Archetype Light and Dark

The prevailing wisdom about headshots is the best shot is the one that does not contain a single shadow.

I disagree.

It's not the light that communicates. It is the shadow and its placement, the shadow's color and intensity, that communicate more than anything else.

Joette Waters came to me because she wanted to add some "grandma" shots to her comp card. We talked about her recent auditions and the types of roles she wanted to play and we boiled them down to two archetypes: Good Grandma and Evil Grandma.

These two shots were taken with essentially the same set up. The only real difference is the type of light used and the camera angle, and yet these are very different pictures. The difference is not just in the expression, not just the severity of the light, but in the placement and intensity of the shadows.

It's true that they are also very specific headshots and that Good Grandma is probably going to get Joette more calls. But a complete session with a headshot photographer should not only include that standard, shadow-free shot, but it should also address your specific marketing needs and incorporate all elements of the photograph to communicate who you are as an artist and professional.