In my latest video, I address seven common mistakes that beginner headshot photographers make and offer ways to avoid these pitfalls.

In many ways, I feel like I took the long road in learning about lighting, posing, wardrobe, and other important facets of a headshot, and although this video is aimed at beginners, all of the advice I offer is good food for thought for those of us at any point in our journey as headshot and portrait photographers. The topics I cover include wardrobe, specifically, the importance of having clients bring a large variety of clothes to work with instead of just showing up with what they are wearing; gear, addressing why you should never purchase cheap stands and how very cheap gear really costs more in the long run; retouching; and lighting, where I discuss the strange shadow patterns seen often in the work of beginners. I also address the importance of being aware of the details when working with clients when it comes to hair, neckties, collars, and more, and advise beginners (and all of us for that matter) spend a lot of time photographing people in natural light, so we can understand how light falls on a face. I hope you enjoy the video and that you find it informative.