Headshots are all about showing your face in a head and shoulders format. They tend to be more straight-on and you’d generally want to look directly into the camera. Headshots sell you. They are your logo, they immediately communicate your brand. They answer the question: “Who am going to see when I open the door? And will they make a good prince or a villain or a mermaid?”
Portraits tend to show a little more of you. You might be sitting on a chair. The pose, angle and lighting are less restrictive. We can get a little more creative. Half of you might be in the shadow. Or you might be sitting on a horse on the beach (though we’re not going to squeeze that into a studio session). Portraits can also be very close-in. But they try a lot less hard (or not at all) to sell you. They say: “This is me, take it or leave it.”
When doing headshots I often shoot in a half-length format and crop into it for your final headshot. This longer format can already give you an option that feels more like a portrait. But in general, taking portraits is a different creative process. They don’t like to be rushed. You and I are both working on something special, a unique angle on you.
