Making The Most Of Expressions

When it comes to photographing people, natural faces and poses always work best. When you are simply reacting to the situation around you your expressions become much more natural and this is something I try to capture in my work as a headshot photographer.

Some people have the gift of being able to smile on cue but even that can look a little too staged when it comes to headshots. My aim is always to capture expressions that happen in the moment when the client isn’t at all preoccupied with how they will look on camera. To make the most of natural expressions I must strike a rapport with my clients and make them feel relaxed and comfortable.

One method that I use to capture a range of expressions is by asking my clients to do a number of different faces. I ask clients to show me a face as though they’ve just won the lottery or even to give me their best Joey from ‘Friends’ look, for example. Whilst this is fun and well worth capturing on camera, it is the micro expressions that come through in their reactions that are the key to a great headshot. It is when you can see them smiling through their eyes that you know you have a brilliant image.