Thanks for all the amazing comments. Don't forget to check out our other headshot photography video with an actress ruclips.net/video/Ta7tLKvdMJU/видео.html
Actress here! Can't believe this video is from 5yrs ago bc it was amazing. I'm prepping for new headshots and realize now that all the chatter is not just a chatty photographer but a helpful friend to keep tension out of the body and out of the shots! Thanks so much for sharing :)
I appreciate you taking the time to make these behind the scenes videos. I'm interested in doing headshots and the information you've provided is invaluable.
Hi Kerwyn, that’s great. Delighted you like them. We have more in the pipeline too. Have a look at our Instagram which sometimes has bts shots too. We at @wearelumosia thanks again.
I loved how you created the backdrops for this BTS headshot session, they looked simple and I loved the final results. Will you share a little more on the backdrops? I loved the glow from the light shining on them directly and I love the industrial rusty looking one.
This is such a fantastic walkthrough and explainer. It’s something I wish every professional photographer teaching on RUclips would take the time to share. Thanks so much for sharing your process!
@@lumosia8362 where did you order the backdrops from and what material are they, please? It looks like you have them mounted to foam core boards? I am in the US and converting a section of my garage into a small studio and what you have created looks perfect. Please share with us some of the gear and props you are using for this video and if possible share the links where to buy the backdrops. Well done! You have inspired me and I love your work. Sharon
Sean... this is great! I love your lighting style and connection with clients. And your b.g.'s are terrific. Can you tell me what is the black one that almost looks like a black plastic stretched over the styro, but it looks like brushed steel. You used it for his second look in this vid. You didn't show the result from the shower curtain. I'd love to see how that was actually put together, Very creative! How far back are the b.g.'s from the subject? They look only about a yard. What is you go-to aperture? Beautiful work, as always. Thanks! Much continued success, sir!
Hi Jerry, thanks for your comment and questions. The black sheet I found in a hardware store. I believe it goes under wood flooring when it’s being laid! I pinned it to a tall insulation board and put a video light with a CTO gel on it to highlight the texture. Re the shower curtain, they are actually ‘real curtains’ I think there is an image on Alysons video. Have a look at that one on my channel. I shoot at between f4 and 2.8!!! The backgrounds are about 8 feet behind normally so I shoot close to 200mm to get the depth of field. Thank you for your comments. More videos soon!!!
@@lumosia8362 Thanks. I guess I'm off to Home Depot again. It looks in the vids like the b.g.'s are only a few feet back. Here's another thing for you that looks good in the b.g.: just open up a 7' Westcott/Buff or whomever umbrella that has silver interior. Kind of angle it a bit so it's not distinguishable as just an umbrella. Thanks again. I really want to figure out your "black steel."
Thank you so much for this bts! I love the look of the background at 6:13 I saw in the comments that you said it goes under wood flooring but I haven't been able to find something similar. I was wondering if I could get some clarification! Anyway, thanks for the video!
Hiya, sorry for the delay. I have been trying to find a link to it. This is preety close although it has text on one side. Depending on where you are in teh world, you should be able to find similar ; www.multifixbury.com/2-4m-x-1-2m-protection-sheet.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAqqTuBRBAEiwA7B66hVpFQror_n5gvREYmYgN42piqwnMkP5WgaOLEH8hh-0tdZxHll_ygRoCYWkQAvD_BwE
Hiya, sorry for the delay. I have been trying to find a link to it. This is preety close although it has text on one side. Depending on where you are in teh world, you should be able to find similar ; www.multifixbury.com/2-4m-x-1-2m-protection-sheet.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAqqTuBRBAEiwA7B66hVpFQror_n5gvREYmYgN42piqwnMkP5WgaOLEH8hh-0tdZxHll_ygRoCYWkQAvD_BwE
How much distance do I need between photographer and model, and the model from the background, so I will be able to blur out the background? What lens is best, if you don't have a big room?
Hiya, Love all the detail youve put in - on your equipment list the speedlight is out of stock. What speedlight would you recommend for a beginner on a tight budget?
