Laura came back to the studio for a second session, this time with Tim. The first visit was headshots for her on her own. This one was a portrait shoot for the two of them, with some headshots for Tim built into the same booking.
What they came for
Laura and Tim came out from Ipswich to the studio at Rendlesham. They arrived with plenty of outfit changes, which gave us the range to work with across the session. Tim also needed headshots for his LinkedIn and business profiles, so we worked those into the same visit rather than booking him in separately another day.
That is worth knowing if you are weighing up a session. There is usually no reason a portrait shoot and a set of headshots cannot happen on the same visit, as long as we plan for it when you book.
Rembrandt lighting and the classical look
We went for a classical portrait look, lit using the Rembrandt technique. The key light goes high and to one side, so the shadow falling from the nose meets the shadow on the cheek and leaves a small triangle of light under the eye on the darker side of the face. It is named after the way Rembrandt lit his subjects, and it has lasted because it gives a face shape and depth instead of flattening it.
It suited them both. The classical treatment fitted the mood they were after, and the lighting did the job it is meant to do, which is to pull the eye to the face.
Tim’s headshots
A portrait and a headshot have different jobs. A portrait can be atmospheric and a little stylised. A profile photograph has to be clear, current and recognisable, because someone is going to look at it for about two seconds and form a view of you. Tim came away with a set he could use across LinkedIn and his business profiles.
Photographing two people who know each other
A session with two people in it runs differently from a session with one. There was a lot of laughing, which helps far more than people expect. Someone relaxed looks relaxed, and no amount of lighting will fake that. It is also why I do not rush, with couples least of all.
The studio, and working with people from Ipswich
The studio is at Base Business Park in Rendlesham, on the old RAF Bentwaters site near Woodbridge. It is about thirty minutes from Ipswich town centre on the A12, with free parking outside and changing facilities in the building.
Laura’s first session is written up separately if you want to see how that one went. If you want portraits, headshots, or both in one visit, get in touch and we can work out what suits.
See more about my professional headshots in Suffolk.
