Sesa Headshots
Some of my favorite projects revolve around something some would consider the most simple of subjects. Headshots. I absolutely love headshots and it’s not because of what you may think. See, there’s a hidden difficulty that most people don’t expect when it comes to headshots. Think about it. We are mostly spoon fed selfies and brief moments; however, most people don’t sit and plan how to approach a selfie. In it’s base form, that’s what a headshot is.
A headshot typically purports to showcase the personality of the individual or at least their presentability/marketability. Who can say this is right or wrong? The fact of the matter is that in most situations personalities are as varied as the number of granules of sand in the dessert. In this particular session, I was tasked with taking images of Sesa and presenting them in roughly 3 varying format types. Here is how I approach these Sesa headshots.
Format 1
This format was the simplest. Straight forward, basic features, general lighting for passport usage
Format 2
In this format, I set to showcase a profile to deliver to the barber so they had an image representing the work they completed.
Format 3
My favorite format is the last one. In this format, I get to portray the subject in a more dramatic light. Something akin to mystery, but still evoking a sense of power. For this, I chose to work heavily with a single key light and very very soft overhead hairlighting. As you look through the images you will see how the variations begin to show themselves. This is the format being displayed in this images.
So why headshots?
This brings me to my reasoning for loving headshots. In the headshot world, you are focusing on the most intricate part of the human body. This part has so many moving parts that it makes it crucial to nail things in a pleasing aesthetic or the whole image is ruined. Because most people don’t understand their own body, they often see themselves in a way that most others may not. It is then the job of the photographer to bring that to light while staying aware of the commercial problems the photo must solve.
Want to see more of my work? Check out my Headshots
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