Hiya, thanks for your comment. This is the speedlight we use. Its the Youngnuo 600EXRT The same as the Canon one. Here is a link to Google search. Hope it works: www.amazon.com/s?k=yongnuo+yn600ex-rt+ii&crid=1JMG237IM5MOX&sprefix=youngnuo+yn600%2Caps%2C134&ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_3_14
נתי לוי Thanks for the comment. We mainly shoot at f4 even though it’s a 2.8 lens. It’s slightly sharper at f4 and allows for a tiny bit of movement by the subject.
Great video! I have few questions which I would love you to answer, if you have the time and don’t mind - no worries if not. How many photos do you deliver per session, roughly? Do you take all the same poses in every outfit? Do you deliver the photos cropped to 8 x 10? Thank you!
So you have two lights as your key light? Rear light for background separation? And reflector to fill shadows? What flashes are you using? And do you think you could accomplish this with just one flash?? Sorry, lots of questions. 😅
Hi Zack, One light is the key light (The big octa). The second is a fill on much lower power. We change the settings throughout to get a range of headshots. The reflector does act as a fill from below but positioned so its quite subtle. Nothing worse that the light from below being brighter than the other lighting! We use a mix of Canon 600EX and Youngnuo 600EX (both are almost identical). I often use just one light if we are on location and the space is tight. In that scenario, I go for more of a clamshell lighting and move the key light to a more central position. Hopefully we will get the time to do a full lighting tutorial. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. Sean
Hi Jerry, we photograph on site quite a lot for both corporate and actors. The actors have longer shoots with about 4 different backgrounds. You can see some BTS setups here: www.lumosia.com/drama-school-actor-headshots/ which show our printed backgrounds as well as the large reflectors that we use as backdrops. Hope that helps.
I tried this setup with a reflector in the background and it was a disaster. The reflector simply shone way too much light back. There was no way I could stop down enough without using hss (which unfortunately my studio lights don't do) so I threw an Nd filter on and even still the reflector light was spilling onto the reflector too much. Unclear how you achiebed that effect!
Hi Andy, yes there is. Its a Youngnuo 600 LED video light. We can change from daylight to tungsten temperature to get two different looks. Thanks for asking.
Lumosia Professional Photographer Thabks for the reply- so do you have to expose for the bright spot on the background or is light bright enough for the base expose to be black- killing all Ambient
Hiya, the polyboards are from a hardware store. They are normally used in houses to insulate them. We then either paint them or stick backgrounds that we buy to them. Hope that helps.
Typically we shoot at F4 and under the max sync speed of the shutter. Typical focal length is around 160-200mm and shot on a Canon 70-200 2.8ISii The settings vary from shoot to shoot but typically at f4
Hey Btw. My Name is Christian and I’m 14 year old. My dream is to be a famous actor. I live in Sweden and I really want to do English Movies you know what I mean. So when I gonna get older like 18 should I go on Swedish Act College or LA College? Idk really now😊
That's great. The best thing to do is see what suits you best at the time. There are great London Drama Schools too. Here is a link to some of them: www.lumosia.com/drama-schools-london/
Hi, Thanks for your comment. All the equipment I use is listed in the comments or we will be doing a video in the New Year aimed specifically at training photographers to take headshots. If you subscribe to the channel and hit the bell icon you should be notified when it's live.
probably an odd question...but nothing ventured, nothing gained...I am an Actor and also working with a small media production team in London. I have been working on doing headshot photography and editing thereafter, and I love doing it but I really want to get into doing it properly and learning as much as I can. I would be more than up for perhaps coming and assisting. Even just to learn as much as I possibly can. The reason I even ask is because I'm only based in Feltham!
Hi Alan, Thank you for your message. Its always a catch 22 for photographers to have assistants come in to the studio. On one hand its great to have the help, etc but on the other hand, you may be giving away years of information that you have had to learn from scratch only to have the assistant leave and set up on their own as soon as they have learned enough. Its a situation that possibly stops studios from growing due to the fear of someone taking all the information and setting up 'next door' We have learned everything from scratch. I assisted on one wedding about 14 yers ago and everything else has been becoming obsessed with learning from both shooting and all the online help their is available. RUclips is amazing and there are also so many other learning platforms where you can get a true understanding of photography and specifically headshots. Always happy to answer specific questions and we often post behind the scenes on our Instagram (instagram.com/wearelumosia/) which is great for getting an understanding of what and how we do things. Thanks again for your message and good luck with the training! Sean www.lumosia.com
@@lumosia8362 Thanks for taking the time to answer! I completely understand the sentiment! RUclips certainly is a good place to learn just a few things to add to whatever knowledge you already have!
