With a camera, a simple backdrop, soft daylight and minimal Photoshop skills, anyone can take great headshots in a flash. In this three-part article, learn how to set up the shot, work with your model, and polish the final shots using Photoshop.

PART 1 – THE SET UP
A couple of weeks ago, my best friend Wendy called me with an urgent problem. Wendy is a brilliant singer and was heading off to Bloomington for a big gig. Trouble was, she had no headshots for the brochure and poster. She needed them that day. Yikes!

Here’s what we had available:

· An old white tablecloth

· (2) A-clamps

· My point-and-shoot Canon PowerShot A70 (3 megapixels)

· Some Daylight

· Photoshop

With these few materials, we were able to make some great shots which she can use on her website, in publicity materials, and nicely framed on her mom & dad’s coffee table. We knew from the start that these pics won’t make the greatest 8×10 prints because the 3 megapixels isn’t quite enough for that large a blow-up, but this was our best shot with 3 hours notice!

My first step was to walk around the exterior of my house to look at the light. I wanted a bright, shady spot, with perhaps a little backlight from the sun. I found an area that fit the bill and clamped the white tablecloth to the low roofline between the garage and the backdoor using the A-clamps. We tried a few shots in this area with the sun behind giving Wendy a backlight. This light wasn’t working for me because the backlight was too strong and the light on Wendy’s face was unflattering and washed out.

I went to plan B. I took Wendy to the other side of the tablecloth under the covered breezeway. This area became a shady kind of box with bright, indirect light bouncing off the concrete driveway behind me. The driveway illuminated her face with flattering soft light. I was very pleased with the look and we stayed in this area for the rest of our shoot.

For my camera, the first thing I did was set the resolution to the highest setting. With my camera, this is 2048 x 1536. Next, I turned off the flash. The light level was sufficient (it was 11am) but I didn’t want a shadow falling on the backdrop behind her. If I had had more distance between Wendy and the tablecloth, I would have tried some shots with the flash set to the lowest level to give her a little extra fill and a sharp eyelight.

Stay tuned for next week’s part 2, Working with Your Model to Get the Best Expressions.