Still can’t get a decent result of your headshot photo? While the outcome may seem simple, there are some basics, tips, and know-how that can help you capture a good one. At some point, you might need assistance with headshot photo editing techniques to enhance your images. Learn the full guide here!
The Role of Headshot
Headshot photography is a prominent asset in branding and marketing, particularly for professionals in various industries. It can serve as the first introduction to your professional profile.
Furthermore, the headshot photograph creates the initial impression that either enhances or undermines your credibility and professionalism throughout your career journey.
Producing a headshot picture with high quality can be challenging. While you can certainly try to create one yourself, entrusting the task to a headshot professional who can handle everything from production to post-production is a better option.
Why Headshots Photo Editing is Important?
As one of the dedicated types of photo editing services, headshot editing does not aim to transform someone into someone else. Instead, the retouching and editing process is focused on enhancing the subject’s best profile features. Furthermore, headshot editing improves the image’s quality and makes it more engaging. Here are several things that headshot photo editing can accomplish:
1. Removing Blemishes, Glare, and/or Distractions
People have different skin types, and sometimes it’s difficult to get rid of annoying skin blemishes like acne spots or small scratches on the face.
Alternatively, if you may have a clean and nice headshot, but the lighting is too harsh, it might create an unrealistic glow on your skin. To address these issues, a retoucher or editor can carefully remove the blemishes one by one or adjust the exposure. They can also correct the skin tone of your headshot differently.
2. Reducing Wrinkles
Sometimes, wrinkles may not be noticeable in person, but they can appear more visible in a photo. In such cases, retouching can help you reduce the visibility of wrinkles. The goal is not to make the photographed result look 20 years younger, but rather to represent your current prime condition.
3. Highlight The Person’s Prime Feature
Since the eyes can better reveal a subject’s personality, retouching can highlight the features of your eyes. Additionally, it can also refine and enhance other facial features to make you stand out in the photograph.
4 Fundamental Approaches In Headshot Photo Editing
There are several fundamental editing and retouching approaches involved in the headshot process. Check out the list below!
1. Removing Background
For commercial headshots, it is sometimes necessary to have a different background image for the subject. On the other hand, for personal branding purposes, a plain and tidy background is preferred. Therefore, one of the most basic tasks during the editing process is to remove and replace the background according to the client’s needs.
2. Adjusting Color and Exposure
Color and exposure are two essential elements in shaping the subject’s appearance and creating a consistent and appealing aesthetic. By adjusting both color and exposure, you can achieve more authentic and natural result in your photographs, two aspects that are highly valued in headshots.
3. Eye and Teeth Lightning or Whitening
In headshots, it is often expected for the subject to display their best smile, as a bright smile enhances the overall look of the photo. Similarly, clear and clean eyes contribute to a better appearance.
The editor or retoucher can enhance the teeth and eye colors by using brushes and layer adjustments during the editing and retouching stages. Therefore, this aspect of headshot photo editing is considered vital.
4, Retouching Skin
The most crucial aspect of your headshot is your face, which is why skin retouching becomes necessary to enhance the quality of the photograph. In the skin retouching process, you will discover the approaches incorporated to achieve this.
From removing skin blemishes to enhancing skin texture, photo editors can utilize a variety of tools available in photo editing software, such as clone stamps, frequency separation, and healing brushes.
Tips For Headshot Photo Editing
The photographer should prioritize understanding the client’s needs and objectives before exploring creative aspects. For clients, it is important to adjust their clothing, makeup, and emotions, while maintaining cooperation with the photographer.
Clients should feel comfortable expressing their emotions in line with their objectives, while the photographer should be skilled at naturally capturing them.
On the technical side, in addition to the background, lighting plays a crucial role. It is beneficial to include key light, fill light, and backlight for better results. Moreover, the photographer needs to find a balance in terms of the angle, framing, and composition of the subject’s face, attire, and background. These factors also contribute to the final outcome during the headshot photo editing stage.
You can find a wide range of photo retouching services, including those specifically tailored for headshots, to achieve the desired results. One of the trusted photo retouching services is Dropicts. You can drop Dropicts a message for a free trial or consultation too!
FAQ
- What is headshot style?
Basically, a headshot style is a portrait that emphasizes the person and typically includes the upper part of their body (head and shoulders). There is a wide range of headshot styles available, with more than five options to choose from. However, they can be broadly categorized into two fundamental styles: feature and commercial headshots.
- Is a headshot a portrait?
There is a subtle difference between a portrait and a headshot. A portrait is recognized as a creative or expressive representation of a person. In contrast, a headshot takes on a more professional approach, aligning with the objective of its utilization. Therefore, while headshot photos are considered portraits, not all portraits can be classified as headshots.
- What makes a good headshot photo?
Headshot photo editing is important, but before delving into that, focus on capturing a good headshot photo first. Pay attention to the most essential aspects, such as achieving a high depth of field and using a camera with optimal quality to showcase the subject’s upper profile. Additionally, choose a neutral-colored background.
Ensure that the subject’s face receives proper lighting, position them from the chest-up, and minimize shadows. It is important for the subject to present a clean, tidy, and professional appearance. Direct their eyes to look straight at the camera.
- What’s the proper size for a headshot photo?
The common ratio aspect of headshot photos for either print or digital thumbnails is 8:10 inches.
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