First headshot - please critique

Wife was having headshots taken at her office today, so when she got home I made her take a few with me for practice. Used one Youngno 560 III flash with my Westcott rapid box and used another on the ground a few feet behind her at full power flashing on the off color wall we have in our house. I was trying to see how easy it would be to replicate a quick setup like this so that I could do it again in an office setting if need be (I've had people I work with asking me to take headshots for them). Touched it up just a little in lightroom and then took it to photoshop to use the healing brush and sharpen mask.

Any tips are appreciated. I also am posting one that is untouched that I used a blue gel on the flash behind her. Was impressed how easy it was to change the color of the background with it. I think I'd almost rather do this then have to lug around a backdrop.

I do know that the biggest thing to help would be a better lens than the one I have.

Shoot in portrait mode instead of landscape and don't cut the top of her head off.

I don't like the dark shadows on the second picture. Add a reflector to bounce some light back. This will still leave some shadow but won't flood her causing her to be flat and featureless .

Yes, to much shadow and George hit it on the head. Reflected light would have improved the shot dramatically. If you were contemplating do more head shots for others, you might want to consider an 85 mm 1.8. It would give you more latitude, especially indoors.

85mm f1.8 is a spectacular lens. Love mine.

I would also highly advise to not use a background color the same as what they are wearing.

skene said:

I would also highly advise to not use a background color the same as what they are wearing.

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I agree to a point. Having a black backdrop while shooting someone in a black suit and hitting them with a rim light looks pretty nice. Although having a color backdrop the same as the color outfit. Not so good.
Looks like the background is hit with some lighting. Would have looked better to use it as a hair light to separate her from the background.

Appreciate the responses. I shot in landscape because I was trying to replicate the Peter Hurley look but with only using couple of flashes. I did the blue because it was just the first gel I pulled out. It was my first time trying it so was just a trial. I agree on the reflector but these were taken very quickly because our two year old was running around. Ha. Thanks guys.

dickelfan said:

Appreciate the responses. I shot in landscape because I was trying to replicate the Peter Hurley look but with only using couple of flashes. I did the blue because it was just the first gel I pulled out. It was my first time trying it so was just a trial. I agree on the reflector but these were taken very quickly because our two year old was running around. Ha. Thanks guys.

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2 flashes... umbrella? soft box? If a soft box, they're a little more focused, so perhaps umbrellas would have spread the light a little better on the 2nd shot?

One softbox - Westcott Rapid Box, the flash behind her was just sitting on the floor aimed at the wall. She was about 5 ft from the wall.

Also....yes I love the 85mm 1.8 - I rented it one time and really liked it. Debating between getting it or a 70-200 2.8 (probably Sigma).

Not to put too fine a point on this, here's another tip: make sure your models hair is neatly combed or brushed. In the first pic, it looks a little messy. However, I can understand the time constraints you were under, with kids running around! lol

I totally agree with all the suggestions mentioned by my colleagues, also.

Besides all the great technical advice given, one thing I notice is a natural smile can do wonders for a shot as opposed to a forced or unnatural one. Have the subject think of something funny or get them to relax, have fun and a more natural smile will appear.

You're lucky to have a model. My wife hates posing for me, so I have to do selfies when I'm messing with lighting.

Both are nice shots, and both give me something to learn from as well. I just did a session last week with my sister to come up with a headshot for her website. (I'll post a couple pictures later for critique, but will do a separate thread). I did use a backdrop, but really like your idea on the colored gel for changing out the background color. I'm also using a RapidBox, so my key light is similar to what you used.

I would second the comment on using a hair light or rim lighting ... with my black backdrop, I needed some lighting from behind in order to separate the subject from the backdrop. That might mean a third light in your setup, but I think you'll be happy with the results. Also, I would try to either add a reflector for getting some light to the far side of the face, or move your key light more towards 20 degrees off camera (instead of 45-90 degrees) to help get some light over there.

dickelfan said:

Appreciate the responses. I shot in landscape because I was trying to replicate the Peter Hurley look but with only using couple of flashes. I did the blue because it was just the first gel I pulled out. It was my first time trying it so was just a trial. I agree on the reflector but these were taken very quickly because our two year old was running around. Ha. Thanks guys.

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Yep. You are on the right track. Some good input in this thread. Keep at it

Ok...had a couple of guys at work wanting me to take some headshots of them so they could use, so I told them I'd try since I needed some practice. Give me some feedback on these. The place I had to take them was a little difficult, florescent lights with a dark tan wall. I was also trying to shoot at around 100mm but the room was so small I was limited. I used my second flash with a blue gel to try and change the color of the wall. I did do some editing in lightroom after the shots, but not much. I used a reflector on one side, and have figured out that it would be much easier to just get a second softbox, so will probably be doing that soon.

Sorry to be so late to the party, but I agree with your decision to shoot in "landscape" mode. As Peter Hurley said, all of our devices are now landscape mode, for the most part, and portraits can look good that way. A little more fill lighting, plus some more time spent getting your "client" (wife) to relax would be the real key.

I took a Jerry Ghionis course, and it taught me that your camera body is the least important thing. Good glass is important, but POSING, LIGHTING, and CREATIVITY are the most critical things to shooting a portrait that your subject will truly love. Getting the subject to relax so you can capture that spontaneous energy is worth more than the price difference between a DX and FX body (said the guy who now has three FX bodies...).