Thank you for sharing your videos on taking actor headshots. Your work is beautiful. Your backdrops look great in the images as well. Do you have any videos on how to create the backdrops? What did you use to create your backdrops? Thank you in advance!
Thank you so much! It was all really helpful, but especially how you interacted with her and used all kinds of different backgrounds to go with her clothes.
Hi Stephenie, Thank you so much for your comment. We really appreciate it. Do you know we have a similar video with a man. Its just a different slant on how we talk to clients and build rapport. Here is a link: ua-cam.com/video/kTpmvhh21Ks/v-deo.html
Hi Gary, yes you are right. We either paint the backgrounds with paints and textures or scour the internet for interesting printed Vinyl backgrounds. We find Ebay and Amazon have some great cost effective solutions!
Casting directors want to see a more natural face and have a specific role they are wanting to fill. These are not portraits in the normal sense but how the movie camera would see them over the range of the role. If an actor submits a portfolio, it can have a range of looks included but the person reviewing them has a role to fill. The photos are not sent randomly but to specific casting directors or sometimes the director themselves will seek them. Save the smiling photos for personal Instagram posting or Christmas cards. The smile that people use in photos is not how they look on the street or when greeting a friend. That is also why dramatic hard shadow lighting is not used. Once the actor is added to the possible list, they might be asked for their portfolio which includes clips of scenes, and a range of looks or a full lookbook. More and more videos that few with a few minutes of dialog are included if they are new or clips from prior films if they have a track record.
Hi, I'd like to know the size and the manufacturer of the oval reflector you're using and the stand that's under the actor's face. I'm having a tough time finding a similar product. Thanks, Paula
Also slowing down, your speech pattern will be hard to understand at the speed , while her speech is as easy. Slow down, allow a little time between words so they do not sound like one long 5-second word. She spoke 1/2 your speed. A fellow native speaker would not have a problem understanding but there are many accents in the world of English speakers.
Im flying in from America on the 14th of September. Need to book a session with you. I Did not see too many available dates for the time that I will be there from the 14-23rd?
Awesome video, this was really helpful. I’m just starting out with headshot photography and was looking for something to give me a bit of flow to sessions. I’d be interested in a video about lighting setups and settings if possible. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much for your comment. We have a second video for an actor that you may want to watch as well. Here is the link: ua-cam.com/video/kTpmvhh21Ks/v-deo.html We may well also do some lighting videos as soon as we have some spare time!
Yes, the background is further away than the subject so the key light falls off, is darker on the background. The exposure is usually set for low light on the subject if when the strobe is off so the strobe is almost the entire source of light on the subject. The background would be even darker. So adding the light on the background allows the exposure of the background to be adjusted independently from the key light. I usually set my strobe-off test frame so the subject is black before turning on the strobe so the color temperature and illumination of the subject is entirely from the strobe and the reflector that is filling in shadows from below. Since the exposure light is from the strobe, you can stop down the aperture which gives a greater depth of field so more of the subject is in focus, and most lenses are sharper stopped down. ISO can be set low for the best dynamic range, usually ISO 100 or 68, and shutter speed can be adjusted for a moderately low speed since the strobe's very short burst freezes the subject. The more ambient light used, the faster the shutter speed needed to prevent mixing the ambient color temperature with the strobe color temperature which results in a color cast that is hard to correct. It is really simple this way so you can concentrate on getting the pose and shadows that define the face. A casting director is interested in different traits than glamour or normal portrait that are to cover flaws and make the person look better than in person. The casting director has a role in mind and wants to see what they really look like, more 3D so the jawline is well-defined because a roll in a film is from all angles. The actor's headshot should be an illustration of what a movie camera would capture as they move and interact in the scenes. Most of my commercial photography is for our master classes for stage actors who want to transition to cinema. I live in a city with 280 drama theaters that stage performances nightly, 4 grand opera houses, and 5 ballet theaters that are active 7 nights a week so there are a lot of actors needing new head and full-length images 3-4 times a year. The master classes include head and full-length photos plus video introduction clips and two pages of dialog scenes on video for 20 to 60 professional actors directed by a film director. Beauty is not the goal, but so many of the actors are very attractive naturally and know how to present themselves. I was in the music recording business back in my native California as a recording engineer and studio owner for 25 years starting around 1970, which was a 3 studio complex and produced some of the biggest-selling rock and R&B albums of the era before moving to another country and took up my hobby photography to pro due to having many friends who were actors and then developing the master classes, that morphed into full time acting classes for children and adults. The students are already grads from actor's institutes and have experience and careers in theater but our classes are more tied to the movie industry and stage acting is very different. They learn how to communicate with an audience 2 meters away instead of on stage where they need to project 30 meters away. The classes are intense but fun and the actors are a joy to work with. My experience with Hollywood actors was usually not so much fun, but here I can't think of one who was difficult, egotistic or demanding, but fun happy people with multiple talents. In formal acting schools, they become musicians, acrobats, singers, comedians, dance, drama, gymnasts, and makeup artists at the university level. Most are females and I fall in love with them all and form long-time friendships with them. Never had so much fun in my life so I take their career tools like the photos seriously.
