I completed a recent headshots shoot for Apex Group in the Auckland CBD where we captured both environmental and studio style headshot images in their offices. The environmental headshots like the image above were captured in the central area of their offices using the windows, walls, and other features as soft out of focus backgrounds to the images. Lighting was key for these as the central area of the offices was quite dark but the windows were obviously quite bright with the natural light coming in.
I had main light on the subjects face slightly off centre to create a flattering face sculpting light, and another light to the side and slightly behind the person to create the edge light you can see on the left side of the face in the image above. This gives the impression of light striking the face/head from the windows behind and gives the headshots a bit an edge/drama, and at the same time sculpts the face making them appear narrower or less round.
Other lighting used in these images included a couple of fill lights for the areas in the background of the images. I didn’t light the background areas too much as I wanted the subjects to pop from the backgrounds in the headshots by using both light and a shallow depth of field (the area of the image in focus), just enough light to balance out the available light in the area and be slightly lower than the light I was directing onto the headshot subjects.
Another of the environmental headshots captured in this Auckland shoot. Still in the same central area of the office but facing the kitchen area of the offices gives another great backdrop. I varied the backdrop through out the headshots shoot so that each image had its own look while keeping the headshots have a similar feel as a group of images.
One more of the headshots captured in this Auckland based shoot for Apex group showing a fourth background option achieved in the same central area of the offices. This shot uses the same lighting setup giving the edge light on the side his face and a good balance between the background and foreground with-in the headshot.
Studio style headshots captured in the same Auckland shoot
In the same visit I setup a backdrop and lighting in another area of the Auckland offices of Apex Group so that we could cpature both environmental and studio style headshots in the same visit and give the client all the flexibility they needed for their marketing.
The studio style headshots give the company a very different style company portrait to use in their marketing. Once setup each person only needs a few minutes in front of the camera to capture a few different expressions and poses to choose final images for retouching from.
I normally capture three angles of each person and guide them through a variety of poses and expressions to make sure they have plenty of images to choose from for their final retouched headshot. Lighting is kept directional but soft to make sure it’s as flattering as possible across each persons face.
Further information on my professional headshots services
- Information on headshot styles and the corporate portrait services I offer in Auckland city and beyond
- Some headshots I captured for Vero Liability insurance in their Auckland offices
- If you want to see some more examples of headshots I have competed have a look at the portraits gallery page
If you have some staff in Auckland that you need updated headshots for get in touch using the contact form below, or feel free to give me a call and talk over the specifics of what you need.