Creating the perfect set up for headshot portraits
There are so many different types of lighting that you can experiment with when taking headshot portraits. There is split lighting where you have the light source at a 90 degree angle, Rembrandt lighting is when the light is at a 45 degree angle creating a dramatic shadow, loop lighting is when the light is at a 25 degree angle opening the shadow, and butterfly lighting is when the light comes from directly in front of the subject creating a professional look. The following three headshot portraits are a primarily a butterfly lighting look where the whole face is lit nicely with very little shadow. We created this look by placing 3 lights in a triangular shape. If you look closely at their pupils you can see the reflection of the light set up.
A tip for set up when doing head shots is to have them pull their forehead towards you. When they do this it lifts the neck and prevents double chins. It also tricks the model into being more engaged in the photo since they are not standing normally and will provide a more active look into the camera. Check out http://www.mikemcgeephotography.com/beauty-photographer-san-francisco-bay-area/ for some more great examples of headshot portraits