Thanks for all the amazing comments. Don't forget to check out our other headshot photography video with an actress ruclips.net/video/Ta7tLKvdMJU/видео.html
Actress here! Can't believe this video is from 5yrs ago bc it was amazing. I'm prepping for new headshots and realize now that all the chatter is not just a chatty photographer but a helpful friend to keep tension out of the body and out of the shots! Thanks so much for sharing :)
I appreciate you taking the time to make these behind the scenes videos. I'm interested in doing headshots and the information you've provided is invaluable.
Hi Kerwyn, that’s great. Delighted you like them. We have more in the pipeline too. Have a look at our Instagram which sometimes has bts shots too. We at @wearelumosia thanks again.
I loved how you created the backdrops for this BTS headshot session, they looked simple and I loved the final results. Will you share a little more on the backdrops? I loved the glow from the light shining on them directly and I love the industrial rusty looking one.
I wish you would talk about your camera setting too
This is such a fantastic walkthrough and explainer. It’s something I wish every professional photographer teaching on RUclips would take the time to share.
Thanks so much for sharing your process!
Excellent Teaching Vidoe, Subject appears to be a nice guy, You relaxed him, His handsome looks enhance this image sessin. Thnak You for teaching us.
What’s the lighting breakdown? Does that strip box make for a good fill light?
Great videos- love to see more on those backgrounds - lighting backgrounds for different effects -
Thanks Andy, we have more planned so will get them online as soon as we can.
@@lumosia8362 where did you order the backdrops from and what material are they, please? It looks like you have them mounted to foam core boards? I am in the US and converting a section of my garage into a small studio and what you have created looks perfect. Please share with us some of the gear and props you are using for this video and if possible share the links where to buy the backdrops. Well done! You have inspired me and I love your work. Sharon
Love to know what ur light settings were. Also if uou get a sec how about light set up from actor POV. Good vid, thanks
Great portrait tips...THANKS FOR THS VIDEO!
Thank you. Great tips - A fan from Asia
Hi, great video which was really informative showing the process of actors headshots. Your backgrounds are really creative and great images.
Thank you so much Angela. We hope to make more in the future once we are shooting again.
Thank you for sharing this information really enjoy the video.
Delighted you liked the video. We hope to produce more soon!
Sean... this is great! I love your lighting style and connection with clients. And your b.g.'s are terrific. Can you tell me what is the black one that almost looks like a black plastic stretched over the styro, but it looks like brushed steel. You used it for his second look in this vid. You didn't show the result from the shower curtain. I'd love to see how that was actually put together, Very creative! How far back are the b.g.'s from the subject? They look only about a yard. What is you go-to aperture? Beautiful work, as always. Thanks! Much continued success, sir!
Hi Jerry, thanks for your comment and questions. The black sheet I found in a hardware store. I believe it goes under wood flooring when it’s being laid! I pinned it to a tall insulation board and put a video light with a CTO gel on it to highlight the texture. Re the shower curtain, they are actually ‘real curtains’ I think there is an image on Alysons video. Have a look at that one on my channel. I shoot at between f4 and 2.8!!! The backgrounds are about 8 feet behind normally so I shoot close to 200mm to get the depth of field. Thank you for your comments. More videos soon!!!
@@lumosia8362 Thanks. I guess I'm off to Home Depot again. It looks in the vids like the b.g.'s are only a few feet back. Here's another thing for you that looks good in the b.g.: just open up a 7' Westcott/Buff or whomever umbrella that has silver interior. Kind of angle it a bit so it's not distinguishable as just an umbrella. Thanks again. I really want to figure out your "black steel."
great shots!
phenomenal photos
Will you please share where you bought or how you created the backdrops?? Thank you!
nice and informative, gr8 shoot
Thank you so much!
This is great work.
