Cinematic Headshots in the Afternoon
Pros and Cons of Shooting Cinematic Headshots in the Afternoon
Written on the 8th of December, 2022
After I filmed my friend, Falah AlHajraf, in a video interview, I asked him if I could take some cinematic headshots. I didn’t plan for this in advance, and I didn’t scout a location. I went to the parking spaces outside my home and started shooting. It was the afternoon, and the sun was harsh, so we had to shoot under the shade to avoid unflattering direct light on his face.
Although my ideal time for taking headshots is one hour before sunset, the afternoon shoot turned out to be quite enjoyable. The bright background worked to my advantage, as I could adjust the exposure for the background using a higher shutter speed to achieve a pleasing brightness.
Shooting in the afternoon can be challenging for several reasons. First, to achieve proper exposure, I often have to use a high-sync speed, which drains a significant amount of battery power from my Speedlight. Furthermore, scouting locations beforehand to find a shaded spot or setting up a shade is crucial. Otherwise, the harsh sunlight can result in unflattering lighting for the subject. In addition to that, the high temperatures during this time can be pretty uncomfortable for me and my subject, making it another disadvantage of shooting in the afternoon.
I’m excited to continue shooting for my upcoming cinematic headshot shoots in the afternoon, especially when the weather is just right!
The Gear I Used
