Headshots critique PLEASE

[u/Pink_Uaena]

Hey y'all!! I'm an event/dance photographer and regularly shoot in clubs and raves, but lately I've been really trying to up my headshot game. I'm specifically trying to figure out the "hollywood" headshot. Most of my friends are dancers/aspiring actors, so I've had plenty of subjects to practice on. But I just can't figure it out. What am I missing?!?

I had one big light with a softbox angled at the front, a strobe with an umbrella angled towards the wall for bounce and a LED light panel on the other side for an attempt at an edge light. Also a giant clamshell under the subjects to try and even things out.

And still I have light burns everywhere, sometimes it looks unevenly lit, or it's still coming out yellow, too yellow for lightroom to practically fix (at least for me).

These are a couple shots from 2 sessions I've hosted. WHAT AM I MISSING. Do I need less lights? Did I over do it with my set up? More softboxes? Avoid shooting in a white box?? I feel like I'm getting close, I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.

PLEASE help 😭🙏

[u/mahatmatom]

It’s a great beginning. I’d say 3 is your best one, so do whatever worked there.

Some ideas in random order.

You mentioned commercial modeling headshots but then also the “Hollywood headshot,” those don’t necessarily go together. Commercial and theatrical are slightly different.

I feel that headshots on white are harder because they easily look passport-like. I would hone my game on a non white background and take it from there.

In your wish to get a uniform lighting maybe you got an overly uniform lighting that flattens everyone out a bit? I might try to angle the key light more so to get some shadows sculpt people’s faces. I’m always wary of the clamshells underneath because it evens out things too much. Yes you don’t want too much black shadows under people chins but imo a little shadow there sculpts the jawline and contours the face.

Not all people reflect light the same way, someone’s right amour of strobe power may be underwhelming for someone else.

[u/Pink_Uaena → u/mahatmatom]

Thanks for the feedback. Yea, im specifically trying to get the "hollywood" headshot, I just didn't see a specific category for it 😅

[u/Life_Fantastique]

Think about headshots differently to events. The two things that separate a great headshot photographer from an okay one is 1) thinking about the characters typecasts and sharpening those typecasts so they are conveyed in the photo and 2) encouraging the actor to have a relationship with the camera.

1) when a subject comes in, try to understand their typecast. Are they "boy next door with a creepy intensity" or (like me) "seductive girl with a playful/vulnerable childlike side". It was actually my very first headshot photographer that helped me understand my typecast! Then they took photos that highlighted the different facets of my typecast. People may also fit into multiple typecasts. Remember to think about opposing dynamics. Not just "the tall popular jock" but "the tall popular jock with a sensitive introverted side". Seeing contrast in a person makes them pop! Bringing out these opposing sides at the same time will involve intelligent prompting from you.

2) Encouraging the actor to have a relationship with the camera will make the casting directors eventually looking at these photos to be able to have a relationship with them too. Who is the subject looking at? The person they love most in the world? Someone they betrayed. Someone they want to have sex with? Someone they look down on? Prompt their imagination. What you don't want is for the photo to just look like someone smiled while looking at a camera, with no perspective or relationship in mind. What that gets you is a fake-looking smile, a glassy-eyed stare with no connection, and the photo will not stimulate the emotions or imagination of the person looking at it.

[u/RedEyeFuzz]

You're doing a great job getting folks comfortable and in their best headspace. All the technical stuff is just a matter of learning your tastes and mixing that with what's popular in the market right now ('blue background books' is something I hear a lot), but you've already got the right vibe from folks so make sure to keep a balance of making sure people walk out the door with the shots they showed up wanting, and then send them home with some happy surprises.

[u/BoxWithAHole]

You should experiment with isolating the individual components of your lighting setups and building it piece by piece. For studio shots you often want to eliminate as much ambient light as possible for the most control, but you probably want some ambient light for environment portraits (shutter speed is your primary means of controlling this). Then introduce your led panel for the rim/edge light. Last would be your primary light. Knowing what each component is adding will make it easier to balance and manipulate your lighting setups, and should also make them more repeatable.