Going on camera and taking a headshot is like stepping on stage for a jazz solo no musical background. You can try, but it will probably sound like that, trying. Headshots taken by non-actors look like that, trying.
Actors work on expressions the way musicians work on scales, so when it’s time, they can bust out the right look. Cue blue steel?
Most professionals, however, do not practice emoting. When they try to smile for a photo, that is exactly what it looks like.
You can tell they are trying, and it’s not pretty.
And that’s where our directing and expression coaching makes all the difference - from flattering light to authentic expressions.
Our process is rooted in music, surprised?
In music, theory and scales are important but they can get in the way of what really makes a hit - feeling. Photography is the same.
Headshots and portraits are technical, but they also require the exact opposite, improvisation. Without that, you get a stale, forced expression - and no feeling.
At Big City Headshots, we have rehearsed our process thousands of times, balancing technique with the more subtle side of tailoring our direction to the different personalities.
From technique comes composition, but it is the improvisational skills that generate authenticity - turning forced smiles into something genuine.
Best of all, it’s quick - the images on our website were taken in under 90 seconds.