Headshot Photography Hacks! Follow the Nose For Awesome Headshots & Portraits

[@johnnyroyale9181]

Another game changing video!

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thanks Johnny!

[@marinagrosling5623]

Nice tipps, thnx

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thanks!

[@acciaremy]

Thanks as always Pete! 😊

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

My pleasure!

[@giventvlogs2165]

i like this tut tnxxxx petye

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

You're welcome!

[@HaldunT]

İt is so informative. Thanks a lot.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Glad it was helpful!

[@josecolon8143]

Outstanding Big brother! Great school lesson! 👏👏👏👏

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thanks brother, appreciate you!!

[@CollabCurator]

Thanks for the tips.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

You bet!

[@GlennHubbers]

Hi Pete, just discovered your channel and I'm liking it so far! (I also shoot Fuji, currently using the X-T3) This is interesting. Thanks. You didn't address lighting direction in this video. To what degree do you think that lighting direction plays a part? Would lighting direction actually change which side is better? Or do you notice which side is better for the subject and then light direction is an artistic choice after that?

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thank you Glenn! Lighting direction will not change which side is better, but it can definitely emphasize or detract from features, so it's incredibly important to make sure it falls properly over the face. If I'm using an even light which I often do for headshots, it's just a matter of turning them in the other direction. But, if I set up a key light to one side, and I realize that it's not their best side, I just flip it around during the shoot and keep going.

[@Pixelpeeps-69]

Great video 👌I think the lens focal length makes the biggest difference to to actual photo as well as the angle too

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Absolutely! But if you shoot the bad side the no focal length will fix it. 😆

[@Pixelpeeps-69]

@@PeteCocoPhoto true but if your using a wider focal length it will only cause more distortion to the bad side 😆

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

@@Pixelpeeps-69 Yep definitely!

[@nevvanclarke9225]

Hey Pete, I’ve got a question question why the camera has to focus on the eyes I get it to eyes are beautiful and all of that. But this is just me being maybe logical or illogical depending on which way you look at it, but wouldn’t it be better if we actually focused on the cheeks as that is the biggest area of the face I know at F1 .8 in theory, the eyes will be in focus as well as the cheek but I’m kind of wondering about that because I’ve seen some photos taken at 1.8 where the eyes are in focus but the nose looks slightly blurry and that’s because it’s not in focus now is that a decision to take a photo at 1.2 silly probably 1.4 probably but at 1.8 you’d like to think that most of the face would be in focus but I noticed it wasn’t….. What is your thoughts on? I detection and eyes being the focus of where we should focus. I know it’s slightly off topic to what you’re talking about but it relates thank you

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Hey Nev, here's how I look at it. When I look at someone, I am immediately drawn to their eyes. This is just human nature. For me, if I shoot a creative portrait (not a headshot), as long as the eyes are sharp, everything else can be soft and sometimes I prefer it this way. If the eyes are out of focus, it just looks like a blurry image, especially since there is nothing drawing you into a person's cheek, for instance. When I do head-and-shoulders headshots like the cover photo of this video, I always shoot around f/4 because I want the face to be pretty much in focus. If the ears are soft that's okay but since a headshot is a functional tool for actors and corporate workers, I want the face in focus. Hope this explains it and thanks for watching!

[@nevvanclarke9225]

@@PeteCocoPhoto yes it makes it 100% logical the way you explained it and thank you I’ve always wondered about it. I’ve been pretty much a general photographer and landscape photographer but I am now doing some portrait work for people and it’s coming along nicely bit by bit. I will progress to more advanced portraits in the coming months. But it was just a curiosity. I’ve just purchased a Fuji film XT5 and oh my gosh it’s a beautiful camera and the portraits from that camera I just amazing I almost feel like it’s cheating because when I take the photo with the Fuji film XT5, they just look so fantastic. I feel like it’s almost too easy, but I’m embracing it because having been a photographer for a long time income from film I’m enjoying this now

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

@@nevvanclarke9225 That's great! I love the XT5. Portrait photography is challenging but so rewarding.

[@nevvanclarke9225]

@@PeteCocoPhoto i’m going to approach it differently. I definitely won’t be going for the soft butter, skin tones, and for external lights and all that kind of stuff I want to do candid portrait photography in the streets with people I’m gonna set up what I call a pop-up photography portrait studio. Essentially, I set up in a place for about three hours, bomb it social media and see who comes. If no one comes, it doesn’t matter but offer, affordable, portrait photography for people in a candid way, the real them, and not some for like airbrushed looking photo that is simply not them. I want to capture the true them and that’s I’m going to do

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

@@nevvanclarke9225 Very cool idea. Best way to learn is with natural light and then if you move on to strobes it's much easier.

[@Enrique-the-photographer]

Pete, your advice is probably good for some people, but definitely not for me, I told my mother-in-law that she has a crooked nose and she threw a jamon y queso empanada at me🤣 Good video as always.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

LOLOL I need to make a video specifically on how to photograph mothers in law. Step one: Don't. 😆 Thanks as always Enrique!

[@guyphoto9437]

In many decades of people photography: models, glamour, fashion, headshots, portraits, etc. I have seen the bar become lower and lower as far as what constitutes a good headshot. Peter Hurley is a mediocre high school yearbook photographer, but a good headshot photographer he is not. He's in it to sell things, which I understand he does well by developing a cult following. And all of that's ok, it's a capitalistic society, we can do that. But please don't buy into his BS about him being a great headshot photographer. A headshot is one of the easiest things to photograph, you could train a monkey to shoot headshots.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Honestly Guy you just sound very angry, bitter, and jealous with this comment.

[@guyphoto9437]

@@PeteCocoPhoto Lots of real pro photographers are saying this, but the majority don't say it in a public forum. There are lots of alleged photographers taking advantage of "newbies" in our industry. I say it because our professions are in a decline because of a lack of knowledgeable "mentors".

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

@@guyphoto9437 I respectfully disagree. Peter has been an amazing mentor to me and is extremely generous with his time and knowledge. I know many photographers who have grown very successful businesses based on what they learned from Peter (myself included).

[@guyphoto9437]

@@PeteCocoPhoto l suspect you are a relative "newbie" to photography, as are all of the Peter followers I have met. And I suspect you've bought all of the unnecessary equipment he sells. We will most likely never agree. The difference is I've been in this business far longer than you have and I'm not into "gimmick" sellers. But if it works for you that's good.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

@@guyphoto9437 No need to "suspect" anything about me since my name and work are out there for all to see. You, however, have an anonymous handle which makes it easy to criticize what others are doing without any fear of being criticized back. If you are the expert with decades of experience as you claim I would love to see some of your work as I am always looking to learn from those with more experience than me. What's your web address if you please?