Tips For Creating a Great Headshot With Your Photographer

With the growing use of online media, a great headshot in your online presence is essential.  Whether it's LinkedIn, company websites, press releases, professional organizations, e-mail, Twitter or Facebook, your online image often is the first impression viewers have of you.  

Choose a professional photographer whose portfolio demonstrates skill and expertise in headshots and one who is willing to work with you to ensure your headshot features your best look and conveys the message you want to send.

Some points to consider when preparing for your headshot session:

• Where will your headshot will be appear?  Consider what look may be effective for each use, such as corporate website vs. LinkedIn vs. Facebook.   

• What do you want to communicate?  In most cases, your expression should show you are sincere, approachable and positive. A natural looking smile serves you well.

• What is the appropriate attire for your profession or industry?  Some still favor a suit and tie for men and a business suit for women.  But for most now, the desired "look" is business casual; such as sportcoat for men and jacket for women.  A shirt or blouse alone can appear too casual.  Solid colors work best.  If your job is performed in a unique setting, such as healthcare, tradesmen or industrial, it may call for uniform or clothing specific to that job.

• What lighting and background will compliment your image as well as the website in which it will appear?  Because a headshot is tightly cropped, generally a simple neutral or white background will be most attractive and draw attention to your face.  An out of focus background can sometimes be an option for an environmental or outdoor portrait. Lighting may be should be fairly even for a business look or may be more dramatic for a more artistic effect.

• What are your concerns about your physical appearance?  Be sure to communicate with your photographer any concerns you have, as posing and lighting techniques can enhance your look and minimize areas where you may be self-conscious.

• Retouching of your final image should be tasteful and natural looking.  You do not want it overdone, so that when you appear for an interview or meeting, you are recognizable from your image.   

Most professional photographers will offer you a couple of clothing choices, and will make your images available on a computer for your viewing during the shoot. This allows you to collaborate with your photographer on getting the best shot, and can help you relax as you see your session progress. You can make a selection on the spot, allowing for processing and retouching to be done promptly and delivery of your final images shortly thereafter. 

A professional photographer will work with you to ensure that you look your absolute best to make that all important great first impression.  

Enjoy the day,

George

American Heart Association Stroke Connection Magazine Assignment

A recent assignment from Goetz Creative to photograph cover and lifestyle shots for the American Heart Association Stroke Connection Magazine gave us the opportunity to meet an extraordinary couple, Reed and Mary Harris. Reed suffered a stroke in 2007 resulting in his aphasia.  He has made a remarkable comeback and is very active in community support for stroke survivors.

The cover portrait was shot on a high key background to leave room for copy.

Some informal shots were captured outdoors.  Reed and Mary are a very special couple and their dedication and love for each other was evident in their interaction during the session.

Reed and Mary were an absolute delight and great fun to work with.  Click on the link to the online magazine where you can read their story:  http://scmag-digi.strokeassociation.org/strokeconnection/fall_2016?sub_id=74qWMGQb2CMr&pg=2#pg2

Enjoy the day,
George

Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark.

A short drive from Atlanta, in Birmingham, AL, sits the historical Sloss Furnaces.  In 1881 construction began on the Sloss Furnaces which produced iron for 89 years from 1882 until 1971. It was officially designated a National Historic Landmark in 1981.  The sight is rich in history and now serves as a monument to Birmingham's steel production.  Currently, Sloss offers educational tours and serves as a venue for events.

Sloss is an exciting environment for photography as seen in the images below, offering extraordinary views that incorporate rich hues, and a multitude of compositional elements.

The site is fascinating and well worth the trip.  Follow this link for more information about Sloss Furnaces: http://www.slossfurnaces.com/, and while you are clicking on links, I invite you to visit my web site to view more of my work:  http://www.georgeaubreyphotography.com/.

Enjoy the day,
George

The Importance of Capturing the Moment: Four Generations Family Portrait

Recently we had the honor and pleasure of creating a four generation portrait for a family spanning almost ninety years.  What a great study in observing similarities over generations and the love and connection among the family members.

It impressed upon me how important it is to have family portraits to preserve those moments in time and capture those sentiments to share with future generations.  Having portraits displayed in a prominent location provides the constant comfort of a visual reminder of our cherished family members whether they are near or far.  How much more enjoyable than occasionally viewing them in mini-sized images on electronic devices. Where is your family portrait displayed?

Enjoy the day,
George

They Say It's Your Birthday: Event Photography

Event photography usually centers around happy occasions, and a birthday is certainly that.  Kelly's birthday party had a Country Western Theme at the Lynnhaven Barn.  It started in the late late afternoon of a beautiful day and offered many photographic opportunities to tell the story of Kelly's day.

It was a great time to get some family portraits.  Make sure you take advantage of getting family together, some of whom may have traveled a great distance to attend.

