You can tell a lot about a person by his underwear.
Rachel Bilson
Boxer-Clad Professional: Gets Certified
Listening to a podcast on business and marketing recently, they made a point of writing catchy headlines. So there you go. Boxer-Clad Professional: Gets Certified! I’m grateful that you chose to click, rather than scroll by. Your reward is a photo of me in my boxer shorts working on a problem required to pass the technical exam for certification as a “professional” from the Professional Photographers of America, the accrediting body.
In my defense, it was Sunday morning. And by the way, I’m writing this blog Thanksgiving morning in my boxers… (I’ll try to work up something special for Christmas.)
In Case You’re Curios
In case you are curios, I’ll describe what I’m doing.
It all began last July. Work was real slow so I made myself a candidate for professional certification. I passed the 100 question written exam in August. Then I ordered the kit for the technical exam which included three sheets of grey poster paper, a 14″ manikin, a white Styrofoam ball, eight crayons and a black sharpie.
The test specified the paper should laid out three deep and the base of the manikin 8 inches from the front. The image must fill the frame with no floor showing. Since I was using studio strobes, the white balance was set to 5500 kelvin. The main light was camera left and the fill light was behind the camera.
So, this is number 1 of 3 different images for which I was required to submit the raw files. Camera raw is exactly the photo taken. No adjustments of any kind. (Any time a photo is retouched or modified it becomes a different format like tiff, psd or jpg. And raw contains all the data that went into making the image.)
Given the above conditions, the image was to be shot at f13 leaving me to calculate a 3:1 lighting ratio for the exposure.
In the raw format, this image was tested for proper exposure with minimal clipping in the shadows and highlights.
Your “Professional” Image
Does your headshot as it appears on your website, LinkedIn or where ever you brand yourself convey professionalism? Or something less? Are you a real CEO, or just an imposter trying to make a splash on Facebook or other media?
What makes a well made image?
A well-made image (when it comes to portraits) balances technical expertise and creative expression to capture the essence of the subject. Key elements include:
- Proper lighting, which highlights the subject’s features and creates depth through soft or dramatic shadows.
- Composition, which uses techniques like the rule of thirds or leading lines to draw attention to the face and eyes.
- The background plays a crucial role, with either a blurred bokeh effect for simplicity or intentional details that enhance the story.
- A strong connection with the subject ensures natural, emotive expressions that resonate with viewers.
- Additionally, attention to color harmony, posing, and the use of focal length to flatter proportions further elevates the portrait, making it both visually compelling and emotionally engaging.
If you’d like your image to be well-made, you can reach me here.
Small Sample of Well Made Headshot Portraits.
Final Thought
Happy Thanksgiving. I hope your day is blessed.
Your friend,
Mike
