Also, one thing that can ruin an otherwise great headshot is pursed lips and tension in the mouth and jaw. You want 'soft mouth'. Sometimes telling the actor 'lips together, teeth apart' can help them since it's harder to have jaw tension without grinding the teeth together. But it's something to be watch for and tell the actor to relax the mouth.
Also, with smiles, there tends to be a moment in a smile that tends to be the best and most real, with the moments before and after that diminishing to something less real and more forced. To help ensure capturing that, I often shoot bursts on smiles. I don't shoot bursts most of the shoot since you often end up with redundant shots that are basically exactly the same, but on smiles, those miniscule differences can make or break the shot.
Excellent advice about jaw tension Chris. I will also have them stretch their mouths when they seem to be tensing more frequently. Just a "shake it out" thing.
You know, it took me many years of doing it professionally to figure out how to do the best possible headshots. The internet and these forums are wonderful, but why don't you try doing it the old fashioned way. Shoot, then analyze and ask your self how may this be improved? Do this over and over aagain until you get there. The results will be better, more personal and more meaningful than if you are just handed the information. Not to mention more satisfying. Which is preferable? To follow a recipe or to create one?
Sass Quatch wrote:
You know, it took me many years of doing it professionally to figure out how to do the best possible headshots. The internet and these forums are wonderful, but why don't you try doing it the old fashioned way. Shoot, then analyze and ask your self how may this be improved? Do this over and over aagain until you get there. The results will be better, more personal and more meaningful than if you are just handed the information. Not to mention more satisfying. Which is preferable? To follow a recipe or to create one?
Alas, some of us do not have an army of patient face models willing to spend hours of time with us. Unless you count modelmayhem