Telling the story includes setting the scene:

As the night took over, we went inside and balanced speedlights with the available light to get some candid and posed shots.

The birthday cake complimented the theme perfectly.

When working with a photographer for your event it is important to communicate what you want photographed, including special people who will be attending. Kelly provided that so we were able to capture the moments, and people who are special to her.  Events have a story and emotion, and as a photographer, it is fun and rewarding to capture the emotion and flavor of the event.

Enjoy the day,
George

Alzheimer's Music Fest

Recently I attended the Alzheimer's Music Fest hosted by Eddie Owens at the Red Clay Music Foundry in Duluth, GA.  The festival raises funds for family caregivers of those afflicted with Alzheimer's disease.

My colleague, Lou Raimondi, organized a photo shoot of the event for a group of photographers.  I was excited for the opportunity to shoot in such a dynamic environment.  Lou shared his experience with concerts and provided some helpful tips.  The light changes in relation to your angle to the stage, making it a bit of a challenge to get the right shot.  It helps to crank up the ISO so that the shutter speed is high enough to freeze the action.  Here are some of the performers in action:

Lianne Hutcheson

Pure Ed

The Listening Wall

The Lost Boys

Peyton Parker

Bumpin the Mango

Andrew Black

Ann-Marie Petty Band

The Mike Watson Band

The added bonus was listening to some great music for a very worthy cause.  I definitely plan on attending next year.

Enjoy the day,
George

Soccer in The Studio?

Senior Portrait Session

Skylar came to our studio for his senior portrait session outfitted in his soccer uniform and wanted to capture some images with "attitude."  A dark background with strong directional lighting and a couple of strip soft boxes for edge light provided the drama to match Skylar's passion for soccer.

As his session progressed, attitude reached new dimensions and we had to up our game to compete with Skylar. That's when we introduced the fog effect and a longer lens to lend an atmospheric quality to the drama.

To showcase Skylar's fondness for the outdoors, we took advantage of fabulous late afternoon light to capture some images in a natural setting. 

Skylar thoroughly enjoyed his session and his charming personality shines through.  He was totally engaged in each scenario and worked off our poses creating a few "looks" of his own.

The combination of excellent collaboration and fun resulted in amazing images that forever portray Skylar as he graduates high school and looks forward to new and exciting times in his life.

Wishing Skylar all the best as he begin his college career.

Enjoy the day,
George

Caitlin's Senior Session

Senior year is milestone in our lives, and is a perfect occasion for a portrait session capturing that moment in time, and expressing who we are.  One of our goals is to always have fun during our portrait sessions.  That means placing the subject at ease, playing some good music, using lighting and posing to make them look their best, and shooting tethered to a computer so they can view the images as we go along..

 

Caitlin's session started in the studio with Caitlin modeling her prom dress, with unique cut outs and design.  The style called for a striking background to compliment the dress  We chose one that was bold with angled lines mimicking  the designs in the dress, using directional lighting from the right with a reflector for fill.  

The timing of the session was planned to coincide with late afternoon light, that is much softer and flattering than mid-day direct light. This provided us an opportunity to use the sun as backlight with fill in flash to even out the exposure.  

Congratulations, Caitlin.  We wish you all the best as you head off to college and embark on the next exciting time in your life.  Thanks for letting us create your portraits.

Enjoy the day,
George

Horsin' Around: Equine Session

Thistle Crown Farm in Gainesville, Georgia is owned by Laura and Jeff Cegalis.  We worked with Laura and Jeff to develop images and a video for their website, along with some personal images of Laura with her horses, Scooby and Capone.

Thistle Crown Farm is a beautiful place and is a tribute to Laura and Jeff's hard work.

The pastures are absolutely lush as Jeff has been working with an agricultural specialist to enrich the soil and also has installed an irrigation system.

 

We explored various locations on the farm to find one with the perfect  light for an intimate portrait of Laura and Scooby.

I always try to visualize a portrait when I am setting it up, looking at the lighting, background, and any challenges I may need to overcome.  When photographing horses, this is especially critical as it takes some effort to move a 1200 lb. animal into place, and is difficult to have them "take a step or two to the right."  In many of my outdoor portraits, I use a flash to fill in shadows and create catch lights in the eyes.  With horses I first ask the owner if their horse is comfortable with flash, and then fire a few flashes to acclimate them prior to shooting.

We caught Laura putting Copone through his paces at the TCF jumping arena.

For posterity, Laura and Copone gratiously posed with yours truly after the jumping session.

Upon visiting Thistle Crown Farm, it is readily apparent that Laura and Jeff are passionate about their farm and providing the best possible environment for horses.

It has been great fun and the above shot seems to confirm that the horses enjoyed themselves.

Click here to see the You Tube video we made: TCF You Tube
Click here to visit the website for Thistle Crown Farm

Enjoy the day,

George