Your Headshot Components

Lately I have been receiving more requests for headshots, and with these opportunities I decided to share with you a few personal insights as to what might help you for your headshot shoot. For those of you who are looking to either update your headshot or get your first ones ever, here are a few important components to consider while preparing.

Color

You may notice that people in certain industries wear similar colors in their headshots. The color you wear has a lot of power in displaying the kind of energy which you give your viewer. The colors you wear affects the kind of energy which you give out, so it is recommended that you speak with your photographer about what to wear. In fact, if you want to discuss with me attire options I will most likely appreciate it. There is a lot more to discuss about color so I will follow up with another post to share with you more information about it.

Location

The location of where you shoot can add so much to your headshot. When choosing your spot, keep in mind the kind of vibe you want to present to your audience. Some photographers and/or clients enjoy the controlled aspect of studio shoots, and some prefer feeling the fresh breeze of the wind while shooting outdoors. Both are valid. From my experience shooting outdoors tends to invite a warm and comfortable setting, while indoors can carry a more serious vibe to focus directly on the task of photographing you. If shooting outdoors, make sure that your setting has colors that contrast well with your skin tone. Also, check hat the vibe of the location matches with the intention of your shoot.

Energy

Energy is emitted in a variety of ways, we can talk about this for hours, but for the sake of this post we will discuss energy only for headshots. The main question to ask here is this: What kind of vibe am I trying to send out? Calmness? Confidence? Seriousness? Welcoming energy? Depending on the energy that you want to portray, the components to create the photograph will be affected. Neat, right?

Some ways which energy is showcased is through attire, makeup, locations, and body posture. There are tips and tricks that I personally use to make the body emit the energy we seek. Every artist will have their own unique ways to make photographs work. Many times I start off with presenting this tips for clients to keep in mind and then oftentimes give direction for angles , body positioning, etc, to make my client look their best.

So to wrap it up, what we discussed today are three main components of photographing a headshot that fits for your needs. Don’t forget, color, location and energy. I hope it helps!

Cheers,
Asuka Visions

Nonverbal Language: Hands

You guys.

It has been months. I’m assuming that nobody foresaw 2020 to look like what we are witnessing today. I had many goals to pursue this year. Some were personal, some professional. Instead of working toward these goals, year revealed a different challenge for me to face. This one I have never experienced before. There was a lot of time to focus on inner growth as well as self- healing. I hope you my friends are staying emotionally afloat, and have someone to reach out to when burdened. With the quarantine I felt better to refrain from posting any photography content just in case it made the process of being in quarantine more difficult for viewers. I am sending you readers a big and comforting hug.

Passage of Time

New York has begun to control the virus spread fairly well, so I have finally begun feeling more comfortable going outside and seeing a friend or two. The photos you see are from a birthday picnic with two of my close friends here in New York. I think they made excellent hand models. What do you think? :)

Trials in Communication

We met in Central Park and ate local food and cake from a nearby patisserie to enjoy the day. We played badminton and enjoyed conversing. It seems that most of us have become accustomed to wearing a mask thankfully. This mask-wearing practice is frankly the only reason I feel comfortable going out again. So if you are one of those who wears a mask here in NYC, I thank you deeply. Thanks to you, I can receive emotional relief.

Interpretation?

So the interpretation: I’ll leave it up to you. After all, art is heavily about what it means to you.

- Masumi