For a while now I’ve been hired by a local college to provide headshots for any graduating Senior who wants one. These young adults who are about to be set out into the world and job force have so much to worry about. Having an elegant headshot as they hit the ground running into their futures shouldn’t have to be one of them.
I do a very simple set up that generally consists of one background light aimed at a wall so I can blow the wall totally white. I then I have another light up and over the subject so that I can get a beautiful light on their faces and eyes, and it gives me a little shadow under their chins for separation and definition. The light from the back wall usually bounces back a bit and gives me a very slight rim light for people’s jawlines (as you can see in the image above, just under his left ear)
Pictured above is what I used for this particular headshot session. Loaded on my Rock ‘N’ Roller cart is a bag with cameras and lenses, and next to that is a Seahorse case that has my three Alien Bee lights. On the top shelf I’ve got a little Bose bluetooth speaker so that I can have some of my own music playing lightly to help keep me in the zone. In case you’ve never seen me write about them before - those Rock ‘N’ Roller carts are amazing. For real. If you are a photographer who works alone sometimes this cart is worth it’s weight in gold and makes moving gear a breeze. If you don’t have one and you do location photography, pass up that new softbox or lens next year and get one of these. They will make your life easier.
If you have any questions about headshot photography or this particular session, leave a comment down below so we can chat!