When this gentleman entered our studio, he immediately warned us that he was the guy who always messed up family photos. In my mind, I thought it couldn't be that bad, seeing that he looked quite the same as our past clients. When Allan did the first shots, I immediately understood why. His smile naturally moved only on one side of the face. I was about to ask him if he had a stroke or a condition that led to that smile when he said that he never had a stroke though it always appeared that he did. This was one of his initial shots.
In doing headshots, one principle we always employ is to divert the viewer's attention away from the seeming "flaw" or unflattering feature of the face, as much as we can help it. While the headshot is all about authenticity and engagement, there is no need to emphasize any feature our client does not want to overly expose. It may have taken awhile but with patience and persistence, we got there in the end. By employing posing techniques and coaching our client, we ended up with the photo below. Who would have thought this guy has messed up family photos in the past?
The difference between the two is night and day. Same guy. Different expression. Loved the result and discovered gold.
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2 Comments
Jan 14, 2016, 2:37:38 PM
Bernie Gojar - Thank you Patti. We do try to make our clients feel relaxed in front of the camera and this smile came out in that relaxed, comfortable state so we timed the shot as the smile came out.
Jan 14, 2016, 2:14:12 PM
Patti Osterberg - It's interesting to see what the process is for making a headshot flattering. I agree that you should try to divert the viewer from a "flaw" and emphasize the good points. This guy's smile looks so much better in the second picture than in the first! Could you explain your process for making the asymmetricality go away?