As a natural light headshot photographer here in Boston, I understand the unique charm and challenges that come with capturing outdoor headshots. The natural light and diverse backgrounds can create stunning and truly authentic images. Whether you’re a professional looking to update your LinkedIn profile or an actor or musician needing a fresh look for your portfolio, here’s everything you need to know about outdoor headshots.
1. What is the best time of day for outdoor headshots?
When it comes to outdoor headshots, every photographer has different preferences and styles when it comes to lighting; these different natural light times include direct sun, golden hour, and blue hour, golden hour being the most popular. For my personal style I tend to go with golden hour lighting to best show my clients' features as clearly as possible without being overpowered by the sun. While the times change for different seasons, morning sessions are typically around 7 or 7:30 AM and afternoon sessions can range anywhere from 4 PM to 6:30 PM. When deciding between a morning and afternoon session there are a few components to keep in mind:
If you are a morning person who starts the day with a lot of energy, a morning session is great for you
If you're someone who would rather eat chalk than wake up at 6 AM, an afternoon session is best for you
If you're shy and want as few people around when photographing at public spaces, I find that morning sessions tend to have the least foot traffic
When booking a photoshoot in the summer, morning sessions have a better chance of being cooler versus the evening time when the sun has been out all day
Regardless of what time you choose, your photographer will help ensure that you feel comfortable, awake, and looking your best!
2. How do I choose a location for outdoor headshots?
When it comes to outdoor photos, the background is an important factor in complimenting what you are looking to showcase in your photos. For example, if you're looking to convey that you're a warm and welcoming person, having photos in an industrial location with many sharp edges is going to contradict that. If you have a very minimalistic style, you'll also want a background that reflects that versus one that's very busy. In the Boston area my go-to photoshoot locations are:
The Boston Seaport: contemporary style, blue tones, modern
Boston Public Garden: warm, green tones, soft
Beacon Hill: historic, reddish tones, urban
3. What should I wear for outdoor headshots?
When deciding what to wear for your photos, understanding your own personal style and the length of use for your photos are two important factors to consider. In regards to the length of use, if you're planning on updating your photos often, it's okay to wear something that's considered more trendy, but if you're planning on only updating your photos once every 3-5 years, you'll want to wear something more classic and timeless. In terms of the clothing choices themselves, I always recommend that my clients wear solid colors for their photos particularly for outdoor photoshoots. Because of the automatic nature that there will be slightly busy elements in the background such as trees, buildings, etc, wearing a solid color will help keep the focus on you versus adding in a pattern that could ultimately be distracting. When clients book a photoshoot with me, they all receive an extensive guide on suggestions to wear + a complimentary outfit consultation prior to their photoshoot so that they can feel confident in what they're wearing.
4. What should I do about weather conditions for outdoor headshots?
What you may not know about photographers is that besides photographing, posing, and editing, they are also unofficial meteorologists. Part of our jobs is to watch the weather forecast and come up with a game plan should there be a chance of rain (or other forms of precipitation). In the event that there is, your photographer will contact you prior to the session to find another time/date to help ensure that your photos have the best lighting and weather conditions.
5. How can I pose effectively for my headshots?
Before you even think about posing for your headshot, it's first helpful to identify our natural and current posture -- you may be a bit tense from nerves or in a slightly hunched position from sitting at your desk so to undo what I can the "cashew" or "shrimp" posture, try doing some shoulder rolls and open your arms wide to bring some space to your chest. If you'd like to do some warm ups prior to your photoshoot, I recommend taking a virtual yoga class with my good friends at Yoga for All Musicians! Once your posture is open and relaxed, there's a couple of ways you can position yourself for your headshot --straight on, at an angle, or over the shoulder. Think of what you want your face to portray in your photos be it enthusiastic, a leader, trustworthy, the personality hire, or whatever suits you! This can help you determine if you should give a full on wide-tooth grin or more of a soft smile.
If the thought of figuring out what you'd like to portray in your photos overwhelms you, just smile how you normally would -- being you is enough!
6. How should I prepare for my headshot session?
Take some time before your session to take some grounding breaths and to help keep you relaxed and calm. Make sure you have all of your clothing items, that you've both flossed and brushed your teeth, and that you arrived 10 to 15 minutes early so that you don't have to worry about being late to the photoshoot location. Once you arrive, your photographer will guide you through the process and all that you have to do is be yourself -- the magic will happen naturally!
7. What are the benefits of outdoor headshots compared to studio photos?
In my personal photography style, I find that studio photos can feel flat -- outdoor photos have the warms of the sun, the texture of nature or buildings, and feel very real and human versus studio photos which can sometimes come across as too doctored up.
At the end of the day, it's all about personal preference, but outdoor headshots will always have my heart. If you're ready for a headshot session of your own in Boston, New York City, or beyond, fill out my contact form to get started! Not local to the area but want to learn more about my posing tips? Download my Photoshoot Posing Guide to get all of my best tricks right to your phone!
Taylor Rossi is natural light headshot and branding photographer for classical musicians, creative entrepreneurs, and couples in Boston, Massachusetts.