When you book a headshot appointment with Skill Capture Media, you get far more than just a photo shoot. As I like to compare to, this is far more than walking in, sitting in front of a camera, being told “3…2…1…SMILE!” and then picking a few 5”x7” prints. This is a unique professional experience from start to finish. The experience begins with a consult, develops during the shoot into a learning opportunity, a chance to show real emotion, and a chance to show more than a fake smile, and finishes with the delivery of a sprawling list of photos for you to choose from and use to gain attention no matter your audience.
The Pre-Shoot Consult
Prior to your headshot experience, you will schedule an optional pre-shoot consult where a professional will go over what you’re intending to use the photos for, what wardrobe will go best with the colors of your business card or website, and what to expect. We want you to come into your shoot confident that you are set up for success.
Expression Coaching
Capturing genuine expression during a photoshoot is possibly the most important skill a photographer possesses. These days, everyone owns a camera, and most people believe they are selfie-professionals. And while that may be true, there’s a big difference between that and a genuine smile, a confident look, or a cunning smirk.
We take a high volume of photos both when you’re expecting them and when you aren’t, not only for end-results photos but so that you can realize it’s ok to feel comfortable in front of the camera. There’s a lot that goes into a confident expression in front of a camera, three of which you can control: your mouth, eyes, and eyebrows. We do our best to teach you how to best use all of those tools.
Lighting Setups
I’ve posted blogs in the past on lighting, but I want to reiterate that lighting can make or break a photo, an emotion, or an atmosphere. Much like you would expect to see different lighting at a buffet than you would at a high-end steakhouse, you should expect high-end lighting techniques in a professional headshot shoot. All too often, either the lights have a harsh spotlight effect that cause glare or loss of detail on a face, or shadows are over-utilized, eliminating the ability for emotion to shine through a photo. We have multiple lighting configurations for men, women, darker and lighter complexions, and even cater lighting towards different types of headshots (i.e. actors’ photos may be darker or more high-contrast than that of a CEO).
Image Review During a Session
We think it’s extremely important for the customer to be able to see their progress as the shoot goes on. Not only is it a way of allowing a customer to pick through photos they like, it is a way for the customer to see their progress relaxing in front of the camera, using new techniques, and capturing genuine emotion potentially for the first time. It is one of the best feelings for a photographer to see satisfaction from a client. As we put it, we take pride in your smile. During the shoot, we will pause at a good point, and do a side-by-side review of the photos. We will point out where we adjusted your eyes from deer-in-the-headlights to a confident look, where we produced a well-defined jaw line, and where we angled, manipulated, and sculpted the perfect body posture for your frame.
Professional Proofing Gallery and Printing Services
After the shoot, we will very happily go through the photos we took while you’re on site, but then we follow up with a display of our combined top picks on a beautiful gallery page. We have chosen to use Pixieset for our proofing gallery. Pixieset gives you the ability to both choose your favorite photos for us to expertly touch up using cutting-edge industry-leading techniques, but after touch-up, it allows you to order your favorite shots in print format from top printing services nationally.
Makeup Services Now Available
We are excited to announce that we have secured the services of a fantastic professional in the makeup industry. Our makeup artist is absolutely phenomenal, skilled and experienced in both film and print styling. She has had her work featured in short films, popular magazines, and television. She is talented in creating the perfect look for both males and females, will work with you to replicate your preferred look, and stays on site throughout the session or day to ensure all clients are taken care of and touched up at all times. This is an additional cost, but very well worth the expense. She supports both solo shoots and corporate sessions, on-site and in studio.
We hope this answers some questions, prepares you for your session with us, and arms you with the confidence needed to present your best self no matter your goals.