Over the past week, I have taken a lot of portraits for a variety of people. For the most part, they were corporate head shots that were not entirely voluntary. As I am sure you can imagine, the “victims” stepping in front of my camera had a range of reactions. Some will take it in stride, others love the opportunity, but most would rather be anywhere but in front of a camera. Personally, I would much rather be behind the camera myself. So, let’s talk about perception. What do I see when you step into frame?
For this explanation, I will stick with the corporate portraiture that I usually do. Most of my clients have a particular look they want to fit their company’s brand or, in some cases, the hundreds of photos that were taken before I came along. In short, there is a template that I shoot to where the only thing changing is the person in the image. Once I am set up, you are the only thing I really need to pay attention to as everything else is going to be relatively static. That makes the next step a bit easier.
My Perception Checklist
- Placement: Are you in the right place? Do I need to raise or lower any lights or reflectors?
- Glasses: Am I going to need to adjust to avoid glare in your lenses?
- Pose: For head shots, this is usually a simple 1-2-3 explanation to get you positioned right
- Expression: Dictated by the client, but usually something with a bit of a smile
- Capture: When I click the shutter, will the final image look like you?
While I could get considerably more nuanced, that is about it. For a corporate head shot, my primary job is defined in two parts: 1) Capture your likeness in a photograph and, 2) Make you look your best within the assignment’s parameters.
I realize that the resulting image is going to be shared on your company website or on a wall somewhere. I get that you want to look your best and that is what I am here to do. If you don’t look your best, neither do I. It is as simple as that. So, let’s cut to the chase (finally!) and talk about what I really see when you step in front of my camera for that mandatory photograph:
You have a story to tell and I have one shot in which to tell a sliver of your story.
