Headshot & Portrait Photography Basics - What Aperture Should You Use?

[@luissalazar2159]

The music gets on the way, thanks for sharing

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thanks! Yep, I've toned down the music in the newer vids.

[@sempringham3868]

Wow! What a great, interesting discussion. Thanks. Almost every video you make helps me improve my work.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Awesome, thank you!

[@luissalazar2021]

I been shooting F8 for over 20 years and never had any problems . I thought with digital camera’s was different but is D-same . Thanks for sharing. I do like your perspective on the subjects

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thanks, Luis. Glad you are enjoying the vids.

[@josecolon8143]

Very well explained! A portrait and a head shot are two different monsters! Thanks for the schooling! 💎💎💎💎Lot of good info newbies and all others!

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Appreciate it dude! Like you said in another comment, you gotta know what the purpose of it is. Not all headshots and portraits are the same, but I definitely enjoy the more creative moody ones personally.

[@josecolon8143]

👍👍👍

[@nickdermilio4326]

Thanks Pete..as always, very helpful!

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

You got it, Nick!

[@smalltalk.productions9977]

thanks for the effort and sharing. i very much appreciate the thoughtful subjects you deal with in your yt vids and that is why i am a subscriber. thumbs up.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thanks so much - I appreciate the kind words and sub! 🙏🙏🙏

[@travism9424]

Great stuff Pete! This was like a “micro master class” right there! I agree with everything you discussed, but my headshots sweet spot in studio is f6.3-8ish. Thx for sharing with everyone😃

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thanks Travis!

[@holdmyown32]

I’m usually at f8-f11, I shoot a lot of realtors that will be cutting themselves out and applying themselves to signs and other marketing materials. If I’m sitting beauty or actors I’ll go down to f4 or so, rarely I’ll go to 2.8.

[@peteristvanphotography]

Lots of great info, thanks!

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

You got it, Peter!

[@wilmerkrusen7501]

So good. So good!!

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thank you!

[@davidhalstead8791]

Great stuff and very informative, but lose the distracting (music) background noise!

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thanks! And, yes, I've toned down the music in newer vids. Let's just say it's been brought to my attention before.😆

[@tpe4ever]

I tend to start at around 85mm 5.6, and open up or stop down depending on the subject. Different people seem to benefit from different apertures, and catching this during the shoot tends to mean less work in post for me, and I have way more fun during the shoot than during edits personally. For an elderly lady who wants to look slightly more youthful, shooting at F8 is not exactly a kind rendition usually I find.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Great advice, Charles. Thank you!

[@nocommentnoname1111]

Unless maybe you WANT to show what time has done to that person. Everything is relevant and must be out in context I believe.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

@@nocommentnoname1111 yes context is key but typically people want to look their best in a headshot.

[@lkasdlf]

Great video!

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@joshuagharis9017]

I use F5.0 or 5.6, but I've heard f6.3 too, 100mm rf macro lens.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

I used to shoot at 5.6 for headshots, but I like the look I get at 100mm with f/4 and even 3.5. Occasionally I shoot at 2.8 depending on the subject angle.

[@damarist2026]

can you do a visual example video on how you got photo 7:49?

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Eventually I will do a lighting video, but probably not for a while. I'm still working on some stuff. Stay tuned!

[@DiviPhotos]

great video

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Franciehatescoffeeicecream]

Actor headshots favour the eyes and really creamy backdrops so a wider aperture of 3.5-5 tends to suit Imo

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Yep I love that look as well. I do the wide open stuff with my portraits and then not quite as shallow for my head and shoulders headshots.

[@jobolitz5753]

Good video, great content. Just one small constructive criticism, if you allow it: the music is too (loud?) distracting over your voice.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thank you! The message on the music was received by a bunch of my viewers so I no longer use any under dialogue in my new videos haha. I appreciate the feedback!

[@dab7963]

Wow photographer Dave Norton also when he shoots his portraits cuts off the top of the head. I noticed in your portraits you also do not include the full top of a person's head. Is this the standard? I guess the face is the most important part but I'm still trying to adjust to the idea of cutting off the top of people's heads when taking a shoulder level portrait photograph.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

This is one of the standard ways to do headshots. I learned this technique from my mentor Peter Hurley, but some people still take vertical/full head photos as well. One way is not better than the other but this is my preference for headshots because it does indeed make the facial expression the most important ingredient to the photo. I also take portraits, and here I don't crop heads out normally and shoot in portrait orientation as well. My goal for clients is to give them a great variety to choose from in the form of headshots and portraits. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@dab7963]

@@PeteCocoPhoto Great I am still learning.

[@yotrif]

Pick me, Pete 📸😊

[@mihgio3235]

and your most used lens for headshots and portraits is ??? thanks

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Right now: Canon EF 70-200 2.8 for headshots, and Canon EF 50 1.4 for half frame portraits. I also use a Fuji XT5 with 16-55 2.8 for some of this work as well.

[@nevvanclarke9225]

If you are using a screen at the back or have a backdrop of some type, then I would go f6 to f8…why because most lenses are sharpest at that Aperture?…

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Sometimes I will stop down. But my favorite kind of portrait is when the only tack sharp part is the eyeball. I do this all the time in my portrait work and my clients love it. Plus if you stop down, then your backdrop is also tack sharp, which I generally don't prefer. I like when the backdrop is also out of focus.

[@nevvanclarke9225]

@@PeteCocoPhoto Yeah, I was purely referring to the actual sharpness of the lens, but I will generally shoot portraits at about F2 .8 …. Don’t like blurry ears are a no no for me, but you make a good point

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

@@nevvanclarke9225 I also make a distinction with a head and shoulders headshot, where I prefer it relatively sharp (usually shoot these around f/4) but when I do portraits I get a bit more artsy about it and don't mind the shallow dof.

[@SpotBentley]

Your background music is distracting and completely unnecessary.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

I appreciate this. I have been going back and forth with the bg music and whether it's needed or just a distraction.

[@SpotBentley]

@@PeteCocoPhoto Music is okay when you aren't talking but if what you say is important, than why not let people hear it without any distractions. I don't and won't watch videos with unnecessary distractions.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

@@SpotBentley Cool, again thanks for the feedback. I look at every video as a learning opportunity so hearing from viewers is important to me.

[@andydragonfisher6900]

@@SpotBentley your loss buddy - if you would reject educational information because the delivery doesn’t meet your exacting learning conditions, you’ll throw away a lot of excellent opportunities. Perhaps working on being more adaptable might be a useful life skill?

[@FBall-im8ui]

nix he background music mate so distracting

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Haha yes I have gotten rid of the music in newer videos.