who has never previously met the subject therefore has quite a challenge.

HOW DO YOU DISCOVER CHARACTER TRAITS?

We all reveal our feelings and attitudes differently. Some of us may show our individual character with immediate transparency, while others may be more difficult to “read” at first. The headshot photographer must become proficient at studying people whom he or she doesn’t know in order to capture their essence. This means watching for signals in a subject’s mannerism, reactions, expressions body language and so on, and then judging how best to have the subject’s character revealed for the camera.

This takes skill and an understanding of human nature. It almost always requires engaging the subject in conversation, and quickly finding a suitable topic that will grab her or his interest and evoke a reaction. Find common ground or a topic of particular interest to your subject, which can be a hobby, the latest news, a mutual acquaintance, or any number of topics. Building a rapport with the subject is important, whether a three-year-old child or a ninety-five-year old statesman, because it makes the subject more at ease in your presence, and therefore more-relaxed and natural-looking for the lens. You must take all possible steps to put a subject at ease in order for her or him to appear natural. .

OTHER POINTERS

There are many components to a good headshot, but the main component is control by the photographer. You must be in charge and must be looked upon by your subject as being competent and knowledgeable if your subject is to have any confidence in you.

This means you must be prepared in advance, not fumbling with film when the subject is ready to be photographed. It means you must be confident in yourself and exude that confidence throughout the session, and must be relaxed yourself if you expect your subject to become relaxed.

Keep in mind that it is the person who is emphasized in a portrait - not his or her surroundings. Viewers of the portrait should see more than just a recognizable photograph of someone. The picture must contain mood, show personality and character, allowing the viewer to draw conclusions about the person in the headshot/portrait.