Here at Fisher Studios we take pride in our studio portrait photography and when it comes to portraiture there are lots of things to consider. In this blog post I will outline a rough guide of how I might conduct one of these sessions.
Step 1. Brief
I like to run away with my own creative ideas as much as the next person, but it is important to understand our client’s brief and what it is that they want out of the session. An example of some briefs I’ve had in the past are a children’s author looking for some promotion material for her new book, an actor wanting to specialise in comedic roles and a creative professional looking for a headshot for LinkedIn that will stand out. Each of these briefs required understanding and planning of what it was we were trying to achieve; do we want our subject to appear open and friendly? Do we want our subject to appear confident and funny? Do we want our subject to appear knowledgeable and polished? There are lots of choices to be made that can effect the way an image reads such as:
- Background colour
- Lens choice
- The angle we shoot from
- Posing
- Lighting
Step 2. Set up
Once we’ve considered the above, it’s time to set up. My ‘go to’ equipment when it comes to portraits in the studio is:
- Background – colour, texture, light, dark?
- Canon R8 usually set to f1.2 – very shallow and flattering
- Canon 85mm lens – considered the ‘portraiture’ lens
- A tripod – I find it easier but not essential
- A light with large soft box either in front of, or slightly to one side of my subject
- A smaller light behind my subject to light hair/shoulder/cheek to create depth
- A reflector below my subject’s chin to lift shadows
- A laptop connected to my camera so my subject can come and have a look
This, of course, can all change based on my client’s brief, but I find it a good starting point to work from. I always like to be set up at least 30 mins before my client arrives, so I am relaxed and ready to go if they arrive early.
Step 3. The Session
The most important thing to me when it comes to the actual session is creating a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Having your photo taken is a very personal thing and it’s normal to feel nervous for a session. I usually start with a quick chat to learn a little more about who they are and what they’re about. I also like to make sure I’ve fully understood their brief, give them the chance to share any additional info we might not have discussed prior and go through any outfits they’ve bought along. I then like to offer a drink and leave them to it for a few minutes to get settled whilst I double check my set up is in line with what we’ve just discussed. When it comes to shooting, I like to subtly direct however it really depends who you’re working with here as some will require more direction than others, the key is to read your subject and act accordingly, it’s a collaboration! We’ll do lots of check ins with the laptop throughout the session to give us little breaks and make sure we’re happy with what we’re seeing. I encourage feedback and reassure when necessary. I often find we both relax more and more as the session goes on and we can start to have some fun with it!
Step 4. Post production
We use Capture One predominantly here at the studio which is almost like a combination of Lightroom and Photoshop. I’ll ask my client to choose their photos during the session so I don’t need to do a selection and will make minor tweaks like cropping, adjusting of exposure, highlights and shadows, colour correcting, and adding of styles to give that extra polished feel. I rarely retouch images in Photoshop unless specifically asked as I would hate to change a person’s appearance without their consent. I usually spend a few hours on post production and then deliver the final images via an online gallery my client can view and download from (Shootproof). And that’s it! I thank them for coming, assure them I’m here for anything else and hope to see them again soon!
Please see below children’s author, comedic actor and creative professional headshots I mentioned earlier in the post to give you an idea of how I went about each brief. If you have any questions or you would like to book your own portrait session get in touch.
