People often ask us if headshot sessions include half-body or full-body views in addition to a standard head-and-shoulders shot. The answer is yes… if that’s what you need.
The key question here is do you really need more than a head and shoulders perspective?
Business and actor headshots typically focus on the face because that’s what people want to see – your eyes and smiling face. When you put more body into the frame what happens is that the face becomes small and obsolete. When viewing a thumbnail image on a website, your face will become tiny and even unrecognizable in a full-body photo.
However, there are a few exceptions that warrant additional images or supportive photos such as:
Environmental portraits – these use the environment around you to help the story of what you do. For example, featuring a start-up business executive in their place of business, a doctor in their office , an artist together with some of their creations, or a realtor with a nice house they recently sold. They all still need a good standard headshot but they can also supplement with 3/4 body shots that pull back and show what they do in addition to their winning smiles.
Another case is specifically for models and actors where a half or full-body shot is a necessity to show off their physique. Again, this full-length view is used only as a supporting image to the primary headshot photo. The most important thing to remember is that your headshot is showing what they really look like so they can get audition calls. That determination for who gets called in to audition is almost always made based on your face.
Lastly, there’s this scenario:
“Seeking male and female Extras with physically fit swimsuit bodies… include several current photos of you in swimwear, your age, height/weight…”
…as you can see by this casting notice. So, if you’re not strictly modeling swimsuits your primary headshot is not going to be an image of you in a swimsuit. That is a supporting photograph.
If you anticipate needing more than a head-and-shoulders view, speak with us before your photo session and we’ll help to figure out what will work best for your needs and situation.
