Six Tips for capturing Great Headshots

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.

Jaw Line - Apart from eyes, the striking feature that draws in the viewer is jaw line. Therefore, another major point of focus should be your subjects jaw line. So, make sure you are shooting from a good jaw line angle.

The Technique of Lighting Your Subject Using a Softbox

Softbox

A soft box is a photographic equipment that is used to conceal a light source such as a flash head or a lamp. The light passes through its translucent front panel, thereby getting diffused and softened. Photographers, who are into portrait photography or macro photography, frequently use them. However, not all of them know how to exactly position their subject and this equipment to get the best results. I keep reviewing the photography forums, where I see endless numbers of amateur as well as professional photographers keep asking about the size of soft box they should buy, if they can use the soft box with a Speed light, and many other questions that prompted me to write these guidelines. Follow them properly and after seeing the results, I bet you will never shoot without these soft light devices.

• Always buy a soft box that is larger than the subject or object you will be shooting. A box with larger surface will make the light fall evenly on your subject. Moreover, the larger the box, the softer will be the lights produced by it, giving your subject a majestic look.
• If you want to adjust the intensity of the light, you can do that by altering the distance between the subject and the Soft Light Devices. The closer the subject, the harsher will be the light falling on it.
• Shadows can be created or removed by adjusting the angle and direction of the soft box and using other reflectors and diffusers. Experiment with different angles and enjoy the effects that you will get in your pictures.

Soft, diffused key light that illuminates your subject appropriately is crucial for having flawless photography experience. Softbox supplies will help you to achieve this.