Headshot Research

Headshots or Professional Images can be used in a variety of ways in portfolios;

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In this headshot, the person is captured from shoulder to head, he is also smiling in the picture. In the background, it's just a simple, solid, coloured background which is quite vivid rather than the usual 'passport' headshot where most of the time, it tends to be bland and boring due to the expression of the person (usually not smiling/expressing no emotion) and the background choice (which is usually white, navy or black). This also shows how the person is using this to present to clients that he's upbeat and ready to pursue a job. The lighting in the shot is balanced correctly as there is minimal shade to be seen/it doesn't overpower the shot. He is also looking directly into the camera which would be important as it looks more professional as if he wasn't looking at the camera, it would probably draw away any potential client/agencies.

The background colour and the person's expression could attract clients or agencies when looking for talent, as in the past black and white/standard headshots were the norm up until recently.

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 In this image, the person is fully captured, meaning that you can see the entirety of him and not just above shoulders like most professional images tend to be, he is also facing away, looking into the landscape which would indicate that he isn't the main focus of this picture. The main focus would be the background which is a large and takes up the majority of the picture. The colours of the background are both bright but also mute. This overall shows off his skills rather than himself to clients/agencies.

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In this image, it is already shown to be different to most professional headshots/portraits as it seems to be made up of a sequence of images (creating a GIF) rather than the usual just one image. He also uses a prop within the shot, which is the microphone, this can show off to a client/agency what his main profession is (this person in particular is known for stand up comedy and other jobs related to that category). The background choice, like most is a solid colour, which is white and is also the usual standard when taking professional headshot photos for a portfolio.

 

My Headshots and Creative CV

These are all the photos I had taken of myself, I done multiple just so I had more of a choice to choose from when decided. 

I edited up one of the photos so it could be used on the creative CV, especially since the location on where the photos were taken had lighting that caused some yellowing to occur on the pictures. Using Adobe Photoshop, I used different adjustments to try to limit the amount of yellowing seen in the picture. Auto Tone, Contrast and Colour was used for this which lead to good results, as the picture became much more brighter in comparison to the original photo, which was dark in tone and had the yellowing issue. I did also use some effects such as Airbrushing/Stamping to remove some very small dust particles on my shirt and a mark from a spot on my chin. I also attempted to use the face tool (a tool found in Liquify under Filter), this was to try to make more of a smile on my face though I didn't like the results as I felt like it looked unnatural so it was scrapped. 

This is the CV I created to present myself to the Creative Industry, I took on of the edited headshots and added it to the CV to present/show off myself to a client. Beside my headshot, I included; my name, job titles, a brief description about myself and my current intentions after my Creative Enterprise course is finished. Below my headshot, I included my contact information, Education (with both name of the place and years I've studied there) and Skills so my client would have more of an understanding of what I'm capable of. For the info below my quick description, I added in work experience and hobbies and interests. So far I only have one work experience but I plan to add more once I get more placements for work experience, I also added hobbies and interests so clients could have an understanding for what I do in my spare time.