So one thing I love photographing is people..every photo is unique which makes it so interesting. I offer a service to my clients to take photos of them for their business. This could be photos of them doing their job e.g. if my client is a hairdresser, photos of them cutting/styling hair, or sometimes they would like a photo of themselves - aka a headshot. Often, just a simple photo of you can transform your business from amateur to professional overnight. These could be used on social media, your website or business cards.
When I first thought about doing this I thought this would be really easy but in actual fact, for most people, it’s a potentially awkward situation. Most people aren’t comfortable in “posed” situations and most people also want to look natural. I use 3 simple steps to achieve this:
1: Scene
First of all, set the scene. Take some photos of your client hard at work. This will give your client time to get used to the camera and used to you. This is extremely important if they are to feel comfortable around you as you want them to be themselves to achieve the most natural looking photo that represents them.
2: Teeth
I’ve found that teeth play a huge role in making a photo look 10x more appealing. For example, take a look at the photo below.
This was a headshot I did for a client who initially did not like posing for this. She said she preferred to smile without showing her teeth - so we did a shot like this but to me this showed that she did not like having this photo taken. It’s a lovely photo, but she looks uncomfortable and nervous etc. Also her arms are being her back which make her look less approachable.
IF you are wanting these photos for a business then you want to look friendly, approachable and relaxed. So I suggested that she just smile with her teeth showing and take a look at the outcome:
Here, smiling with her teeth, she looks far more at ease. Her hands automatically did something more relaxed, her head tilted slightly, her body language changed. This look was a lot more fun, relaxed and portrayed her as that!! Simple right?
3: Props
You might think that headshots are only about the face and facial expressions but as these are mostly “top body shots” the arms and maybe even hands come into the photo as well. Your client may feel a bit unsure about what to do with their hands..so in come PROPS.
Obviously I don’t mean a random prop…e.g. in this case I wouldn’t have given this woman, a hairdresser, a frying pan to pose with of course. What I mean by a “prop” is something that is in line with what they are trying to advertise e.g. their business. In this case we used hairdressing tools. Take a look:
My client was not sure what to do with her hands so she took a couple of her “tools” to hold. This enables her clients to notice exactly what she is about at a single glance of her “headshot”. Instantly you would know that this client is a hairdresser right? Her other hand is just informally on her hip to show she is relaxed, friendly and fun.
It’s amazing what a few simple adjustments can do to a photo. My aim is always to ensure my clients are as relaxed as possible because I want to capture them as THEM. Ultimately they need to be happy with their photos to use them and sometime a client will have ideas of their own. I say, go with the flow. If each client has an idea, take it and guide them in your professional opinion but at the end of the day it’s about client satisfaction at the fore right?!
Hopefully this will help you and your clients feel relaxed too! If you have any more queries please get in touch :)
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