My daughter needed a headshot for her college application packet. Doing plays and writing stories over the years, I've gotten to know several fantastic photographers and they take amazing headshots. We had to hurry to get my daughter's pictures done so I picked up my little Nikon D3300 and tried to do it myself.
I've tried taking headshots before. Before my oldest left on his mission, I took several shots for him down at the Lagoon Trails. I mean, they're okay--they did what we needed them to do. But, as a photographer, I know there's a lot to learn about taking good headshots. Most of it has to do with the way you manipulate light.
Without light, photography doesn't exist. I've watched photographers work with natural light. I've also seen them use some really expensive-looking equipment, light directors and defusers. To be honest, it's intimidating, all that stuff to capture the perfect light. I also know that in the digital age, a good computer programs definitely helps.
I should take a class, or a few classes to learn the craft. And I'm sure all the pros would recommend I buy up all that stuff costing thousands of dollars, as well as purchasing the photo-manipulating software. My experience with photography has shown me that being creative, trying new things, and just plain old practice can compensate for a lot of expensive equipment. Still, even though these pictures aren't "professional," they're priceless to me.
