KMH Style Headshots

[Wes]

What makes a headshot in the style of Kevyn Major Howard? I've heard that he does all of his stuff using nothing but natural lighting. In looking through his portfolio I'm trying to figure out what his setup must look like.

Brad, Scott - I believe you guys both shoot in this style. Can either of you shed any light for me?

Thanks.

[brad]

There used to be a video on his site that showed him at work... basically, his subjects sit under his raised garage door with the sun in the sky behind KMH.. there is a white reflector under and in front of the subject to cast light back up onto the subject... there is no direct sunlight on the subject as there are tall houses across the street.. so he has bright blue skies above (remember, he lives in SoCal .. never rains there)

[AndrewCCM]

Originally Posted by Wes

What makes a headshot in the style of Kevyn Major Howard? I've heard that he does all of his stuff using nothing but natural lighting. In looking through his portfolio I'm trying to figure out what his setup must look like.

Brad, Scott - I believe you guys both shoot in this style. Can either of you shed any light for me?

Thanks.

Yep.. VERY SIMPLE setup.. Garage door & reflector for the most part.

[The Loft Studios]

Here's the link to his video, it was featured on The Discovery Channel.
Very simple lighting set-up.....

http://www.headshot-photography.com/discovery.htm

[dminton]

Sweet!

[Wes]

Thanks for the replies, guys. That's pretty much what I'm looking for. Is it the lighting that makes it "KMH" style, or is there some special about the poses, too?

[carrbowl]

That was good, and I liked his explanation of why he shoots the head like it does...it makes perfect sense.

[srwatters]

Don't forget that he's using a medium telephoto lens (180mm prime in the video) on 24x36mm medium (film in the video). He's shooting nearly or wide open at f/2.8 with sharp focus on the eyes. While all those technical details can be duplicated by anyone (like some of us here on TPF), the difference in Kevyn's images is from the 'look' he gets out of the subject. He will often crop aggressively and uses the rule of thirds very often placing the eyes in the upper left or right of the frame. Some shots contain much more than the traditional head & shoulders while others are quite tight. Landscape orientation is also a favorite and again untraditional.

While what you see on his website is outstanding, he also has failures. I've personally shot one of his clients that was very unhappy with the results he got for his $800 session. Just so we all don't think he's super-human

[Wes]

Thanks, Scott. From studying the images on his site I could see that he's using a very shallow DOF, and by watching the video it looked like he was using a least a medium tele or zoom. I'm thinking of giving it a shot with my 70-200. I've also heard that a large piece of white styrofoam will work well for fill. (I had the perfect piece, too, when I bought my 55" plasma last fall. Knew I could use it but threw it away anyway! DOH!!) Looks like this setup won't work real well on a cloudy day, though.

The feedback and the tips are mucho appreciated. Very nice work, Scott.

[JohnT]

Thanks for all the info, guys. Looks like I'll be doing some experimenting once the skies clear.

[srwatters]

Although your subject may be more comfortable with mild temperatures, don't discount the value of the worlds largest softbox (a cloud covered sky). Some of the best images I've made in my garage were on less than sunny days. It also helps to keep the subject from squinting too much. Depending on your garage orientation, shooting in the early AM or late PM can give you better results. Moving the subject closer or further from the garage opening will help you control the light as well as place the catchlights in a better position. Don't get hung up on using one specific spot. Move around (as long as your BG doesn't get cluttered) and experiment. You'll get some nice results...

[AndrewCCM]

Best natural light images I have were shot on cloudy days... I'd choose those conditions every time if I had the choice.

[DavidsStudio]

Originally Posted by The Loft Studios

Here's the link to his video, it was featured on The Discovery Channel.
Very simple lighting set-up.....

http://www.headshot-photography.com/discovery.htm

Thanks for the great link. It actually gives you enough information to recreate most of the style.

Now all I have to do is clean out the garage.

David

[12stones]

Bringing this up for those that haven't seen it and now that I don't have a garage, wishing that I'd seen this back when I did!!