The image that you see to the left was lit with a softbox strobe (flash) boomed in front above the young lady, a second strobe light in the back of her to add hair light and background light, the room lights turned off, the depth of field set to a low number like f/4 to give a soft focus below her face, the composition in a way to have her off centered cut off somewhat by the frame with me, the photographer (me), shooting from above her while having her look up.  In addition, because I have gotten to know her personality and seen other images of her (in some cases it would be seeing images someone likes in advance of the shoot), it makes it easier to produce an image like this by knowing how to have her smile, the direction to look, the position to have her in, etc.  A good photographer should not just snap, snap, snap like some do on a basic headshot shoot, but a good photographer should take the shoot to a completely different level: Professional. The things mentioned in this paragraph are some of the key areas that separate a professional from an amateur or newbie just getting into photography.

Although the image on the right is a headshot, the composition, lighting and angle help make it a more dynamic headshot.  In this case, the young lady is smiling more versus more of a softer smile like the image above on the left which is part of me as the photographer knowing enough about her to provide direction throughout the photo shoot.  This image was lit by constant lighting versus the one above on the left being lit with strobe lighting (flash).

It only takes a few simple adjustments in many cases to go from a good shot to a GREAT shot.  If you are a photographer, I encourage you to try something new and different.  It’s so easy in the digital age.

If you are an individual looking for someone to capture your essence through the lens of a camera, I hope that you will give me the opportunity to speak with you about a lifestyle / personality photo shoot.  You may contact me online or call me at 919.723.8453 whether you or local to the Triangle area or not.

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