DAY 277

FASHION & BEAUTY

Beauty Headshot Basics

USE YOUR LIGHTS WISELY

There is a basic lighting setup format for a beauty headshot. The main light, or key light, should be centered to the direction the subject is facing. A beauty dish with a diffusion sock will do nicely. This light should be placed as close as possible to the face and at correct height so that the shadow below the nose is very slight.

Another diffused strip light should be placed in front, close to the ground, focused at the eyes, and filling under the neck. White fill cards or reflectors can be placed on each side of the subject, close to the face, to decrease the shadows. A hair light should be placed above and behind the subject, angled so it skims across the top of the hair. There are two strip lights just off the background placed behind the model aimed toward the model’s back on each side. This provides the rim lighting on the cheeks and shoulders. The white background needs to be well-exposed so that it appears true white in the exposure.

Regardless of what aperture is chosen for depth of field, always sharp focus on the eyes. The eyes are the gateway to the soul! —MR

A clean and simple studio headshot on white background. Photo © Matthew Roharik.