Headshot & Portrait Photography Basics - What Aperture Should You Use?

Actor headshots favour the eyes and really creamy backdrops so a wider aperture of 3.5-5 tends to suit Imo

I’m usually at f8-f11, I shoot a lot of realtors that will be cutting themselves out and applying themselves to signs and other marketing materials. If I’m sitting beauty or actors I’ll go down to f4 or so, rarely I’ll go to 2.8.

If you are using a screen at the back or have a backdrop of some type, then I would go f6 to f8…why because most lenses are sharpest at that Aperture?…

Pick me, Pete 📸😊

Wow photographer Dave Norton also when he shoots his portraits cuts off the top of the head. I noticed in your portraits you also do not include the full top of a person's head. Is this the standard? I guess the face is the most important part but I'm still trying to adjust to the idea of cutting off the top of people's heads when taking a shoulder level portrait photograph.

Great stuff and very informative, but lose the distracting (music) background noise!

great video

The music gets on the way, thanks for sharing

nix he background music mate so distracting

and your most used lens for headshots and portraits is ??? thanks

Good video, great content. Just one small constructive criticism, if you allow it: the music is too (loud?) distracting over your voice.

Very well explained! A portrait and a head shot are two different monsters! Thanks for the schooling! 💎💎💎💎Lot of good info newbies and all others!

Your background music is distracting and completely unnecessary.

I been shooting F8 for over 20 years and never had any problems . I thought with digital camera’s was different but is D-same . Thanks for sharing. I do like your perspective on the subjects

I tend to start at around 85mm 5.6, and open up or stop down depending on the subject. Different people seem to benefit from different apertures, and catching this during the shoot tends to mean less work in post for me, and I have way more fun during the shoot than during edits personally. For an elderly lady who wants to look slightly more youthful, shooting at F8 is not exactly a kind rendition usually I find.

Just solved my recent question! Great video and thanks for sharing! 🌻

I use F5.0 or 5.6, but I've heard f6.3 too, 100mm rf macro lens.

thanks for the effort and sharing. i very much appreciate the thoughtful subjects you deal with in your yt vids and that is why i am a subscriber. thumbs up.

Lots of great info, thanks!

Great stuff Pete! This was like a “micro master class” right there! I agree with everything you discussed, but my headshots sweet spot in studio is f6.3-8ish. Thx for sharing with everyone😃

Thanks Pete..as always, very helpful!

Great video!

So good. So good!!

Wow! What a great, interesting discussion. Thanks. Almost every video you make helps me improve my work.