Student Headshots
One of my favorite types of photography is the portrait or in this case the professional headshot. A quality headshot is like a strong handshake or a good ice breaker, it can quickly establish a bit about who you are and make people take notice. It may seem unnecessary or overkill to spend the money or take the time to have it done, but once you do I believe everyone realizes pretty quickly how useful they are.
Recently for our Festival of Media Arts at Bethany Lutheran College I ran a headshot session for our Visual Arts students. A part of their education involves developing a professional portfolio and online presence. We try to help them consider the way in which they present themselves online and in person and as a part of that process my colleague, Stephanie Heidorn, had the great idea of running a headshot session.
I started by developing a high key and low key look and then each student had a few minutes per background. Throughout the session we chatted, laughed, and I tried to ensure that their personality came through. The goal was that each student came away with a serious or professional photo as well as a more playful image of themselves.
This was easily the most fun I’ve had in a while and I’m already looking forward to next years! I hope you enjoy a selection of images from the day.
