Outdoor vs Indoor Actor Headshots
Looking to book a headshot photographer? Not sure whether to shoot outdoors or in a studio? Hopefully this will help.
Spotlight receives thousands of new headshots per day. So, with all that competition, deciding on the style of your headshot is so important if you want to stand out.
So, one of the key questions is whether to have your next actor headshots taken in a studio or outdoors?
Much as I would love to give a balanced view of Outdoors vs Studio Headshots, I don’t think I really can. There are so, so, many reasons that we shoot actor headshots in a studio. In the early days of Lumosia, we did a few sessions outdoors under bridges like many others but soon realised why shooting in a studio suited us way better.
Here are some of the reasons we shoot only in the studio
Control of light:
Photography is all about light. Creating flattering or dramatic light is what we do to create headshots with impact. In the studio, we can use a wide range of light modifiers and shapers that allow us to create light that is best for you.
Every face is a different shape and we change our lighting for that and also to subtly convey different character types. A bright and fresh commercial look is very differently lit to a dramatic theatrical headshot. Shooting headshots outdoors, you can find good light and shape it to a degree but it’s so hard to control all the aspects in such a wide area.
Many outdoor headshot photographers shoot under a bridge or in an alley to control the light which can give a nice look. However, the range of different light and moods that you can create is limited without lots of items to flag and shape the light.
Weather:
In the UK, the weather can be so unpredictable. Apart from a few months of the year, when standing outside having headshots taken you stand a fair chance of getting cold, wet or both!!
If you have ever spent time on your hair only to have it ruined the second you go outside and hit the wind, rain, humidity, etc. you will know how the weather can really affect your look.
A gust of wind in your hair can look like a wind machine and create an amazing look. However, it’s much more likely that it act like that and your hair can go everywhere!
In our studios, it’s always warm and dry and the only wind comes from the hair dryer that is available for you to use. Being inside means we are not fighting the elements and can focus on getting you the best possible headshots.
Places to get changed, shave, change hair, etc.
We have spoken to actors that when they have had headshots taken outdoors, they had to get changed in the photographer’s car, the toilet in the cafe or with a modesty blanket around them!
In our headshot studios, we have dedicated areas to get changed with total privacy and no fear of being seen changing in public!!
Many of our actors also want to change their look during the sessions. Whether it’s shaving a beard or curling their hair, it’s so easy in the studio with bathrooms, power points, etc.
Privacy:
I think we have hinted to this earlier but being photographed in public will draw attention. From passers-by who just glance to those that stare and of course the comedians with their super funny comments. As an actor, you may have chosen a career that seeks an audience. But I am not sure that being stared at in the street is the same thing!!
Professionalism:
It may well just be our opinion, but we would feel a bit funny having a full-time business based on meeting people in the street, photographing them publicly and asking them to change in toilets, cars etc. we certainly feel like it’s not the most professional full-service business.
All day shooting:
A real advantage of shooting in the studio is that we can shoot at any time day or night and get the same results. We don’t have to stop early in the winter months when we lose light, nor do we have to wait until later in the day when the sun isn’t blazing.
Having control of our lighting essentially means we can shoot 24 hours a day and still deliver the same consistency of headshots.
Final Thoughts:
Outdoor headshots can look great. In the right circumstances the light can be beautiful and the background amazing. Believe me, there would be so much less equipment to buy and studios to pay for if we didn’t have the studios. However, we truly believe that offering Actor Headshots from a studio offers so many more advantages than shooting outside.
