If you need a professionally taken headshot Dallas, the last thing you want is hiring photographers who cannot even compose their shots. While there are hundreds of Dallas headshot photographers who claim to have months and years of training and industry-relevant experience, many of them still end up having a bad composition in their final product.
The word “bad” may sound too harsh to describe a professional corporate photographer’s composition, but when you are the client who paid for good quality Dallas headshots, you deserve nothing less than excellent. Whether you are a businessman or a company employee, you have your own way to discern which photos are good or bad. In headshot photography, the first signs of a poorly executed photoshoot can be seen in how the photographer frames his/her shots, i.e. the composition.
Sticking to the ‘Rule of Thirds’
In basic photography, there is a composition term called “rule of thirds.” This means dividing the shot or frame into a three-by-three grid and placing the subject or any other vital compositional element on the third-lines or where the points in the grid intersect. This generally prevents photographers from cropping important parts out and makes sure that the eyes of the viewers are directed to focus on the subject. The problem with this rule is that it will not always work with corporate headshots or portraits.
Often times blindly following the rule of thirds will lead to distant, bland, and uncreative shots in portraits. It is good to take safe shots following this rule so that the client will have the standard portrait photos. Then again, the photographer should also be spontaneous and think of other ways on how to compose his shots. Many close-up headshots, for instance, will require breaking the rule of thirds in order to emphasize the facial features of the subject.
Bad Cropping
Cropping is done the moment the photographer looks through the viewfinder or screen and sees which elements he/she wants to include in the frame. Every Dallas portrait photographer should know how to properly crop a person’s body in the picture. It is even considered a mortal sin to cut off the hands or feet or joints of the body. This will only make the body parts look amputated. A general rule of thumb is to include the whole hands, arms, fingers, wrists, toes, and elbows.
The headshot photographer should also avoid cropping into the chin and removing the neck altogether. If you need to have a close-up shot, make sure that the shooter leaves some of your shoulders in the lower part of the image so your face will not look like a floating head.
Not ‘Working the Shot’
Many veterans would say that a good headshot photography Dallas should always hit the ground running. This means whenever they take a picture, they should also have followed up shots. There is always more than one angle to a shot. At the same time, while you are moving or making different poses, the photographer should be moving along with you, reacting to your changes.
Even subtle changes can mean a huge difference to a headshot. For instance, what if you moved two feet to your right or left? How about backing up or moving closer to the camera? Is Will tilting your head add more light to your face? Is the photographer playing with your angles? Since Dallas headshots are often formal and require no-frills in the frame, the headshot photographer does not need to get too creative with the angles or the composition. At the same time, they need to work every shot on how to bring out the subject’s features.
For more information on Dallas headshots, MG Marshall Headshots would be more than happy to answer your other questions or concerns. They are a team of some of the best portrait and headshot photographers in Dallas, Texas who provide tried and tested quality headshot services at a very affordable rate. Each headshot is done with the utmost professionalism, expertise, and consideration of their clients’ needs and preferences. Call them today at 469-618-8766 to schedule a corporate photoshoot.
