It all begins with a chat. Photography is personal. It’s important, and it’s intimate. Although the need for professional photography has never been greater, not everyone feels natural posing in front of a camera. Some people are genuinely nervous about posing, and uncomfortable dedicating time to looking at their own face. Even if these people are very comfortable in front of other people, or speaking to large groups.

A portrait of yourself makes you stop and really look at your own appearance, potentially for far longer than you’d usually wish to.

At Lux we know this. Our clients aren’t usually models; They are sales managers, teachers, accountants, lawyers, CEOs (the list goes on…). Knowing that you will be talked through everything as you go, and made to feel comfortable is one of the most important aspects to get a good, natural photo. We also show our clients the photos as they are taken, which is a unique and successful method of allowing our clients to see how they look, and to adjust their pose and expression accordingly.

We always start the discussion by asking what the photos will be used for. What ‘look’ are they trying to portray, have they had any similar photos taken before, and where will the photos end up being used? A CEO might want to look powerful, whilst an actor will want to give an almost blank – yet easy – expression that allows potential employers to appreciate their facial structure and defining features. Performers will usually want to express their brand of entertainment in a single image, but maybe they want to show a different side of their personality for this specific shoot.

These questions help ascertain what the overall image should look like. Is it for a Linkedin profile, a Facebook cover photo, or for album art? These questions determine the final shape of the photo.

The other aspects of a photo that determine mood, look and purpose are: lighting, clothing + accessories, and the background.

It would be unusual for a someone with a job in politics to have a bright pink background, but it can often suit a comedian. At Lux we offer a wide range of textured cloth backgrounds and coloured paper backdrops, so we have something for every purpose. It is important that a client’s clothing does not get lost into the background, and this can also be avoided using the correct lighting.

Lighting set ups can be as simple as one light, as long as it is placed at the correct distance and angle from the client for their pose. This can give a more moody, dramatic, or natural look, depending on how it is used.

Additional lights are often used to make a portrait really ‘pop’, and to separate the client from the background. We usually use 3 lights to achieve this.

During the shoot itself, we like to reassure clients that there is no rush, and the photoshoot can take as long as they need. The first few shots are usually the hardest, as the client and photographer get acquainted and comfortable working together. The use of the large screen helps show the client their photos, and how they look as the photoshoot progresses. Straight away the client can tell us what they do (and do not) like about their posture, their expression, angle or clothing. Much of this can be adjusted easily by the client themselves, and they can see the impact of any changes in the next shot straight away on the screen.

From here on it is about making minor improvements each photo. Little changes to how high the chin rests, slight camera angle changes, or moving where the hands rest. Maybe a small adjustment to a collar. Again, seeing these changes on a large screen allows clients to stay where they are and improve and build upon the previous photo.

Once we have a few shots we are happy with, we will usually do a complete posture change. This can mean changing sides, or moving from a standing to a seating position.

After we know we have some winning shots, we can change outfits and the backgrounds if a client wishes to. Doing this means that clients walk out with a set of photos that appear to come from 2 completely separate photoshoots.

Some clients choose to have a ‘serious’ work photo in the bag, and then allow themselves to let their hair down and do something a little more fun afterwards.

After the photoshoot, some enhancements are included for free. These enhancements are not full edits, or major changes. Instead they a minor tweaks that allow clients to still look like themselves, but on a good day.

This can include minor changes to the facial structure, whitening teeth, removing blemishes and spots, and reducing wrinkles. If a client requests extra changes, these can also be done within reason.

Come in for yourself and see how we are different to every other studio in the area, due to our live viewing screen. We can’t wait to shoot you!

To see more samples of our headshots/people work, please visit our ‘HEADSHOT’ page