New Year. New You. New Headshot

January 19, 2022 in Commercial Photography, Editorial Photography, Executive head shots, Head shots, Photos on White, Photos on White Seamless, Portraits

Real life scenario. I often get calls to meet a client either virtually (gotta love Zoom) or in person over coffee to discuss their upcoming photo needs. I am also hired by local and national magazines and agencies to photograph someone for a wide variety of reasons. So I can put a face with a name, I often look the person up on LinkedIn and/or visit their website (or their company's website) beforehand.

Then I meet them…and they look NOTHING like their online photo because their headshot is a decade old…or older.

Sure, we all wish we could turn back the hands of time and look young and perfect forever. This is often the reason many people, especially women, don’t update their headshot.

“I look old”

“I look fat”

“See all these wrinkles here???” ***points all over face…

You name the excuse. I’ve heard it. Sorry guys, you’re just as guilty.

If you haven’t recently updated your headshot, and you’ve run out of excuses, now is the time for a new and better photo of you. Here is why:

You want your online presence and photo to truly represent you and your brand. Whether you need business formal headshots, or business casual (I recommend both), an in-depth professional photo shoot is the perfect opportunity to really stand out as THE top choice for your customers.

Coming up with a plan: Before any photo shoot, I’ll discuss with you the look, style, mood, and purpose for your photos. If desired, we can capture a wide range of emotions with different background colors so you can have lots of options. I personally prefer a white background because it’s bright, airy and lends a fresh look to your photos. However, some individuals and companies prefer a light-to-medium grey background for a more formal look.

As a potential Client, you should consider your career — or future career goals — and how that will influence the look and mood of your photos. Do you need friendly or serious? Business formal or casual Friday? Do you want in studio or on-location? Or both? During our initial call or meeting we will discuss wardrobe options; I am always happy to lend suggestions. Another aspect that is often undervalued and overlooked is the investment of hiring a professional hair and makeup artist. Having a hair and makeup artist or wardrobe stylist on your photo shoot is a game changer. I have a small makeup kit in my camera bag to powder noses and hairspray to tame flyways, but there’s only so much I can do. Having an on-set professional to look out for hair, makeup, and wardrobe is critical to help you look your very best. It’s an investment, but it’s worth it.

During the photo shoot: I don’t limit the amount of wardrobe changes or background changes during my headshot sessions. I want you to have as much variety as possible. Within our time frame, there may be some limitations based on the number of outfits, comfort and ease in front of the camera, hair and makeup changes, etc. The more the variety, the better. I always proof photos on set to an iPad so you can see yourself and make adjustments to your posture, smile, body language. I encourage everyone not to be too overly critical and avoid nitpicking themselves. We are our own worst critic. All of those minor flaws can be fixed. Your smile, stance and body language are the most important things.

After the session: I create a password-protected online gallery so you can review your photos. The first preview of photos will have basic color-corrections. I invite you to take your time and go through a few rounds of selections to narrow down your top choices. I am happy to lend a second opinion, however the choice on which photo(s) you want is up to you. After you’ve made your final selection(s), then each photo is retouched in detail. It’s unrealistic to think you’ll look 20 years younger or 30 pounds lighter. Why? Because it’s not real. It’s not who you are. I encourage all of my Clients to find beauty within themselves and more importantly, to love themselves exactly who they are.

With good lighting plus professional hair & makeup, the right camera angles, and tailored retouching specific to you, you CAN look better than you imagined!

In November 2021, the Chief Financial & Administrative Officer for Independent Case Management of Little Rock reached out to me to inquire about headshots for their leadership team. ICM is a not-for-profit organization that provides home and community-based supports to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) throughout the state of Arkansas. After we coordinated dates, scouted out a location, and did a little advance planning, photos were taken in December a few weeks before Christmas. After the Client made their selection, their retouched photos were delivered via digital download on January 5, 2022. You can read their testimonial here (and more), but here is what my new Client had to say:

We were looking for a photographer who could execute our vision of fresh, modern headshots. Karen’s work in her online portfolio drew us in and aligned with what we were seeking. She was very responsive and attentive to detail when we reached out to her. Karen made sure every detail was taken care of. She worked with us through all the steps from booking, what to wear, what to expect, and she was very professional and warm. Our expectations were exceeded! The photo set up and session was high-end and felt very cutting edge. We felt like we were in great hands. Karen’s approach to making people look and feel their best shines through her work. — Kathryn Rogers | Chief Financial & Administrative Officer | ICM of Arkansas
To see ICM’s new head shots, you can view them here.

If you’re ready to put your best face forward and start 2022 with a new headshot, e-mail me and we can discuss. I’d love to work with you. 501-607-0090 or you can visit my get in touch page.

Personal footnote

It had been four years since since my last headshot, and I had run out of excuses. It was time.

I took my own advice. I coordinated with a professional photographer whom I trust, hired hair and makeup and brought a few different outfits that represented me and my brand.

After we shot the professional photos, my makeup artist said, “Ok girl, this hair is too perfect. It’s got to go. Let’s go full-on Pat Benatar and mess this up.” I changed into a sweater and wore my puffy jacket. Naturally, those photos were my favorite. The causal look is more me and represents my brand perfectly!

I LOVE the results.

Executive Head Shots | Project for Windstream | Arkansas Head Shot Photographer

September 30, 2020 in Advertising Photography, Commercial Photography, Executive Portraits, Head shots, Executive head shots

I’ve proudly been working with Arkansas Business, and their parent company, Arkansas Business Publishing Group, for several years. Arkansas Business is Arkansas’ leading and most well-respect magazine and newspaper focusing on all things business.

I received an assignment from one of their reporters to photograph Tony Thomas, the CEO of Windstream for an upcoming article. Windstream, is a provider of voice and data network communications to businesses in the United States. It is the ninth largest residential telephone provider in the country with service covering more than 8 million people in 21 states.