Is smiling a big no to actor headshot? She have such a lovely smile. Would be a big asset for her. Black fits her well. Do you use rim light? Lovely video .Thanks for sharing
Hiya, It depends on the type of actor they re. For instance, Musical Theatre actors tend to be more smiley yet more formal actors tend not to be. Casting directors typically want to see a nice, neutral look that they can build on. We do create serious and smiling for everyone. Its then their choice as to how they want to be represented. Hope that helps. Thank you for he comment.
Fun videos! What is the light you're using on your b.g.? How did you stretch that black plastic over the styro? I love how you've added depth to the images.
The advice on posing was helpful. I like the results from kahma as well though, a lot less pressure than getting your picture taken!
Never seen a photographer tell his subject to stop smiling!
Stunning smile, she has.
Would love to see a video on the types of backdrops you use and the photo result of each background
Wish I looked that photogenic in front of a camera, Id be a star!
Great tips! Really want to get some new headshots soon.
Thank you for sharing your videos on taking actor headshots. Your work is beautiful. Your backdrops look great in the images as well. Do you have any videos on how to create the backdrops? What did you use to create your backdrops? Thank you in advance!
Glad you like them! I hope to produce videos soon on what you asked about. Now that we are shooting again.
This video is gold!
Thank you so much! It was all really helpful, but especially how you interacted with her and used all kinds of different backgrounds to go with her clothes.
Hi Stephenie,
Thank you so much for your comment. We really appreciate it. Do you know we have a similar video with a man. Its just a different slant on how we talk to clients and build rapport. Here is a link: ua-cam.com/video/kTpmvhh21Ks/v-deo.html
extremely helpful and adorable
So those backgrounds are textures printed on a large format printer and adhered to insulation board?
Hi Gary, yes you are right. We either paint the backgrounds with paints and textures or scour the internet for interesting printed Vinyl backgrounds. We find Ebay and Amazon have some great cost effective solutions!
I was totally unable to get a reflector background to light as you did.
The spill from the lights and ambient just lit up the reflector too much
Great video and thanks for sharing your techniques!
Thanks Murray, Delighted you like the video! Just checked out your work at www.murrayclarke.co.uk/ looks amazing!
Would love to know more about your lighting setup. Great results.
Thanks for the video. I love the backdrop creation at the 6 minute timestamp. Can you tell me more about how you put that together?
Great shoot, but actors do smile in pictures.
Casting directors want to see a more natural face and have a specific role they are wanting to fill. These are not portraits in the normal sense but how the movie camera would see them over the range of the role. If an actor submits a portfolio, it can have a range of looks included but the person reviewing them has a role to fill. The photos are not sent randomly but to specific casting directors or sometimes the director themselves will seek them. Save the smiling photos for personal Instagram posting or Christmas cards. The smile that people use in photos is not how they look on the street or when greeting a friend. That is also why dramatic hard shadow lighting is not used. Once the actor is added to the possible list, they might be asked for their portfolio which includes clips of scenes, and a range of looks or a full lookbook. More and more videos that few with a few minutes of dialog are included if they are new or clips from prior films if they have a track record.
Hi, I'd like to know the size and the manufacturer of the oval reflector you're using and the stand that's under the actor's face. I'm having a tough time finding a similar product. Thanks, Paula
Amazing work. Thanks for sharing!
Nice video thank you, one criticism maybe changing your microphone set up. Sounds tinny and echos a fair bit
Also slowing down, your speech pattern will be hard to understand at the speed , while her speech is as easy. Slow down, allow a little time between words so they do not sound like one long 5-second word. She spoke 1/2 your speed. A fellow native speaker would not have a problem understanding but there are many accents in the world of English speakers.
Im flying in from America on the 14th of September. Need to book a session with you. I Did not see too many available dates for the time that I will be there from the 14-23rd?
