Headshots
Headshot shoots are quick and easy. I usually do them by myself. The session lasts at most 90 minutes. We meet in a coffee shop, bar, or restaurant and shoot there. Or, we can walk a street such as Valencia. When we find a place we like, we ask permission and shoot. We will spend the first 30 minutes signing the model release and planning our shots. Then, we will setup lighting for two scenes using a handheld reflector. In each scene, we will capture about 15 images. When we are done editing, we will have about 6 final images.
Portraits
For a full, 3-hour, portrait shoot we use a neighborhood with good lighting and backgrounds as well as coffee shops, bars, restaurants, and stores. Often my wife, Janet, and I work as a team. We will spend the first 30 minutes signing the model release and planning our day. Each scene takes about 30 minutes. So we will complete about 5 scenes. In each scene we will shoot a few poses and for each pose, we will shoot headshots, torso, three-quarters, and full body shots. When we are finished editing, we should have 25 images.
Studio Sitting
Our studio is in our home. In a 2-hour sitting we will spend about 30 minutes signing the model release and planning. Then, we will shoot about 3 lighting setups. Each setup takes time because we experiment with lighting using umbrellas and V-flats.
The studio is very new. Here are four images by my wife, Janet.