Thanks. Have you seen the other video we did photographing an actress? ruclips.net/video/Ta7tLKvdMJU/видео.html
Thank you so much for this bts! I love the look of the background at 6:13
I saw in the comments that you said it goes under wood flooring but I haven't been able to find something similar. I was wondering if I could get some clarification! Anyway, thanks for the video!
Hiya, sorry for the delay. I have been trying to find a link to it. This is preety close although it has text on one side. Depending on where you are in teh world, you should be able to find similar ; www.multifixbury.com/2-4m-x-1-2m-protection-sheet.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAqqTuBRBAEiwA7B66hVpFQror_n5gvREYmYgN42piqwnMkP5WgaOLEH8hh-0tdZxHll_ygRoCYWkQAvD_BwE
Hiya, sorry for the delay. I have been trying to find a link to it. This is preety close although it has text on one side. Depending on where you are in teh world, you should be able to find similar ; www.multifixbury.com/2-4m-x-1-2m-protection-sheet.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAqqTuBRBAEiwA7B66hVpFQror_n5gvREYmYgN42piqwnMkP5WgaOLEH8hh-0tdZxHll_ygRoCYWkQAvD_BwE
Anybody find this in the states?
@@jerryg9581 looks to me like what we would know as black corrugated sheet
Really helpful.
Is the hair light a constant light of so what light is it
Is the small led light on the models left is that a hair light
How much distance do I need between photographer and model, and the model from the background, so I will be able to blur out the background? What lens is best, if you don't have a big room?
That cool look at 3:48 is everything 😂
Hiya, Love all the detail youve put in - on your equipment list the speedlight is out of stock. What speedlight would you recommend for a beginner on a tight budget?
Hiya, thanks for your comment. This is the speedlight we use. Its the Youngnuo 600EXRT The same as the Canon one. Here is a link to Google search. Hope it works: www.amazon.com/s?k=yongnuo+yn600ex-rt+ii&crid=1JMG237IM5MOX&sprefix=youngnuo+yn600%2Caps%2C134&ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_3_14
love the video! Question, what mode are you shooting in
Awsome stuff! are you shooting mostly on 2.8?
נתי לוי Thanks for the comment. We mainly shoot at f4 even though it’s a 2.8 lens. It’s slightly sharper at f4 and allows for a tiny bit of movement by the subject.
What"s the right lens for passport and head shots?
Super happy at 8mins did it for me.
"Super Happy" sounds silly so it gets a fake laugh quite often followed by a real smile! You have to be ready to capture the second reaction to!
Great video! I have few questions which I would love you to answer, if you have the time and don’t mind - no worries if not. How many photos do you deliver per session, roughly? Do you take all the same poses in every outfit? Do you deliver the photos cropped to 8 x 10? Thank you!
So you have two lights as your key light? Rear light for background separation? And reflector to fill shadows? What flashes are you using? And do you think you could accomplish this with just one flash?? Sorry, lots of questions. 😅
Hi Zack,
One light is the key light (The big octa). The second is a fill on much lower power. We change the settings throughout to get a range of headshots. The reflector does act as a fill from below but positioned so its quite subtle. Nothing worse that the light from below being brighter than the other lighting! We use a mix of Canon 600EX and Youngnuo 600EX (both are almost identical). I often use just one light if we are on location and the space is tight. In that scenario, I go for more of a clamshell lighting and move the key light to a more central position. Hopefully we will get the time to do a full lighting tutorial.
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment.
Sean
Lumosia Photography Thanks for answering all the questions! Very very helpful! Very helpful video a great behind the scenes.
What do you suggest if I do not have a studio, but still have the necessary lighting (AC). I am getting portable backgrounds and reflector sets.
Hi Jerry, we photograph on site quite a lot for both corporate and actors. The actors have longer shoots with about 4 different backgrounds. You can see some BTS setups here: www.lumosia.com/drama-school-actor-headshots/ which show our printed backgrounds as well as the large reflectors that we use as backdrops. Hope that helps.
Well done
I tried this setup with a reflector in the background and it was a disaster. The reflector simply shone way too much light back. There was no way I could stop down enough without using hss (which unfortunately my studio lights don't do) so I threw an Nd filter on and even still the reflector light was spilling onto the reflector too much. Unclear how you achiebed that effect!
"do you have botox on one half of your forehead?"
best. remark. ever.
