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Photography Shooting Tips: Explore New Options And Experiment With Lighting

Outdoor Headshots Taken At North Raleigh Studio

Headshots Taken Just Outside Our North Raleigh Studio

Brenda and I have been at our current location for almost 2 years as of this blog post. What is interesting to me is that it is just 2 miles from where we were located about 25 years ago. We have no intentions of moving anytime soon and that is one of many reasons that I have to continue to explore how to do things inside and just outside the studio to provide variety for our clients.

Be Aware Of Your Surroundings
The two headshots above were taken within 30 feet of our front door. As you can see, the backgrounds are different. What's interesting to me is that I just started shooting in this particular area within the last few weeks. The key point is to encourage you to look at your surroundings and see what opportunities are in front of you that you may be missing. In addition, keep an open mind as you continue to shoot and find new opportunities.

Change Up The Lighting Inside And Outside
One of the most important areas in photography is lighting. You can easily change the appearance of an image shot on the same background inside or outside to get a different look. Experiment with your lighting by making simple changes to see what happens. For example, on the inside, you can simply cut one light off if you are using two lights and create shadow on once side of the face for a more dramatic look. On the outside, you can under expose the background which makes it darker but expose for a speedlite or strobe on the subject to create a more dynamic look. The example below which was shot outside shows both situations in use with light on one side and the background under exposed.

Edgy Casual Headshot Outside On Brick Creative Lighting Raleigh NC
Oh, You Don't Have A Studio? So What!
Sure, there are advantages to having a studio, but it also adds extra overhead which means you have to have enough business to support a studio. Don't let not having a studio be a barrier for you. You can easily switch out two different backgrounds for headshots on location and change up the lighting to give a lot of variety in under an hour. As for outdoors, you can shoot outside at the clients location or find a spot like Joyner Park in Wake Forest that you ask clients to drive too. FYI, people will drive 30+ minutes. You just have to sell them on the value of what you are offering them and convince them that it's worth their time.

Note To Photographers: As part of my ongoing blogging commitment to myself and to you the reader, keep in mind that this post is less than 500 words and only took a few minutes to write. If you are not blogging, what are you waiting for?

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David Williams

Short Bio About The Author: I'm David Williams a professional commercial photographer focusing on corporate and business clients with some personal branding, lifestyle photography in the mix. My love for photography began in late 1981 while still in High School. I started making money with his camera in 1982. Brenda, my wife, and I started working together in photography in 1988 shortly after we met. Brenda and I married in 1989 and have two adult daughters. Please be sure to get a quote for services if needed. Call or Text: 919.723.8453. Please reach out to connect with me on LinkedIn.