A few days ago I was contacted by Tim for some realtor headshots. The most important thing for him is that his photos look “non traditional”. Sure, he wanted a few professional images but he also was interested in something more “lifestyle”. Tim is a cool dude. He is very relaxed, yet professional and wanted his images to be inviting.
We started with the “traditional” headshots to get him comfortable in front of the camera. These are usually where I start as they give me a way to talk with the client, get to know them, and focus a little on the technical rather than their images. They typically loosen up a little, relax, and when they are not expecting me to take a shot…BAM! Its usually when they are laughing at something stupid I say. This provides a great opportunity to get a natural smile/laugh. I am usually telling them to relax and that these are “not the real photos” and that I am just testing the light.
Trickery and dubiousness.
The above image was shot as is shown with the BTS shot to the right. I used just a TOUCH of light from the overhead light. The light was already very good here so the overhead light and the bottom reflector just acted as a slight fill.
I didn’t do much with the above image for setup other than a single 24″ soft box on camera left/high and a bare speed light shooting through a scrim to the subjects rear, right (my left). This gave a little highlight on his side. A silver reflector was JUST to the right side of the camera, to the subject’s left (my right).
Once we headed outside, Tim was in his zone. Comfortable and confident that he knew what I was looking for, or at least he acted that way! Some simple shots on the stairs behind the studio provided a professional, yet personable look. I used a soft box/speedlight in the images where he is sitting.
Last, I took a completely blown out image with the direct sun to Tim’s back. No reflectors, just the light off of his shirt and the light cement below to bounce back onto his face.
If you’re in the market for a Realtor, check out Tim’s profile here or send him an email at tim@cbhouston.net.
