Are you looking for a headshot photographer or is it head shot photographer? I still don’t know how it’s supposed to be spelled! It doesn’t really matter. I take them both the same way anyway!
Truth be known, the first time someone called to ask if I would take a few headshots (or head shots) of her, I wasn’t really sure what she was asking for. I never heard of it before. “Headshot,” I asked. “Why would I want to do that to you? I’m sorry but I don’t believe in violence!”
She said, “No. You don’t understand. I need you to take a few pictures of just my head, neck and top of my shoulders.” I said, “Very well, but I’m not sure why you would be contacting me for that. It’s not really what I do.” At the time, I was primarily a wedding, engagement and family portrait photographer. She said, “Oh come on! All you have to do is stick me in front of a wall some place and snap a few shots.” I wasn’t sure if she contacted me, because she happened to live nearby, but one thing was very clear, she wanted headshots and she wanted them now. “Well alright” I said. “If you insist, come on over and I will be happy to snap a few shots of your head, neck and upper shoulders.”
It wasn’t as if I haven’t taken pictures of people before. It was just a question of where I would do this. At the time, my home office was set up for wedding consultations, but no place to do photography on premises. I did have a room at the end of a hall, that was primarily being used for storage space. I proceeded to move a few things around to expose enough bare wall, that I could use for a backdrop. The beauty of this room is that it also happened to have a lot of natural light coming through a large window. So I set up a few stands, popped open a couple of reflectors and used natural lighting for my first headshots (or head shots). It was perfect! I took some in color, a few in black and white that she liked and she went on her merry way.
I don’t know what happened to Ms. Sally after that day, but I will be forever grateful for the inspiration she provided me with. I tried to contact her a few years ago, to offer a free sitting. I wanted to express my gratitude and to show her what she had started and how far I have come. I think she would have been pleased. Anyway, that is how my photography services expanded to include headshot photography. I now have a studio in my home complete with studio lights, stands and interchangeable backgrounds. It is has become a vital part of my everyday business.
I always strive to produce not just better looking head shots, but a variety of different looks and styles. I don’t want my headshots to be branded in anyone’s brain to look like this or that. I want my style to be diverse. I’m constantly trying new lighting arrangements and poses, to that end. Now I have two rooms in my home converted to studios, one for natural light portraits, the other for traditional studio light portraits. Though there is always room for improvement, after five years of growth, in what has become an important part of my business, I think I can say, with a little confidence, that I have become pretty good at taking head shots. I just wish I knew how I am supposed to spell it! Is it headshots or head shots…..?
UPDATE: As I went through the process of writing this piece, I did some research on the subject. The consensus seems to be that ‘head shots’ is the correct spelling. However, ‘headshots’ is more commonly used by people. So there you go! I take them both the same way, anyway.