The Tao of Headshots by Kenneth Dolin
Today You Are You, Part 1.
Your headshot is about YOU, not the background, not the wardrobe, not the uber-cool lighting. I don't want someone to look at your headshot and say "amazing photograph" or "amazing shirt" or "amazing location." I want them to look at your headshot and say "amazing PERSON."
Today You Are You, Part 2.
You are enough. Meditate on that. Really. Or, meditate on this great quote from Dr. Seuss: "Today you are you, this is truer than true, there is no one alive, who is Youer than you."
Face Value.
I love to shoot editorial, and I do in every shoot. But there is a reason they call it a headshot. We want a large portion of the shots to be about your face. Your face has fifty two amazing muscles that allow you to express emotion. Our goal is to use all fifty•two of them.
How you feel is how you look.
It's easy to make someone look good. That strokes the ego, amigo. But it might not get you work, particularly if the shot is an untrue representation. Your real beauty comes from feeling alive, connected, and present. In short, "How you feel is how you look."
Be ready to rock.
I do much more than most headshot photographers to help you find real connection to a full spectrum of emotional colors. But you have to be ready to let yourself out. So bring you're a-game. Show up ready to work, the same way you would at an audition or an acting job. Because...
Try This Mindset: “This is NOT a photo shoot.”
You heard me. Your headshot session is not a photo shoot. It is an acting gig. Models pose. Posing is fake. Actors react. Reacting is real. So be real. Let go. This is a safe place to do that. Give it up.
Don't direct your own shoot.
If you do, you're outside of yourself and not present. That doesn't mean you have to be passive. Let me know what you want. But then let go and be present as an actor. Communicate. If you need to regroup, tell me. If you feel blocked, tell me. If you love me, tell me. You get the point.
Communicate, then communicate some more.
Communicate your needs. We're a team. Collaborators. Nuf said.
The process is the result.
Don't focus so much on getting results that you forget to be in the moment and improvisational. If you're thinking about results, you may be taking yourself out of the moment. Let go. And don't be afraid to play, to explore, and most importantly, don't be afraid to...
Get it Wrong Sometimes.
The more you obsess on getting it right, the more you will get it wrong. And the moments where you feel like you're getting it wrong are often the best shots. Take your work seriously, but not yourself. Nuff said. Laugh. Laughter feels good. It makes you breathe. It relaxes you. And it is really fun.