August was a crazy month for me and it was all about headshots! As I'm sure you can tell by the title of this post, between my time at the Art Institute of Charlotte and my internship at Sporting News, headshots seemed to be all I was doing. Now don't get me wrong I am no expert on headshots but, I understand that much like the portrait, I need to make sure my client's personality shines through. That statement may not always fit depending on what the headshot is for but, I would definitely say it is a general rule.

On the technical side of things, I used a 2 and half light set up for all of these shots. The half being my reflector to add some fill under the chin.

The Setup...

Main Light: 50" Mega JS Apollo square softbox (bit.ly/1lwYl2H) on a PROMASTER® PL400 Advanced LCD Control Studio Monolight - 400ws #9469. (bit.ly/1uuliU7)

Hair light: I used a brolly softbox umbrella that I bought from Biggs Camera here in Charlotte, with a Britek PS-200B Battery Powered Strobe Light from Amazon. (http://amzn.to/1x6WCXf)

Reflector under everyone's chin to fill in some of the shadows.

Backgound: Pop up white/black backdrop for quick set up on a background stand with clamps. (http://amzn.to/1w3jvqc)

So that's that! Check out some of the shots below and don't be afraid to comment or offer suggestions to help me grow!

- Peace.

Today in Charlotte, NC photographers, makeup artists, and other volunteers gathered together at the Salvation Army Center of Hope to give back to the community doing what we do best...TAKING PICTURES!!!

All made possible through the organization of Help-Portrait.

Founded by Celebrity Photographer Jeremy Cowart, Help-Portrait is a community of photographers coming together across the world to use their photography skills to give back to their local community.

In December, photographers around the world will be grabbing their cameras, finding people in need and taking their picture. When the prints are ready, the photographs get delivered.

Help-Portrait is all about giving free portraits, not taking them. Blessing those who are not necessarily able to have professional portraits done for themselves or their families.

This was my first year participating in Help-Portrait. I found out about it through the Charlotte Photography Group at www.meetup.com (which is an excellent resource for finding events based on your interests). It really made my heart glad to see people so excited about having their pictures taken.

I assisted a photographer by the name of Matt Pock, a photographer for the local Charlotte magazine "Shutter 16". Between his excellent ability to work the lens and my professional portrait posing (say that three times fast), we were really able to produce some portrait magic.

Finally...an event that combines my passion for art and my love of people. See you next year Help-Portrait!

Headshots, Headshots, and more Headshots!!!

Help Portrait - Charlotte