Hiya, thats great. We have just opened up that week so there will be availability now for you to book through www.lumosia.co.uk
Awesome video, this was really helpful. I’m just starting out with headshot photography and was looking for something to give me a bit of flow to sessions. I’d be interested in a video about lighting setups and settings if possible.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much for your comment. We have a second video for an actor that you may want to watch as well. Here is the link: ua-cam.com/video/kTpmvhh21Ks/v-deo.html We may well also do some lighting videos as soon as we have some spare time!
Thank You!
Would love to get some editing tips!
When you're using the reflective backdrop do you have a separate light just reflecting off of it to produce the glow in the images?
Yes, the background is further away than the subject so the key light falls off, is darker on the background. The exposure is usually set for low light on the subject if when the strobe is off so the strobe is almost the entire source of light on the subject. The background would be even darker. So adding the light on the background allows the exposure of the background to be adjusted independently from the key light. I usually set my strobe-off test frame so the subject is black before turning on the strobe so the color temperature and illumination of the subject is entirely from the strobe and the reflector that is filling in shadows from below. Since the exposure light is from the strobe, you can stop down the aperture which gives a greater depth of field so more of the subject is in focus, and most lenses are sharper stopped down. ISO can be set low for the best dynamic range, usually ISO 100 or 68, and shutter speed can be adjusted for a moderately low speed since the strobe's very short burst freezes the subject. The more ambient light used, the faster the shutter speed needed to prevent mixing the ambient color temperature with the strobe color temperature which results in a color cast that is hard to correct.
It is really simple this way so you can concentrate on getting the pose and shadows that define the face. A casting director is interested in different traits than glamour or normal portrait that are to cover flaws and make the person look better than in person. The casting director has a role in mind and wants to see what they really look like, more 3D so the jawline is well-defined because a roll in a film is from all angles. The actor's headshot should be an illustration of what a movie camera would capture as they move and interact in the scenes. Most of my commercial photography is for our master classes for stage actors who want to transition to cinema. I live in a city with 280 drama theaters that stage performances nightly, 4 grand opera houses, and 5 ballet theaters that are active 7 nights a week so there are a lot of actors needing new head and full-length images 3-4 times a year. The master classes include head and full-length photos plus video introduction clips and two pages of dialog scenes on video for 20 to 60 professional actors directed by a film director. Beauty is not the goal, but so many of the actors are very attractive naturally and know how to present themselves. I was in the music recording business back in my native California as a recording engineer and studio owner for 25 years starting around 1970, which was a 3 studio complex and produced some of the biggest-selling rock and R&B albums of the era before moving to another country and took up my hobby photography to pro due to having many friends who were actors and then developing the master classes, that morphed into full time acting classes for children and adults. The students are already grads from actor's institutes and have experience and careers in theater but our classes are more tied to the movie industry and stage acting is very different. They learn how to communicate with an audience 2 meters away instead of on stage where they need to project 30 meters away. The classes are intense but fun and the actors are a joy to work with. My experience with Hollywood actors was usually not so much fun, but here I can't think of one who was difficult, egotistic or demanding, but fun happy people with multiple talents. In formal acting schools, they become musicians, acrobats, singers, comedians, dance, drama, gymnasts, and makeup artists at the university level. Most are females and I fall in love with them all and form long-time friendships with them. Never had so much fun in my life so I take their career tools like the photos seriously.
Hi what lens is that?
Is smiling a big no to actor headshot? She have such a lovely smile. Would be a big asset for her. Black fits her well. Do you use rim light? Lovely video .Thanks for sharing
Hiya, It depends on the type of actor they re. For instance, Musical Theatre actors tend to be more smiley yet more formal actors tend not to be. Casting directors typically want to see a nice, neutral look that they can build on. We do create serious and smiling for everyone. Its then their choice as to how they want to be represented. Hope that helps. Thank you for he comment.
Fun videos! What is the light you're using on your b.g.? How did you stretch that black plastic over the styro? I love how you've added depth to the images.
Hi! What are the second and third backdrops?
It look like a shower or window curtain with lights. Very textured like
Great video, thanks for the tips! What f stop are you shooting at for this style portrait? Thanks.
Can I ask is this a two light set up?
What crop ratio do you use please?
Nice but bit stiff!
Are you firing both strobes above her? Or are you just using one?
Hiya, yes we fire both but at different powers depending on the look we want to get. It changes all the time.
Great video!
Thank you Henry!
Those lighting set ups look so fancy, Ill just use the flash on my phone haha