Actor Headshot Lighting: Natural or Studio?
Today, we get to explore the difference between lighting styles with Actor Headshots
Should Actor Headshots have Natural Lighting or Studio Lighting?
One of the questions we get at Palm Lake Headshots from Orlando actors is: Do you use natural light or studio lighting for acting headshots?
The answer is simple - both!
Sometimes, headshots need the look of all natural light, sometimes full studio lighting, and more often than you might think: a combination of both. The type of headshot you need for your portfolio will help us determine what type of lighting will be used for your headshots. Often, if you’ve booked more than one look, we will even use more than one lighting technique to get you the best effect. Our goal is to create acting headshots that WORK for you, and lighting can play a huge role in creating a headshot that will get you auditions.
We will go over the three different lighting setups that we use at Palm Lake Headshots for our acting headshots and why each has it’s own benefits (and drawbacks). The fine details of headshot lighting can make a big difference in how your headshot presents! Let’s talk about what three lighting setups we use for our headshots and why you may want one, the other, or all three during your acting headshot photography session.
Using 100% natural light for actor headshots
We love using God’s beautiful sunshine for our acting headshots. This type of light can be beautifully warm, bright, and provides a soft, attractive look for your actor. Natural light has a knack for evening out flaws, shadows, and even blemishes. We also love how natural light makes the eyes “pop” by constricting the pupil and showing off your actor’s beautiful eye color. Showing the true eye color of an actor in their headshot is a vital component to a successful headshot, as casting directors want to see details about an actor’s appearance clearly and accurately.
It’s incredibly important for your photographer to know how to wield natural light. For instance, you don’t want your light to bounce from the ground up, or you will have a “ghostly” appearance (think campground ghost stories with a flashlight). You also don’t want your light only overhead (at high noon, or under clouds), because this can create heavy, dusty-looking shadows in the eyes, and does not expose evenly in camera.
Using natural light does come with a few drawbacks, however! Sometimes the sunlight just isn’t working in our favor and can be too bright, or too dull if the sky is overcast. In these cases, I usually opt for garage light (lol!). It acts like a beautiful soft-box and allows for creamy backdrops. If your agency or coach requests a natural light acting headshot, we will shoot in the late afternoon when the sun is low and easily wield-able.
Simply adding a few reflectors makes a world of difference for acting headshots. It brings life to the eyes (look at that catchlight!) and ensures that the actor’s entire face is lit evenly. This type of lighting is more flat, but also very flattering and soft… perfect for the commercial look that actors often need in the Florida commercial market.
Benefits of using only natural light for acting headshots
There are a few reasons why actors, in the Florida commercial market, may want to ask about using natural light for their headshots.
All natural light actor headshots are more friendly and approachable in appearance.
Since the majority of work comes from commercials in Florida, having headshots that are friendly and approachable is a must for actors. Natural light is more flat on the skin, meaning, there are no dramatic shadows. Having hard shadows is a great look for acting headshots at times, but normally is more appropriate for theater headshots or film acting headshots. We would use shadows for types like the detective, CEO, or street-smart characters.
For commercial looks, you want your headshots to seem like a character is out for a BBQ on a warm day. Natural light is normally your best bet at creating this type of look that casting directors will relate to and feel excited about.
100% natural light headshots are also great for young actors, as this type of lighting keeps an actor looking fresh and youthful. Natural light allows freckles to show clearly, eye color to be accurate, and for the actor to appear friendly and confident.
Natural light provides true color tones.
One of the most important things about your acting headshots is accuracy to appearance. Natural light leaves no room for interpretation regarding your eye color, skin color, and hair color. Your eye color will truly pop with natural light when used correctly.
It’s really important to find a photographer who knows how to use natural light for headshots. It’s not enough to just point the subject toward the sun and shoot. A few inches or a certain position can make or break a natural light headshot. If you’re not sure, ask your photographer for examples of headshots taken with all natural light to see if the quality of their work is consistent and excellent.
Using natural light allows the camera to “blur” out the background.
Without getting into too much camera lingo, when you shoot with natural light, a photographer can make the settings on the camera so that the background can be blurred. This is not normally achievable with studio lighting where everything has to be in focus. Of cousre, there are some exceptions depending on the light sources, but normally the easiest and most effective way to get a nice, creamy background is to use natural light.
Actor headshots need simple backgrounds that don’t distract from the actor, but sometimes they need an environmental look at the same time. The best way to get this look is to cause the background to be very out of focus.
Using 100% Professional Photography Studio Lighting for Actors
Professional lighting gear and photography equipment for acting headshots provide consistent results every time. With the lighting setup options that we have at Palm Lake Headshots, we can create a bright, punchy actor headshot that has that “pop” and we can also create a more theatrical dramatic light. Depending on what type (character) we are shooting for, I will often select a more dramatic studio light to provide the best communication of your character and possibilities to the casting directors.
We have two examples here of how impactful and different studio lighting can be!
Sometimes an actor may need their headshots to feel bright and punchy — in this image, we have stunning catchlights in the eyes and a boldness that can’t be overlooked by casting directors. I absolutely love using studio lights because they provide a professional quality that simply can’t be matched with natural light.
Using studio lighting for headshots also allows us to bring in a bit of drama. Often, a type or character benefits from a headshot that feels dramatic. Very often, these types of roles have dramatic lighting in the show or film itself, so we like to help casting directors envision the actor in the role more easily by imitating the lighting effects that will be on set.
Studio lighting appears highly professional when done correctly,
When your headshots are professionally-lighted, your headshots help you instantly appear like an expert in your field. When you have excellent images, casting directors know that you take your job seriously, and will be a professional who deserves a shot at the role. Excellent, professional headshots are your foot in the door.
Combination of Natural Light and Studio Light
There are many times when the right choice is a combination of both types of photography lighting. Natural light still allows a soft glow, while the addition of a strobe adds detail and professionalism to the headshot.
On an overcast day, this is a good option as well, since dark skies never photograph well.
Sometimes we will shoot an indoor look, using window light and a strobe, sometimes it will be a full outdoor backdrop, and sometimes, we bring the backdrop outside, but use studio lighting! Each session is completely tailored to have the biggest impact for each of your headshots.
Oftentimes, an actor would prefer a natural outdoor look because of how flattering this type of environment is, but would also like the professional “pop” of studio lighting. This “pop” can really be seen in the catchlights in her eyes in our examples below. In these cases, I have special outdoor lighting equipment to help us get the best of both worlds. These images were taken outside, but using a combination of natural sunlight and studio strobes. The backdrop was actually a studio drop that we brought outside to keep things simple for her theater auditions.
If you think this is the look you would like to go for, let me know during our phone call when you book. This sessions must take place at a very specific time of day when the sun is likely to behave best :)
Still not sure which type of lighting would be best for your session? I recommend booking a two-look session so we can try both! Having a variety is always very welcome by your coaches and agencies. Each type of look can work well for different types, whether commercial or theatrical.
View our full gallery to see all different types of acting headshots and lighting samples. If you see a particular headshot example that resonates with you, let us know what your inspiration photos are so we can do a similar lighting style during your Orlando Acting Headshot session!