This time last week I was running my headshot session at the Barley Mow Centre in Chiswick, which was a great success (although a number of my clients had an outbreak of the giggles - which is what I like in my child shoots but often isn’t the intended look for a corporate headshot… Still, we got serious eventually!).
Unfortunately, one of my clients was sick (hope you’re feeling better H). This did give me an opportunity to sit around, but did I? No I did not. Instead, I had a play around, using the most elaborate selfie set-up I had to hand (selfie sticks? Pah, how about 4 lights and a reflector, with a radio-controlled camera…)
Although there was definitely some messing about (see images - I’ll continue to live by the maxim of the great philosopher A. Ant: ridicule is nothing to be scared of) with poses and light (actually, the most difficult part was making sure that I was in shot and in focus), there was method behind the stupidity.
It’s all well and good my telling clients to contort themselves in certain ways to get a natural shot (oh, the irony), but it’s always good to remind myself why I am asking them to do, and what it actually feels like to turn your neck in a certain direction. By practising on myself, I can improve my communication, make the changes to a pose quicker and easier, and ultimately get better shots.
And remember, respect yourself and all of those around you.