An impactful headshot doesn’t have to break the bank.
A well-taken headshot is the new distinguishing factor in today’s competitive job market and digital age. Whether one updates their LinkedIn profile, launches a personal brand, or simply refreshes their portfolio, a professional headshot makes for a very serious investment into one’s image.
Outdoor headshots are a particularly exciting alternative to indoor studio sessions. Outdoor light and interesting backgrounds can be incorporated into your shots without setting up expensive studio studios. But how can you get the best outdoor headshots on a budget? Below are practical tips that will help you look your best without emptying your wallet.
1. Choose the Right Time of Day for Natural Lighting
An added advantage of outdoor headshots is that you don’t have to pay for studio lighting. Used correctly, natural light is free and soft on your subjects. Timing is essential to having good light for your photo session. Photographers often refer to the time of day as the golden hour, which is the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset. During these times, sunlight is soft, casting a warm glow that avoids those harsh shadows with direct noon sun.
“Golden hour light is more diffused and evenly distributed, creating softer shadows and highlights”
This is an opportune moment, when the natural setting is in its prime to be taken advantage of, thus mitigating the need for expensive lighting devices.
Budget Tip: Schedule your shoot at the time of sunset or sunrise when you can get the best source of light for free. If you think you may not make it before the sun goes down, on account of your schedule, consider working out in a shaded area to avoid the nasty effects of the sun on photographs taken at midday. Parks with trees, covered areas of walkways, and indirect light spaces will inflate their budget!
2. Opt for a Friend or Amateur Photographer
While professional photographers can deliver high-quality results, they can also break the bank. If your budget is tight, perhaps consider asking a friend with a decent camera or an eager-to-build-their-portfolio photography student to do the outdoor headshots. You may be surprised just how many photographers are willing to go low rates or even give a free session in return for permission to use your images for their portfolio.
Surveys conducted by Professional Photographers of America (PPA) in 2021 indicate that upcoming photographers are interested in shooting portraits, purely for professional growth and enriching their portfolio. By reaching out to these photographers, you could get quality services at a fraction of the price that a seasoned professional may charge.
Budget Hint: Weak or cheap freelance photographers are plentiful through Craigslist, Thumbtack, or simply a request through a Facebook group; they could bring a rich flavour to this shoot. Or, ask a friend with an interest in photography to do the shoot for a small favour or a modest fee.
3. Select a Simple Yet Scenic Location
Remember, headshots don’t require a posh setting. Sometimes simpler is better. Public parks, fields, ugly alleyways, you name it. If it’s pretty and not too busy, it can work for professional outdoor headshots. Your local park, favourite field, city square, or iconic location that represents your city could potentially work as a location for professional outdoor headshots for free or on the cheap. The shallow depth of field can take care of business for the rest of the scene or just make it less of a visual distraction from you.
There are often city parks and waterfront areas that can provide you with a lot of natural beauty and good light for free. An important tip to remember when location scouting on your own: don’t pay for permits unless you need to, especially if you shooting in an area (a metro with lots of nature) that doesn’t require paying for permits. Also of value is the addition of depth of field (blurring the background) to clean up the rest of the elements in the scene and only focus on you.
Budget Tip: Many cities have some cool spots that can offer beautiful scenery that doesn’t cost a penny. Ideas include botanical gardens, under bridges, abandoned buildings, rooftops of buildings that don’t have doormen, and graffiti-covered walls just to name a few.
4. DIY Hair and Makeup
The cost of a headshot session may increase because of a professional’s hair and makeup. And while getting a stylist is great to ensure you look your best when on a budget, this is not always possible. Many portrait subjects successfully self-style their hair and makeup with a few tips.
According to a 2022 guide by Vogue, “When doing makeup for a photo shoot, the goal is to enhance your natural features without overdoing it.” For outside headshots, go for a more natural look—the lightest foundation, a subtle lip colour, and mascara. You may want to bring some translucent powder to help with shine, especially if your shoot is on a bright and sunny day.
Budget Tip: Go with a simple, polished look. Heavy contour and dark shades don’t work very well under natural light. Tune in to the YouTube tutorials on makeup photography and practice ahead of time, so you feel comfortable with your look on the day of the shoot.
5. Use Your Smartphone Camera
High-quality headshots may not always require a professional DSLR, thanks to smartphone advances that equip many modern handhelds with excellent imaging capabilities delivering sharp, high-resolution snaps. The latest smartphone cameras have features like portrait mode, which mimics the shallow depth of field, you get in professional lenses. It blurs the background while keeping the subject (you) sharp and a marvellous feature for the headshot!
Other Money-saving Tips: Use your smartphone camera if you cannot afford a professional photographer or do not know anyone with professional equipment. Ask a trusted friend to be your photographer, or use a tripod and self-timer for a DIY shoot. Just be sure to wipe the lens before you start taking shots, and do test shots to figure out the best angle and lighting.
6. Minimal Editing: Use Free Photo-Editing Tools
While this is where costs can start running high, many photographers charge extra for retouching services. But if you’re taking your photos or working with a friend, there are plenty of free or low-cost online editing tools, such as GIMP, Canva, or Adobe Lightroom (which has a free mobile version) that allow you to ease up on any rough edges. Lightening lighting and contrast or removing small blemishes on the skin are some of the basic editing tools.
As described in a post published in 2023 on the Photography Blog, “Thanks to free software, things like brightening a face, removing stray hairs, and brightening colours that are usually done during retouching can truly be done at home.”
Budget Tip: Your outdoor headshots deserve a professional, polished touch: Use free or inexpensive editing tools to give your outdoor headshots a polished, professional finish. But please don’t overdo it, brightening your images just a bit or slightly intensifying the colours would be just enough to keep the headshot looking natural and professional.
7. Batch Your Photos for Multiple Uses
If you are investing so much time into an outdoor headshot session, why not reap the benefits of the whole session by having multiple shots to use for different occasions- platforms, social media, business cards, websites, or other uses? Various poses, angles, and expressions should be captured to give you several options to choose from for other promotional publishing; this way, you’d not need to plan a session (or expense) soon with a collection of stock shots.
Budget Tip: Ask the photographer you know (or friend) to take several shots in different locations, outfits, or poses. Use these variations to make sure your headshot works across multiple platforms, saving you the necessity of investing in more sessions later on.
Conclusion
Outdoor headshots can be just as charismatic and professional as studio shots, but way less expensive to have behind them. Make use of natural light, choose attractive easy-on-the-eye locations, and use tools that you already have—such as your good old smartphone—for your professional quality headshot without hefting your wallet. If you work with an amateur photographer or do it yourself use these tips for a polished and still decent look that doesn’t attract costs beyond the dollar. A little time spent preparing and being clever will pay off with the chance to get an excellent outdoor shot.