Headshot Photography

PREPARING YOUR CLIENT

As a Professional Portrait Photographer, how you prepare your clients for a Headshot or portrait session is crucial to getting a great picture.  Typically my customers come into my studio portrait sessions with an open mind.  Why? Because i have had an initial conversation with them about what to expect in their portrait session.  We talk about everything from the amount of time we will need to clothing choices, makeup requirements, and even establishing the kind of business they are involved in and who their customers are.  These are all important aspects to establishing an initial rapport and to understand how the portrait is to be conveyed to their audience

When my clients arrive to their portrait session and are ready for their shoot i have already established within the first couple of minutes their kind of personality, their face shape and the way i will approach the session. 

One thing I won't do it pick up a camera and say 'Smile" or say hmm...no thats not working for me try something else......  You will never get a great outcome if this is your approach.  Rather try saying "Chin down...Oh thats great...thats a very nice side of you or thats a great jaw line or jokingly ...Your parents did a great job with you...great genes....i'm getting amazing shots.  They are going to feel great and encouraged.  But if thats all you have, then the session is going to go south on you pretty quickly unless you can get a keeper in the first few minutes.  Thats why you need a TOOLBOX of positive reinforcement.  By having this TOOLBOX you are able to draw on these tools for the rest of the session.  

People see themselves differently to the way others see them.  Peter Hurley refers to this as the self acceptance gap.  Its your job to bridge that gap using these Toolbox techniques.  From this point it a matter of determining their best side or this maybe straight on to the camera position, create a strong jaw line which sadly not everyone has but again you can use techniques to create a jaw line and as soon as you get a great shot....show them the image for positive reinforcement.  From there they will feel much more confident and likely to try different things knowing they have a great image in the bag.  

Good Luck.