It’s amazing what can come out of my mouth during a shoot!
Is there a constant light on the silver reflector for background?
Hi Andy, yes there is. Its a Youngnuo 600 LED video light. We can change from daylight to tungsten temperature to get two different looks. Thanks for asking.
Lumosia Professional Photographer Thabks for the reply- so do you have to expose for the bright spot on the background or is light bright enough for the base expose to be black- killing all
Ambient
@@andybowlin We always expose for the face and then adjust accordingly the power on other lights, backgrounds, etc.
Lumosia Professional Photographer copy that- one last question- F2.8 or F4- very helpful info!
@@andybowlin No problem. F4 at around 135-200mm it gives us a better chance of sharp eyes with still a nice bokeh..
Thank You!
Can we please ask about your backdrops ? Like where do we find reflective polyboard and polyboards with texture or are those paintings?
Hiya, the polyboards are from a hardware store. They are normally used in houses to insulate them. We then either paint them or stick backgrounds that we buy to them. Hope that helps.
@@lumosia8362 yes thank you ! I always see the reflective ones but never knew if it was bought that was or painted reflective. Thank you!
What were your camera setting?
Typically we shoot at F4 and under the max sync speed of the shutter. Typical focal length is around 160-200mm and shot on a Canon 70-200 2.8ISii The settings vary from shoot to shoot but typically at f4
what kind of lens are you using?
Looks like a 70-200mm f2.8
Thank you so much
No problem! We are working on more ASAP.
Is it better to go for a shallow depth of field or use an f stop that gets more in focus?
Hi Johnny, our preference is for a shallow depth of field. We now shoot on a Canon R5 which is insanely sharp at f2.8! The bokeh is amazing too!
What focal length were you shooting at for most of the shoot?
Thanks for your comment. Typically it's between 100 - 200mm depending on how much of the body we want to include
Ken Francis =
Hey Btw. My Name is Christian and I’m 14 year old. My dream is to be a famous actor. I live in Sweden and I really want to do English Movies you know what I mean. So when I gonna get older like 18 should I go on Swedish Act College or LA College? Idk really now😊
I mean American Movies
That's great. The best thing to do is see what suits you best at the time. There are great London Drama Schools too. Here is a link to some of them: www.lumosia.com/drama-schools-london/
@@lumosia8362 ok 👍. Thank you so much 😊
5:40 this is cool
This looks like my acting teacher Drew matthews
Good day, what lighting equipment and flash is necessary for this kind of photography?
Hi, Thanks for your comment. All the equipment I use is listed in the comments or we will be doing a video in the New Year aimed specifically at training photographers to take headshots. If you subscribe to the channel and hit the bell icon you should be notified when it's live.
Are you using the 70-200mm lens?
❤️
probably an odd question...but nothing ventured, nothing gained...I am an Actor and also working with a small media production team in London. I have been working on doing headshot photography and editing thereafter, and I love doing it but I really want to get into doing it properly and learning as much as I can. I would be more than up for perhaps coming and assisting. Even just to learn as much as I possibly can. The reason I even ask is because I'm only based in Feltham!
Hi Alan,
Thank you for your message. Its always a catch 22 for photographers to have assistants come in to the studio. On one hand its great to have the help, etc but on the other hand, you may be giving away years of information that you have had to learn from scratch only to have the assistant leave and set up on their own as soon as they have learned enough. Its a situation that possibly stops studios from growing due to the fear of someone taking all the information and setting up 'next door'
We have learned everything from scratch. I assisted on one wedding about 14 yers ago and everything else has been becoming obsessed with learning from both shooting and all the online help their is available. RUclips is amazing and there are also so many other learning platforms where you can get a true understanding of photography and specifically headshots.
Always happy to answer specific questions and we often post behind the scenes on our Instagram (instagram.com/wearelumosia/) which is great for getting an understanding of what and how we do things.
Thanks again for your message and good luck with the training!
Sean
www.lumosia.com
@@lumosia8362 Thanks for taking the time to answer! I completely understand the sentiment! RUclips certainly is a good place to learn just a few things to add to whatever knowledge you already have!
Please button your shirt, it's distracting. Botox in one half of your forehead? Oh boy! This video went straight to 60.