I always ask for a brief synopsis of what the feature is about so I can take an appropriate photo to accompany what is written. I coordinated the photo shoot with their director of media relations, David Avery, and a date and time was set. He was also kind enough to send me a few iPhone photos of a location he recommended. It was a tech-y room with several rows of servers. I knew Tony Thomas had a limited amount of time for the photo shoot so I arrived early — which I do for all photo shoots, especially with CEO’s since their time is limited.

I set up lights, tested… and tested again…. We were done in under 30 minutes.

I used a simple, three light setup: The key light was a Profoto B10 with a Westcott Beauty Dish and a honeycomb grid. Directly behind Thomas at waist height is a Profoto B2 with a party green gel and a 20-degree grid facing away from him and reflecting off of steel metal cabinet doors. Out of frame at camera right is another Profoto B2 with party gel blue and barn doors.

Tony Thomas, CEO of Windstream. Photographed for Arkansas Business. — Tony Thomas, CEO of Windstream. Photographed for **Arkansas Business.**

To my surprise, before the photo shoot even happened, David disclosed to me that he and the CEO, had visited my website and liked what they saw. So they asked me if I would be interested in taking a series of photos for their executive leadership team. After a few text and e-mail exchanges with David, we coordinated another meeting to tour location options for the photo shoot and to discuss the look and plan for their executive head shots. David showed me their current executive photos and I was told quickly they we ready for a fresh, new and different look compared to their last photo shoot which was nearly five years ago. I made a few recommendations on the direction I was thinking and showed him a few inspiration photos for reference.

Less than two weeks later, we were shooting.

I always recommend to anyone who wants basic executive head shots to considering doing a more casual portrait on the same day. There is a definite need for formal, executive photos, but there is also need for something a little less buttoned up. I like to call them Casual Friday portraits. Something more relaxed and a little softer. Instead of the location being their corporate headquarters, we went back to the lab (where I took the Arkansas Business photo) and we used the offices as a background. I like the contemporary mix of wood doors, steel framing and glass walls. That was my choice for the Casual Friday photos For the head shots: white seamless paper.

We did a two light setup at once. At one end of the hallway, was the Casual Friday with a simple two light setup: The key light was a Profoto B10, at camera left, and a deep white umbrella with a diffusion panel. The kicker light at camera right was a Profoto B1X and a shoot through umbrella to light the hallway with a slight bit of light on their (camera) right shoulder, cheek and hair.

Way in the back against a wall, I set up a 10-foot roll of seamless paper in Arctic White. Lighting the background were two Profoto B2s, each with a silver umbrella with a black backing. The key light directly behind me and over my head was a Profoto B10 and a deep white umbrella with a diffusion panel. Side lights were another Profoto B2 set with gridded strip boxes. In full disclosure: one of the strip boxes was bent and would not lock down so I used my Westcott Beauty Dish and a grid and it worked perfectly. Underneath and in front of each person was a Westcott Eyelighter with white fabric.

Per my recommendation, I brought in hair and makeup to polish off everyone’s look. Each person brought a few suits, ties choices and Casual Friday options so we mixed and matched wardrobe.

Here are some of my favorites from the photo shoot. You can see each person’s executive head shot on the Windstream website.

Windstream

Commissioned Photo Shoot for Cathy Owen: Arkansas Portrait Photographer

May 16, 2018 in Behind the Scenes, Portraits

On April 3, 2018, Cathy Owen, chairman of Eagle Bank & Trust, and chairman, president and CEO of State Holding Co. in Little Rock, was installed as the Chairman of the Arkansas Bankers Association. She is also the first female in the 128 year history of the organization to serve as its Chairman. Cathy was featured on a recent cover of Arkansas Banker magazine with an accompanying profile.

Cathy Owen, 2018-2019 Chariman of the Arkansas Bankers Association.

I first met Cathy Owen a few years prior when I photographed her for a profile for Arkansas Business. Since then, Cathy has been receiving my quarterly e-mailers I send to all my clients. She contacted me back in January to discuss her ideas and desires for the photo shoot. Cathy wanted a clean, contemporary and modern setting for the photos. In addition to photos for the magazine, Cathy requested other photos for various professional needs and we updated her executive head shot.

We chose a glass stairwell located at a privately owned business. The business also had an old banking vault door dating back to the late 1800s. It was a perfect location for the secondary artwork needing for the project.

I scouted the location the week before with Cathy to determine angles, lighting placement and to discuss wardrobe. With the transparent glass that had a slight blue-green tint, Cathy brought numerous clothing choices in varying colors so we could determine which ones worked best against the glass.

Cathy changed outfits four times throughout our half day photo shoot and each one complimented her and the location perfectly. We chose the vibrant red, Eagle Bank red, as the final outfit for the photo against the brass vault door. She is pictured with her husband Steve.

“I was very impressed with the originality and quality of her professional photography on the 2017 photos she emailed. I couldn’t have been any more impressed with the professionalism and end results of the photography work of Karen and her husband.” -- Cathy Owen.

The glass stairwell had a ton of natural light but I knew that was not going to be nearly enough. I kept the lighting clean and simple: For the stairwell portraits, I used one Profoto B1x with and my modifier was a three-foot Octabox with a simple white bounce. We needed a double arm on the C-stand to safely hang it over the top railing to give the lighting angle I needed.

The headshot was the same setup with an added smaller softbox as a hair light. For the vault, we turned off all the overhead florescent lights (it was in an office) and the key was the same B1x combo plus another B2 bounced into the white reflector to light up the vault door.

I also used the CamRanger system to proof photos directly to my iPad so Cathy could see her photos and make requests and any adjustments as the day progressed.

Check out a few BTS below.