Selfies

Every year I challenge myself to learn more about lighting and posing. In the world of photography, it’s a must as the trends are constantly changing. By paying very close attention to what influential photographers are doing, studying like crazy, practicing posing and lighting on myself, and then practicing on friends (you know who you are!), I’m finally ready offer my new techniques to my clients.

PRACTICE is why I take my own photos. Trying to figure out what lighting, what lenses, what angles, what settings, and even what to wear helps me better serve those who hire me.

2023 was the year I studied and implemented the Peter Hurley’s headshot genre. I bought his Westcott lighting system, starting shooting bright, modern, horizontal headshots with no shadows and loooooved the results. As Peter says “SHABANG”,

2024 will be spent studying and implementing Sue Bryce posing and lighting. I. CANNOT. WAIT! Her style is much more feminine, a bit more dramatic, and incorporates the use of natural light as much as possible.

The pictures you see below are my second attempt at using Sue Bryce’s techniques-these “headshots” are more casual, personal, fun, and way less executive than my usual. I definitely made some mistakes…it would have been nice to have a photographer tell me I had lipstick on my teeth! I wish I would have curled my hair. I wish I had a better smirk and serious look. I wish, I wish. I wish…whatever. This is me. I"m almost 49. I have wrinkles and a squinty eye. I totally photoshopped my “11’s”. Hello transparency.

How I accomplished this:

Canon R5-has the eye-tracking option which I couldn’t live without now that I have it!

Canon 50mm prime lens

Canon lens attachment

Camera remote control

Tripod

Natural light in my entryway at home

V-Flat

Kitchen stool