Author head shot opinions and advice please

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

09/18/2006 07:22:29 PM · #1

would you buy a book from this guy?

a friend needed a head shot for his publisher asap. so he called me. woohoo. any advice? is the vignetting too much? etc. etc...

doctornick

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

09/18/2006 07:41:18 PM · #2

Nice pose, vignetting is ok. You might want to bump up the contrast a little bit.

deapee

Kodak V803

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

09/18/2006 07:43:29 PM · #3

In all honesty, no that's not a good headshot at all.

//www.headshot-photography.com/portfolio.htm

Message edited by author 2006-09-18 19:44:22.

Konador

Canon EOS-500D Rebel T1i

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

09/18/2006 07:44:10 PM · #4

In my opinion the contrast is way too flat, especially on the face. You need some bright areas there, with levels or something, to show his features. Lighting from a 45 degree angle would have helped a little, since at the moment there is no definition. I dont think the vignette helps on the contrast front since you've made the background into a very similar shade to the skin.

Sunniee

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

09/18/2006 07:45:31 PM · #5

Honestly, no... Not a good shot for a cover... it suffers quite a bit of technical difficulties... lets see the original...

liltritter

Nikon D70s

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6D ED

09/18/2006 08:01:42 PM · #6

Well, I wouldn't want that as my cover picture....

The cover picture is a way for the reader to meet the author, gives it that personal touch. Well, that lacks, the Friendly, hi I'm glad you bought my book look let me introduce myself look... sorry

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

09/18/2006 08:05:59 PM · #7

o man, the original - shot into the sun...

the author is a very reluctant model - he wanted to do it in front of his half-remodelled house, and basically ran after 5 shots. he's a good friend, but paranoid about cameras. i wanted to go to a local resaurant, on the water (his books are about sailing), sit under a nice brolly, relax, get some good shaded light, use a reflector, take off his glasses...

point blank refusal.

so, i'm not working with great material here. in fact, the original's so bad i'm embarassed to put it up here. i'll try to bump up the contrast. but, remember, we're dealing with the skin of a man who has spent almost 90% of his life sailing. i have a feeling that if i do a soften on it,he'll have a fit. amybe i should just do what the publishers would want, and forget the actual author. isn't that what publishers do anyway?

deapee

Kodak V803

09/18/2006 08:08:21 PM · #8

Did you look at that website i linked to? You want the background so blurry that it's just filled with shapes that help accent the background. You want there to be *something* there that's a shape and only a shape. You shouldn't be able to tell there's a lamp or a farm or a house in the background...and it shouldn't be a plain backdrop either.

You've gotta reshoot. Your only option is to shoot at 85mm, f/5.6, just try to keep him as close as possible to really blur the background. If you can borrow a 70-200 2.8, you'll be in good shape or even a macro lens 100/105 2.8 or optimally an 85 1.8 would do the job.

liltritter

Nikon D70s

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6D ED

09/18/2006 08:11:26 PM · #9

No actually, the publishers don't want that. He has the right to refuse to have a cover shot if he so chooses, but I would sugggest the look at his contract first. You may want to suggest that a more personable picture would give his readers a better feeling about the author. If this book is his first to be published he may also want to consider that sometimes your first publish is also your last.(not to be mean but it happens) So how does he want to be remembered when folks pick up that book?

09/18/2006 08:12:51 PM · #10

i'm just about to 'phone him, and get his wife to insist on a reshoot tomorrow. it has to be at the publishers by wednesday, so it's close, but do-able. but now that he's seen that he likes what i can do, even with crap shot, he might be a bit more maleable.

cross fingers.

maybe i can even get him to take off his glasses...

yeah, i did look at the website. amazing stuff there. however, if i made him look like that, he's probably kill me... it's the whole manly, rebel sailing ethic.

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

09/18/2006 08:16:07 PM · #11

woohoo. he's agreed to a reshoot. now,i'll make him listen to me...

deapee

Kodak V803

09/18/2006 08:20:54 PM · #12

remember, a reflector is your friend...and that can be as simple as a white sheet.

judojoe

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

09/19/2006 08:33:43 AM · #13

I thought the Bloke was woman.
Looks like the Old Head Mistress you use to get at School.

Anyway I think the shot needs a little more attention to the detail in the photo, as it looks a little soft as they say.
But at the end of the Day its what you and the person involved want and if your both Happy, then who cares, because its all about opinions.
And what One Person Lokes, the next one may not.

Overall it aint a Bad Photo.

Cheers.

Joe