Item — Chad Chisholm Photography

From Behind to In Front of the Camera

Being in front of the lens can be intimidating. Worrying about everything from how do I look, what to do with my hands, is my smile looking ok? I get it. I work with my clients to get them as natural looking as possible—but what happens when a photographer needs to have their headshots taken??

I take the “practice what you preach” approach in hiring the best professional for the job. In this case, my fellow photographer and friend Kellie Henricksen is an extremely talented headshot and portrait artist and I knew I’d not only be comfortable in front of the camera with her, but that she would capture my character and energy, which is what I was looking for in my updated portrait.

Arriving at her studio, after initial hugs and catching up, we discussed the session: what I wanted to wear, what sort of look and feel I was after and Kellie’s ideas to facilitate those business requests.

Some things that came to mind from my photographer brain and client experience that I thought would be helpful for those in front of the camera:

1. Bring more than you need—clothing options that you feel comfortable yet professional in, avoiding busy patterns, all-white or all-black garments (unless there is a bit of texture to them) which can cause the subject to be washed out or turn into a floating head on a dark background. Pastels, broad patterns, and jewel tones tend to work great for headshots.

2. Relax- take a few deep breaths and ease into your session. Whether is it an hour long session or a half day photo shoot, your comfort level will appear in your photos, and eventually will depict how you will be digitally approaching other people.

3. Listen to your photographer- when Kellie asked me to bring my chin down a little, or tilt my head to the right, she’s making micro-adjustments as she is viewing my face through the lens and her vantage point. One of the biggest mistakes I hear from clients is “this is my angle/myside of my face/the only way I like to be shot.” Giving up control to Kellie was great and we achieved imagery that really captured my spirit and what it’s like to interact with me.

4. Feel free to suggest creative ideas within your session- collaboration with the photographer can be fun and generate impromptu imagery you may love.

5. Communicate with your photographer how much retouching you want done on your final imagery. I always err on the side of complimentary but not overdone. With my headshot, I want to walk into a meeting or an appointment and if someone has looked at my website or LinkedIn profile they can immediately recognize me. I feel that this is why it is also important to keep your professional headshot updated. If it’s been more than three to five years, it’s time to schedule a portrait session.

6. Have fun! You can either bemoan the experience of “having to have your headshot taken” or be excited and bring a positive energy to set that will be contagious to you and the photographer, generating much better images.

To book Kellie yourself, visit https://www.denver-headshots.com