Eyes are amazing communicators

When you come in for your headshot session, there is often about 15 minutes of talking before we do any shooting. One of the things we will talk about is how to convey emotions using our eyes, our mouths, and our body position. Each one of these says a lot, but the part that speaks the louds is the eyes. Now, I could add any number of clichés about the eyes being windows to the soul, and that is because it is totally true. You can have an outright angry looking mouth, but kind gentle eyes, and the resulting image will lean more soft than it does tough. I believe it is because of our conditioning as humans. We are adapted to look at the eyes and make a snap judgement. Is this person safe? Are they trustworthy? Can I put my guard down? It is all in the eyes that tells us this.

Consider what you want your viewer to think

When you’re getting a headshot, you should put a good amount of forethought into it. Think of three adjectives that you want your colleagues or prospective employers/clients to think when they see your headshot. The fellow above works in security management. For his headshot, he wanted a more serious headshot that conveyed trustworthiness and professionalism. Do you think he achieved that? Notice how it is really in the eyes where you see his trustworthiness come through. Sure, his straight forward posture helps, as does a pursed lip smile. The eyes are where it all comes together though.

Take a look at these next few headshots. What do you see in the eyes here?

We are looking for lightning in a bottle…

When you get a headshot, we might take 100-200 images in the 45 minute session…but you are only walking away with three. There are two things that are reassuring about that. First, 97% or more of the photos you take don’t have to see the light of day! If you are someone who feels awkward in front of the camera, lacks confidence, or in general worries about how the pictures are going to come out, you only need to get everything together 3 times! Woohoo! Second thing that should be comforting is that as times goes on through the session, you’ll feel more and more comfortable and as you receive feedback from me, we’ll get closer to the finished product that we are looking for: lightning in a bottle. Sometimes it happens right away, but more often than not, it is something we build towards. We are searching for three shots where your posture, your eyes, your mouth…everything just look ::chef’s kiss:: magnificient. Those images are then edited, retouched, and delivered. Photos you can be proud to post and have represent you to the world.

Get in front of the lens

Getting a portrait done is intense, I’m not going to sugar coat it. But you are beautiful, no matter who you are, and people want to see you shine. Let’s work together. Be prepared to see yourself like you never could have imagined and be excited to share the results with the world!