What do you think when someone says the word “headshots”? You’ll likely imagine a photo, flat on a white background, seen as you scroll through your LinkedIn feed. Back in 2006 when I started in professional photography, I remember a very specific urge to copy what was popular — to emulate. It didn’t occur to me until years later that the last thing my town needed was one more photographer pumping out cookie-cutter portraits. Creating work that stands out is not only good for your creative soul, but also for your business. That’s why I try to produce creative headshots whenever I can.
When you start out in photography, clients come to you and ask you to replicate something that they saw somewhere. If you grow as an artist and forge your own path, that tide shifts. One day, you look up and realize that people come to you and say “I love your work, can you please do what you do for me?”
Do you want to know what makes that happen? Style. This can be elusive, especially at first. Style is something you can’t do on purpose. Style comes from choosing specific techniques from a wealth of options because they please you. It does not come from a lack of equipment or a lack of knowledge. You can’t always see it when you have it — not at first — but when you do, it presents itself in the response of your subjects as much as in your work.
The Evolution of My Headshots
The truth is, even just a few years ago, the most prominent style of headshots included flat light, low contrast, high angles, and no drama with some bushes in the background. This is the exact opposite of the kind of photography that excites me. I’m a trained studio photographer — second generation, in-fact! So, as I moved forward, I began to combine the elements of classic portraiture and the other love of my life…the movies!
Three-point lighting is a staple of cinema and always fascinated me. I remember sitting on the floor at my dad’s feet while my parents (photographers, remember) raved about the lighting in “The X-Files.” My brain was wired from a young age to appreciate cinematic lighting. That’s what I had been missing. That’s what I was working toward the whole time.
I began to experiment in my space. How can I make my studio look like a scene in a movie? How can I bring out characters and archetypes in my clients? Slowly, I got there more and more over time. The actors and entertainers in my area began to notice. The business grew, but a funny thing was happening on the side. My corporate headshots — although improving — were still just following a mostly standard format. Eventually, I asked myself, “Why don’t I just shoot all my clients like they are in a movie”? That’s when the last tumbler fell into place.
I stepped outside of what was expected. I began to approach all my clients like they were characters in a movie, or celebrities being photographed for a magazine feature. Here are some things I’ve learned along the way.
Favorite Gear for Creative Headshots
A long time ago, I asked my dad, “What lens should I get next”? A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he replied, “Learn to use that one first.” With that burned into my brain forever, I am pretty slow to adopt new gear. You can be sure the items I use in creating headshots are battle-tested and the perfect intersection of price and functionality.
For lighting, I rely on Flashpoint 400s, 300s, 200s, and 100s. They are reliable, powerful, versatile, and not so expensive that replacing one breaks the bank. I primarily use Glow EZ lock modifiers, including the 38” Parabolic Softbox and two 12×56 EZ Lock Strip Softboxes.
For fill light and creative catch lights, you can probably spot the reflection of the Westcott Eyelighter 3 in the eyes of my headshot subjects. I use backgrounds from Savage Universal and Click Props. My main camera is the Canon EOS R5 backed up by the R7. The lens that’s usually on it is the RF 70-200 2.8 IS.
Preparing for Creative Headshots
My life is wall-to-wall chaos with four kids running around screaming, destroying everything in the house. It’s just the phase of life I’m in right now and I’m learning to just be in it. My studio, however, is a different story. It’s clean, it’s quiet, and it’s well ordered. The reason I mention this? Organizing is part of my preparation. I clean up and put away every piece of gear between sessions, only leaving a camera out and the strobes on their C-stands. The whole shooting space is cleared at the end of every day.
This does two things: first, it reduces my stress level to come in to a clean, ordered space every morning but, more importantly, it keeps me from shooting lazy. It makes me build a setup every time I have a shoot rather than leaving things set up from the last one. I have a clean slate every time and I’m not tempted to use the same lighting, background, or angle that I finished up on yesterday.
Every shot is a custom build for every subject based on their look, their wardrobe, and their goals for the photos. To prepare our clients, we have built a very strong onboarding process including detailed articles, videos, instructions, and questionnaires that we send out in small, snack-able emails over the days leading up to the session. Everything from how to choose the right clothes, what to bring, things not to do, and more are delivered over the course of a week or so, automated by our CRM. Now not everyone reads stuff like that, but the vast majority of our clients do and they generally show up on-time, prepared, and ready to create.
Shoot with Intent
My work has never taken a leap forward by accident. Repetition isn’t enough to make you better. Decide what you are trying to accomplish and then make incremental changes until you get the result you see in your head. The last part, the very last part, is pushing the shutter. The image should be 90 percent finished before your camera is in your hand. If you push the shutter, look at the screen, and get surprised by what you see, you need more practice. Intent will change everything.
Create a Scene
Every element of an image is under your control in a headshot. What are you trying to say about that person? What wardrobe will reinforce that? Is there a color pallet that will set the idea? What textures and lighting will create the mood that supports your idea? Who are you trying to speak to with the image and what do you want it to say?
Make your Subject a Collaborator
Every one of my sessions starts with a conversation. I want the client on my team, working with me toward a goal. We agree on a vision for the images and we execute together. People are not dolls for a photographer to play with, they are part of the creative team. Ask their ideas, make them feel seen and heard, and be grateful for their contribution. You will be amazed at what they give you.
Engage with Your Subject in a Meaningful Way
I can’t even count the number of times I have watched other photographers at work and marveled at how little they interact with their subjects. Photographers can sometimes be selfish creators, taking and giving very little. A portrait session is a conversation, an intimate one. If you can connect with the person you are shooting, you can get much more than you would just clicking.
Focus on the person in front of you. Engage them and watch what happens.
Remember that all of this takes time to master. Concentrate on creating work that stands apart from the conventional and makes you happy. When you do that, the right people will eventually catch on and you can grow a business creating creative headshots that you love.
