BW Portraits and Headshots

When I became more intentional about portrait and headshot photography, there was a temptation to make things complicated. Two or three lights instead of one. Expensive canvas backdrops. Snoots, grids, and scrims. Best advice I ever got was to keep things simple. One light and a reflector, or maybe just a reflector,—or maybe neither, just ambient light only, depending. I love simplicity. It makes the production process more enjoyable. Not only that, it influences post production, too. Sometimes, color—all those reds, yellows, oranges, and greens—can be terribly distracting at times. When that’s the case, there’s a special joy that comes from stripping out color for black and white portraits. The aesthetic is in keeping with the glories of simplicity. Please click the thumbnail to view the full-size image. Hope you enjoy!