# 43: What is it about headshot and portrait?

Posted: August 26, 2009 
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Undeniably, portrait is my strength in photography. A person, especially human’s body and facial features have always been my great inspirations. I love taking photos of people; a smile, a tear, a wrinkle, a curve, a wink….everything would reveal some unexpectedl beauty.

I only look at things and human in their best angles. And I will kill them softly with my shots!

Children and women are my special passions. As a common sense, a male photographer would take better photos for women rather than a female photographer does. It is said that because men will be able to see what would be the most attractive and sexiest angles of a women. Well, sure is, the way a man looks at a woman always involves some sexual feelings; he knows how she could be beautiful in his photos.

But well, it is just a common sense. A woman might not look at another woman in a gender way, but she knows the best, what parts of a woman makes her beautiful (and attractive). So, it’s just the way of looking. As a photographer in particular, and as artists in general, whatever the person sees and feels will reveal in his/her works. You think a woman with big boos are beautiful, you will have photos with boos are in focused. You think a girl’s neck is sexy, you will have photos with her neck is in focused. The difference that makes a good artist is that, you can make other persons feel the same way you do, or even better. And what you stay focus on would tell what a person you are too. So….better be careful, haha!!!!

Lately, I have great experience with taking headshot photos – of women! I thought it was easy but then it is really really……….not! Then I thought it is damn difficult but finally I learnt, nah, it is not. So, what’s the deal? It means that it is hard, but once you unlock the keys, it is way so much easier!

Headshot is mostly used for actors, dancers, TV entertainers….These people need to update their looks almost everyday to send around for casting on particular jobs such as a movie, a TV commercial, magazines, music shows…..As you know, headshot is mostly about the person’s face, beautiful or necessary enough to match with any casting requirements. Well, “beautiful” but still be able to speak for the person’s personality and his/her essence, not just “beautiful” but no feelings at all. Well, that is the hard thing – the key that needs to be unlocked: A face with a story behind!

Not only that, what made me spend ten hours on just a headshot photo for retouching is the lightning and every little unnecessary details or mistakes when taking the photos would buy me some more hours. Blown hair? Forgot to take off the earrings? The background is overexposed? Revealed bras…..A headshot must be simple, no jewelry, the lighting must be perfect, the background must be nice but can not take away the attraction of the person’s face……With my first inexperienced time, I had to spend ten hours on one photo fixing these mistakes. And I was quite depressed to think that this was too much for me to do. But then on the second shooting, the third shooting….I learned so much and finally know some little things, yeah, that’s how things are getting better everyday.

Not only you have to spend hours on one photos for the headshot. But you will have to take a thousand photos before that, and then you can choose only one or two which are the best. Taking headshot are also so so so BORING. Because you must photograph just the face, in appropriate lighting and angles, and on request of the models….and you have to take hundreds and hundreds photos with just that purpose. Oh yeah, and of course, as a headshot, you can not laugh, look at the sky or do some fascinating acts! Just look at me – the photographer and I shoot you – just like Passport photo! But this photo is not to be stuck on an application form or an ID, but it will be a ticket to a role in a play or a movie or whatever. Right: a face with a story behind. No wonder, headshots are quite expensive here! With those who do the retouching for the magazines, they take photo with medium format camera, and then at home, they zoom in and burn and dodge every pore on the model’s face. And they earn thousand dollars for each hour!

So sometimes, I feel so much better when I have chance to take the body shot or some different angles during the headshot shooting (which I will show you below here). To me, that is my break time, hehe.

You may think that what I was saying about “boring” is bad, but no, I mean it is good. Because it tells you one thing: “It is boring but if you can make a photo out of it that works for the model, you are a talented photographer, despite you are male or female!”. That is my goal!

Also, as I have told you earlier, I only look at things and people in their best angles, so everyone will be much more beautiful (or well, different in good ways) in my photos, despite you are man or woman, this I can assure!

Thanks so much Jessica, thanks so much MinhTu – my models, my teachers!

Here are, women in my photos! Only two or three are headshots, the rest is just my passion of taking photos for beautiful women, hehehe!

Jessica Sherr and Janet.

These two are definitely head shot

Quảng cáo Bud light – You can

This set is a daily life set. The lightning was bad on that day, so it took me a little while to do the retouching.

She acted really well, from a sweet, velvet girl to a wild, sexy, strong – essence lady!!!

Sexy