60 Headshots a Day!

For those of you who missed it, The Digital Marketing Show was a huge success. It ran from Tuesday 26th to Thursday 28th November 2013 and each theatre was jam packed with fantastic speakers. I was exhibiting at the show and was pleasantly surprised by how busy I was, doing over 60 headshots every day!

By the time the weekend arrived I was so relieved to have some time to reflect and clear my head. Doing over 60 headshots a day, 3 days in a row is absolutely fantastic but on the other hand it’s also draining. There’s a lot that goes into every single click of the camera and you’re invited to take a look inside the busy mind of The Headshot Guy.

The first thing that crosses my mind when a client steps up to the mark is the technical side of the process. I have to consider different elements such as the set-up of the lighting, the camera settings, exposure and the composition of the photograph. All of these components need to be tailored and altered between shots and in between clients.

The second stage in the process is considering the client. How should they be standing? Which angle will suit them best? My mind proposes 101 questions about what I can be doing to make the client look great and feel comfortable and at ease. At all times my number one priority is to make sure that the client looks amazing on camera and that they feel content and relaxed throughout the shoot.

More often than not at the beginning of the shoot the clients are nervous and apprehensive. At an event like the Digital Marketing Show I have between 10 and 15 minutes to coax this out of people and to capture a great headshot – not an easy task with such limited time. I find that it all comes down to my physical energy, if I stand there doing the shots with a blank expression and a monotone voice, the chances are the photos are going to come out as very bland as I have not engaged with the client. It’s all about drawing out a range of expressions from them and to speak to them and interact with them to capture their natural reactions.

This is what I love doing! The difference you see in people from the first photo to the last when they’ve really relaxed and become more confident with being photographed. That is the photograph that I’m aiming for every time. I’m interacting with the client and drawing out their reactions so that I can fine-tune their micro-expressions (as I like to say). I’m always looking to capture that sparkle in their eye as their smile gets wider.

So after a fantastic 3 days at the Digital Marketing Show having taken over 60 headshots a day, following this process for each individual one, I took the weekend to rejuvenate and get my energy levels back up ready to capture many more different expressions.

Looking forward to attending the event next year and to also see how many people have changed their social media photographs to their headshot from the day. You can track the event here or follow #DigitalMarketingShow