Background textures that make your headshots pop
Like every other actors headshot photographer I know, I go through phases of getting utterly obsessed with achieving a certain look to my work.
It’s partly to do with the constant desire to improve my portfolio and stretch myself creatively, but there’s also no question that one of the main reasons acting clients pick up the phone in the first place is that they see something in your work that differentiates you from other photographers, which in turn they hope will help them stand out from the crowd and get them auditions in their own hugely competitive industry.
And as any professional photographer will tell you, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that it’s that next bit of gear that’s going to make all the difference - a new lens, new lights, new lighting modifiers, not to mention a new camera!
My latest obsession has been going for a more ‘painterly’ feel, which could have very easily had me reaching for my wallet and splashing out on a custom-painted backdrop which, as anyone in the industry will tell you, can cost the national debt of a small island.
Which is where Photoshop comes in…
Yes, there’s been a bit of subtle cosmetic retouching that’s gone on here (for my thoughts on retouching in general, check out this blog post), but to my eye, just dropping in a subtle texture makes the world of difference in terms of helping the overall image pop, and feel much slicker than the original.
For any Photographers / Photoshop-heads out there interested in experimenting with the technique, there are a huge range of high definition backdrop textures out there that you can buy on-line, not to mention the ubiquitous freebies, so it’s really just a matter of experimenting with what appeals to you aesthetically.
For me, it’s the lighter textures that just add a bit of depth to neutral backgrounds, without distracting from the headshots, and I’d highly recommend having a look at the Sean Archer Master Portrait series which includes a great selection of textures as well as instructions and Photoshop actions if you’re interested in emulating his portrait style
My method is very quick and dirty - just drag and drop a texture onto a layer of your background image in Photoshop, blend in Overlay or Soft Light mode and then paint out the texture over the face, body etc.
Very simple, but loads of flexibility in terms of using different textures to create different looks, not to mention saving you a small fortune on backdrops!
To find out more about my style of working or to book a headshot appointment, contact me here
Oh, and to give you an idea of how obsessed I’ve become by this technique, I’ve actually started a company photographing dogs in this style alone - contact me for more info if you fancy getting your pooch papped!
