On Assignment : Dawn's Head Shots

Dawn was looking to add some business type head shots to her portfolio and I was happy to help out.

I had met Dawn at a previous shoot, but there was something about her that looked very familiar. Apparently I was not the first to tell her she reminded me of Lynda Carter, the actress that played Wonder Woman.

As I mentioned, Dawn was looking for a business type look. We were meeting on a Saturday afternoon and we didn't really have access to an office interior, so we picked an exterior location that would work. These images were all taken around the courthouse in downtown McDonough. I did a mix of natural and off camera flash, depending on the location of the sun.

I like the texture of the background in the image above. It looks like it was taken in a studio with a muslin backdrop. It's actually the exterior of the courthouse. I used a 60" reflective umbrella with a 580EXII at full power.

The next setup was on the courthouse steps. I was also shooting in direct sun, which made for some harsh lighting. In the previous setup, we were in the shade. I needed some shade, so I made my own. I used the same 60" umbrella, but only used it to create shade without firing the flash. There was enough light being reflected from the ground and wall to create a nice soft light without any additional light source.

These next shots were setup similar to the above shots. There was just a little bit of the sun coming through the trees. I didn't need to use the umbrella, instead Dawn's boyfriend, stood  off to the side to block the little bit of light coming through. I also used the umbrella with the 580EXII at 1/8 power for a little fill. I switched to my 50 mm ƒ/1.8. I wanted a shallow depth of field. You can see the umbrella in the background reflection.

I didn't need to use a flash for the images above, but as you can see in the last image, the eyes are lit up by the little bit of flash. It makes a world of difference and draws you to them, as a portrait should.

The next setup was at the parking garage, behind the courthouse. I used the same one light setup I'd been using all day.

Dawn drives a nice red convertible, which made for a nice prop for this series of shots. Of course we had to put the top down. As I was moving around I saw the shot in the mirror. It took me a couple of shots to get the perfect framing and positioning of the glasses.

We were losing light and I got this last shot. Once again, it was a little tricky trying to not get so much reflection from the light on her glasses. Got a little of the flash on her glasses on this one, but I think it works and helps draw your attention to her eyes.

I had a great time and got some great images of Dawn. I've got a couple prints on order for Dawn's portfolio. BTW, Atlanta Photography Guild members got a special treat a couple weeks later when she modeled for them. She actually has a Wonder Woman costume and brought it with her. There were some great images and she looked incredible.

If you're looking for a portrait photographer in the Atlanta area, visit my portfolio.