Corporate Headshots, confined space to shoot in.

[luis_modesti]

This will be my only my second job for business Headshots. New challenge. I must shoot 5 hi-profile executives. They are giving me a

very confined space. A small office conference room 11'x25' approximately. But there is a conference table in the middle that cannot be moved out of the way. I'm exploring the possibilities of what I can do and what to avoid. ?

 

I have a medium and a large softboxes and several umbrellas. Two strobes and two speedlights. But i could also rent equipment. They want one of the backdrops to be white, But I only have about a foot or two from the subject to the background. I'm worry about shadow and the white not going fully white if unable to put a light behind subject. Also no much clearance to set hair kicker lights above subject.

 

Any advice and recommendations ?

[Matt Laur]

<p>I'm having a hard time picturing an 11'x25' room - conference table or not - that would only allow you 1' behind your subject. <br /><br />If these really are "high profile" executives, and their images are going to used by the company in web and print material that faces their customers, partners, vendors, and investors ... surely they can find you a slightly better space in which to work for a couple of hours? <br /><br />If you have absolutely no choice, then consider shooting across the table. Are we talking about head-and-shoulders portraits, standing shots ... ? If you only need head and shoulders, seat them <em>at</em> the table, and shoot from across it with a longer focal length. Bring some flat, dark material (like velvet) to lay down on the table in front of them to control reflections so you don't get strange light artifacts from below.</p>

[mark_sirota1]

<p>I don't suppose having them sit *on* the table is a realistic possibility?</p>

[starshooter]

<p>A professional photographer needs to know when there is the need to fire clients. The fantasy that there is only one crummy place to take photos in a presumably corporate building is a cruel joke. Some flunkie is trying to make it easy on himself or maybe he really wants his brother-in-law to take the photos. You have to tell them they are acting in a very unprofessional manner and say "no." It is a very powerful word.</p>

[bob_bill]

<p>How much distance from the long sides of the table and the walls? How wide is the table? Max 4'? I expect there is about 4' from side wall to long side of table when the chairs are moved, a nice "alley." Most folks less than 2.5' shoulder width and narrower if angled towards the main. I would move the chairs from that side, gaffer a 52" white seamless to the back wall at the end of the alley with roll on the floor (or a white pop open against the wall or 6x6 photoflex with white), place reflector for fill on wall beside client who is seated on an adjustable stool set to the tallest person. Main on the table for loop (don't scratch or mar the table) probably the large sbx. Since you are shooting down an "alley" along side the table that only needs be slightly wider than shoulder width, you can move the stool 3-5' or more from the bg to eliminate a shadow. On the other side of the table with stand on the floor, I would aim the small soft box at the bg behind the head of the subject or if not enough room, just a reflector on the light. After you have your aperture for the main, power up the bg lite til you get bg in blinkies, ie pure white. Also, if you have a pair of reflectors, you might try a second silver on the side wall behind the subject just out of frame and try some bg light 2 cushion billiards for a kicker on the shadow side. Since you have 25', consider a 70-200 mm racked out to 200 for as narrow an angle of view and simultaneously as flattering a compression as possible and get back as far as possible and not shoot much wider than the seamless. If you do, just be sure your blinkies completely fill the frame except for the subject then extending the bg in post is a piece of cake. Start shooting the tallest person then as each new person is brought in, raise him into the right height for the lights with the stool and leaving the modeling light on. I did 35 in less than an hour that way having each person find the next person or 2. Since you have never done this before, go to your garage or living room and try the setup before the shoot. You don't want to be bumbling in front of the client. Since you only have 4 shots, doing some cleanup in post like cloning or content aware out any table and extending the bg wont take too long. You may find you have to adjust or change this a bit. It's what I love about location work. What did Clint say: adapt, improvise, overcome. And as Matt suggested, you could use the table as a posing table and shoot with them at the end of the table if you can keep the shadow out of the shot. Perhaps one end of the table is further from the short wall than the other. Also, watch for doorways to move reflectors or lights into making the useable space wider. </p>

[michaelmowery]

<p>You have plenty of room for headshots. Don't bother with a background light just keep the subject right on the backdrop about 1 foot away. I am assuming you are using white seamless paper? Anything else will show texture that close to subject. With the subject close to background it will be same exposure. I personally like to use one large light source 5ft para or umbrella or octal soft box. Using one light source directly behind you will also keep background consistently illuminated. You can also use two umbrellas on either side of you. Just keep them close together as possible to form one wall of light. This lighting technique solves the issue of narrow shooting area. I also put a silver reflector below subject just out of camera view. No hair light needed with white background by the way. This is a real easy shoot and will look good. You can look at my images on my website http://www.michaelmowery.com under corporate to see my shots done with main light behind me. I don't use white background so i have to put light on mine and use hair lights. Good luck!!</p>

[corporatephotographer]

<p>I would suggest that as you have a small space, you keep the lighting to the very minimum. If you start trying to light this with too many lights will result in light bouncing all over the room and make it very hard to control. I would go for one single light and bounce it off the ceiling. That way you wont get any hard shadow behind the sitter as you dont have room to get a light in behind.<br>

I had the same problem on a shoot in Mayfair once and in the end used natural light from and side window and a little bounced light for side fill<br>

If you look at my <a href="http://www.specialimages.co.uk/blog/2011/01/19/natural-portraits-london/">corporate photography Mayfair</a> blog post.</p>

[markonestudios]

<p>Luis, I concur with the advice to keep the lighting simple. No need to rent additional lights; in your case, less is most likely more.</p>

<p>Wayne makes a valid point. See if there is another room that you can use that would require less fudging around. Be very polite about it though. By no means 'fire' the client, especially since you don't know the circumstances or facilities at the firm. If you have no other location, then request if you can come in a few days before to do a dry run, so you get all your ratios, etc. right. Maybe over a weekend, with a friend or two in tow to act as your models. Then, on the day of, you will already have precisely the settings you need and the shoot can be wrapped up in no time.</p>

<p>What lens/es are you working with?</p>

[william_jordan2]

<p>Marc Anthony is dead on correct. The way to defeat a challenging space is to do a test shoot, as he suggests. <br>

Unfortunately, it is not unusual for corporate clients to impose strict time/setting restrictions on headshot sessions. Often it is because the executives or their handlers are puffed up with self-importance, but if you want referrals and repeat business, you have to bite your lip and demonstrate your professionalism not by demanding more time or a better space, but instead that they accommodate your need to prepare properly to adapt to their constraints.<br>

Keep a lighting chart after you finish, and make sure they know that you can guarantee consistency next time they need shots done.</p>