The aim of a great headshot is to capture the subject in a
way that is flattering and true to their natural look. There are many
techniques of capturing a great headshot, have a look at the tips given below:
Focus on the body
posture - When you are capturing a headshot, do not neglect subject’s body
posture. Though it does not appear in the photo but it definitely affects the
upper part of the body. For instance if a person is standing in an awkward, drooping
posture, it will tend to pull their head & neck downward too.
Keep the face firm - The best technique to capture a great headshot
is tell your subject to stretch their head upwards and keep the face firm. Head
shot is a close up and gives impeccable attention to the detail, so tighten the
skin on their face about an inch perfectly. This trick will help eliminate fine
lines, wrinkles, and gracefully firms up the skin.
Lighting Adjustments -
Lighting can make or mar your image quality. To give a nice, soft light spread
evenly across the face, diffuse your light with an umbrella, reflector, softbox, as per your liking. However, abstain from using sharp or excessively
bright light directly at the subject.
Natural composition of the shot - Head shot
photography is all about capturing natural expressions. Composition of shot
should look natural, instead of forced. So forget about traditional way of
capturing a headshot wherein your subject is always posing with a smile.
Rather, talk to them jokingly to bring a natural laughter on their face and
then capture by keeping the camera at eye level with your subject.
Backdrop - Keep
the backdrop simple & subtle, for this best option is to keep plain white
backdrop. Headshot’s aim is to draw viewer’s attention to the face of the
subject, so avoid any distractions. Never clutter your image by adding fancy
backdrops or props.