Behind the Lens: Meet Will Weeks, Your Local Headshot Expert
Hi, I’m Will! I am a headshot photographer (among other things) located in Denver Colorado and the founder of Stone’s Throw Productions. My approach to headshots ensures high-quality, matching headshots that align with your vision as well as a smooth, enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Having a great headshot to represent you and your brand is incredibly important. This blog will help you understand my process and feel confident in planning your headshot session and hiring the right photographer for the job.
Planning is Key
Before any pictures are taken, it is very important to put a plan together for picture day. I start this process by nailing down the look and style we are trying to achieve with the headshots. Sometimes this is as simple as matching existing headshots. For this I ask to see examples of previous headshots which I will use to craft a lighting a backdrop setup that matches that look. Sometimes, there are no existing headshots to go off of. In these instances, I’ll ask that we have a chat to go over your brand image, target audience, and preferred tone so that we can create a style that fits your brand identity and will connect with the right viewers. Subtle changes in the look of a headshot can significantly change the impression they give off, so giving careful consideration to these things will pay off greatly in the long run.
The next step in the planning phase is to go over the logistics of picture day. For high-volume corporate headshots, it is best to find a location in your offices, like a conference room or empty office, to do the photoshoot. This way it minimizes the disruption to everyone’s busy schedule since they simply need to walk down the hall to get they picture taken. Once a location has been selected, it is time to put together a schedule for the day. This involves creating and sending out a signup sheet with available timeslots throughout the day. Each person will sign up for an available timeslot that fits in their schedule. When I first got started, I would just schedule a large window of time where anybody could show up for their picture, but that resulted in many people forgetting to come by, or a large group all showing up at once, creating a bottleneck. Creating a set schedule for the day and having participants sign up for their timeslot reduces the likelihood of people forgetting about their pictures or showing up late. It also facilitates a smoother process and allows me to easily identify anyone who got missed. For most headshot scenarios, I like to have at least five minutes to photograph each person. This is often more time than needed for one person’s headshot, but it gives a buffer to account for those who may show up late or take longer than anticipated to get the perfect shot. This schedule also allows me to organize the final photos by name so you will not need to sort through a giant gallery of photos when trying to find the headshot of a specific person.
The last part of the planning phase which I highly recommend is to send out information about how people should dress for their headshot. this is especially important when using a dark or a white background. I typically provide some info on how to select a great outfit for you headshot including “dos” and “don’ts” based on the specific setup we will be using. For example, if we are using a black background, employees should be encouraged to not wear an all black outfit for their headshots so they don’t risk looking like a floating head in their final photo. For more info on selecting an outfit for your headshot, visit my blog article on the topic HERE.
What to Expect on Picture Day
Next comes the fun part, picture day! I typically arrive an hour to an hour and a half before the first timeslot to set everything up. I will dial in the lighting and take some test shots to ensure everything is ready to go and looking the way we need it to. Throughout the day, it is important that I stay organized and efficient to ensure everything stays on schedule and that nothing falls through the cracks. When someone arrives for their headshot, first thing I do is get their name, then take a picture of their name on the schedule. This way when I am going through the photos later, any time I see a photo of someone’s name, I’ll know the pictures immediately after are of that person.
I will then work with the person to get them some amazing photos! My process is to start with as little direction as possible (just basic “stand there, look here”) then provide additional guidance throughout our time together. I find this helps ease people into the process and is more likely to help them open up in front of the camera. Giving too many directions right away can be overwhelming and make people feel uncomfortable. Not matter what style of headshot we are going for, ensuring each person looks natural and confident is a priority. Achieving this often comes down to connecting with the person, matching their energy, and giving them the type and amount of guidance that they need/want. If I can just let a person do their thing and get some great photos, that is perfect! When someone needs additional guidance, I want them to feel like they are a part of the process by giving simple directions one at a time until we get what we need. I also like to get a few slightly different poses for each person so that there will be options to pick from.
I find a lot of success in getting great expressions if instead of just telling someone to “stand there and smile for the camera” I have a natural conversation with them and try to get a genuine smile. People often think getting headshots done is a stiff, strictly professional process, but I disagree. I like to have fun, to joke around a bit, to make participants feel comfortable and actually enjoy the process. I frequently get laughs out of people, which they will often apologize for, but a photo taken at the right time during a laugh can be an incredibly flattering and friendly smile! I always tell people, “if you feel like laughing, let it out! Just make sure to keep looking at the camera.” This results in much more natural-looking expressions and a more cooperative, collaborative, and fun process overall. Many think that doing headshots is boring, but I see it as an opportunity to meet a bunch of cool new people and make them laugh! Headshot days really can be a lot of fun!
Editing
Next is the most time-intensive part (for me at least), the editing. I do not believe in simply throwing a preset over all the photos or rushing through everything to get it done in a day. I am a perfectionist and only want to create images that I am proud of. Because of this, it can take me up to a full week to edit all of the photos and produce images that meet my standards, but the difference it immediately noticeable. I want each person to look at their photo and be confident in the way they look. I will never do edits that fundamentally change the way a person looks. I won’t do anything that changes facial structure or push things into the realm of the uncanny, but since there is not professional hair and makeup on site for most headshot sessions, I will do some work to get people looking their best. This includes retouching work like removing flyaway hairs, acne, blemishes, bag under eyes, unwanted wrinkles, etc. I also welcome feedback on the final photos and will happily alter the amount of edits to ensure you are happy with the end result. There will be multiple options to pick from for each person so they can pick the photo they feel represents them the best. The number of options depends on the scope and budget of the project.
Final Photo Delivery
The last thing to do is to send out the final photos. Because of the planning done early on with creating a schedule with everyone’s names, I can organize all of the photos by name in an online gallery. There are never additional fees to download the photos, you can download every photo as many times as you want and there are options to download the files at different sizes to best suit your intended use. This minimizes the amount of work you’ll have to do on the back end when downloading and integrating the photos into your business.
Professional Headshot Services in Denver Colorado
Want to experience what it’s like to have a smooth professional headshot experience? See what it’s like to work with the best headshot photographer in yuor area. Don’t hesitate to reach out so we can begin our journey together!