Headshots on Location

Iddy 0050

Equipment:

  • Camera: Canon 5D Mark IV
  • Lens: EF 85mm 1.2L II
  • Flash: Two Cheetah 360X (Adorama Flashpoint 360)
  • Cheetah X1 Transmitter (Adorama R2 Transmitter)
  • Modifiers: Two Photoflex Octodome Small 3’
  • Meter: Sekonic L-358
  • Lightstands: Impact 10’ Air Cushion

A business portrait should reflect the same standard of excellence that your organization strives to achieve.

This is why it is important to promote to your clients the importance of a quality business portrait. Whether on-location at their office or in your photo studio, we need to guarantee a professional service which will exceed expectations of the client.

The idea of this lighting set up is the ‘clamshell’ style. I prefer to use this setup in female business women because they look more flattering.

For this type of shooting we can use translucent umbrellas, like the 45” White Shoot Through Photoflex umbrella or we can use the Phootflex Octodome Small 3’ modifier for their portability.

In this video I used the Photoflex Octodome Small 3’ modifier. This modifier is big enough to produce a soft light, because as we know the rule of light: “the larger the size of the source of light and closer to the subject, the softer the quality of the light” and this is perfect for Head-and-Shoulders and Waist-Up Portraits.

The clamshell lighting set up as a that I used was not perfectly in front of my subject because I did not have a boom stand at the moment. However I was able to relocate the light setup by about 30 degrees to have a better vision of my subject using the standard light stands and also to create a little bit more of a traditional light pattern.

For this shoot I use my Canon 5D Mark IV camera with the 85 1.2L II.

The flash that I used is the portable battery operated Cheetah 360X, (same as Godox 360 or Adorama’s Flashpoint 360).

These are some recommendations to follow to keep organized during the photo shoot:

  1. Select Location
  2. Exposure for the ambient (need to choose under-expose ambient, over-expose ambient or keep both balanced)
  3. Lighting setup (key light and fill light)
  4. Shoot vertical & horizontal format

Noel Del Pilar. PPA Certified, Cr. Photoflex Light Leader

San Juan, Puerto Rico

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