One Six Photography on Getting a Great Author Headshot

Petit Fours and Hot Tamales is thrilled to welcome One Six Photography to the blog today to tell all our author readers what they need to know to get the best author photo possible.  I asked them to give us ten important tips to achieve the photo we want.  And don’t miss the fantastic offer at the end!  But, before we get started, here’s a little bit about our guests.

One Six Studios is owned by Caroline and Matthew Ziebarth, both professionals with many years of experience before their marriage in 2008.  The decision to marry also brought about the merger of their business life into One Six Studios. Under One Six Studios they have One Six Photography and One Six Studios (which focuses on book videos, photography, and design for authors).  Caroline and Matt have this to say about their business:

Two words describe our approach: Quality and Creativity.

Quality because we strive to give you a finished product that we are proud of and you will love. For example, we use a unique proofing process that sets our finished work apart from the rest.

Creativity because we work outside-the-box to create a unique and different product: One that is bold, expressive, and fun. While we can and will do traditional type of work, we question why you would want it when you can have something that is so expressive of who you are in so many ways.

To find out more about our guests, visit them on their website www.onesixphotography.com

Ten Tips to a Great Author Photo

By: Caroline Ziebarth

Matt and I have been thrilled to incorporate author headshots, book trailers, and other author services into our business.  I (Caroline) grew up as an avid reader and lover of books.  I always studied the authors and the pictures on the dust jackets.  Last year when author Seressia Glass used our image on her book jacket for Shadow Blade, I screamed, cried, and jumped around the room.  I didn’t even pretend to be cool.  I had officially “made it”.  I was the photographer for a published author.  It was thrilling.  For so many photographers that moment of feeling like all of your hard work has paid off comes when their work is published in a magazine…for me it was Seressia’s book!  Since that moment we have done work for authors whose books have been on our shelves for years and that I am a huge fan of their work.  I am so blessed that my job incorporates three of my great loves: photography, books, and my husband as a partner.  Now, since Matt and I know that we can’t possibly photograph all the authors in the world *wink*, we would like to give you some tips to get the most out of the photographer that you choose and how to go about your headshots.

1. Research your photographer: Start with referrals from other authors, or look for the photographer’s name on photos you already love.  Check out their website galleries to see if their style meshes with you.

2. Know your rights:  Ask a potential photographer how their rights work on your photos.  We sell a print release that comes on a DVD.  We still own the actual copyright for the photo and expect to get proper credit for its use, but our authors use the pictures as needed with little to no restrictions.  So, they can use them on their book jackets, Facebook, websites, etc.    What rights are being given has a big effect on how you may use the images.

3.  Find out how much it’s going to cost you:  Know the session fees and what’s included going in to the appointment.  Ask if Photoshop and/or airbrushing is included.  Not all photographers include this automatically in their package.  To best budget, you need to know if this is an additional fee.

Going to a writing conference?  Find out if they have a conference photographer and research them before you go.  We’ve done Georgia Romance Writer’s Moonlight and Magnolias conference for the last two years.  We always offer a special package for conference attendees so they can save money.

4.  Decide on location:  Do they offer studio, location, and a combination of the two?  What do you need?  Forexample, Seressia Glass (Shadow Blade, Shadow Chase), wanted location photos from her book setting.  Because she set her book in Atlanta, that was possible. (Of course, we would be willing to travel to Italy, France, Greece, Hawaii, or Australia for a more personal setting if someone wanted to buy us a plane ticket, haha)  Even if  your setting is not so accessible to your photographer, you might still want an outdoor location.  We love to take our authors to a location that fits their style.  So with one we may go to a urban spot downtown and with another we may use an old chair in a field.

5. Check to see how many images you’ll get:  Different photographers have different policies on this.  For example, at Moonlight and Magnolias our sessions lasted only 15-20 minutes.  Our authors walked away with an average of 15 quality images and they were in both color and black and white.

Once you’ve done your research, numbers 6-10 will prepare you for the actual shoot.

6.  Tell your photographer what genre you write: This may not matter to all photographers, but we love to getsome insight into you because it gives us ideas on locations to use or studio props and lighting.  For example, when we first met paranormal thriller author Mark All (Mystic Witch), he wanted something besides the normal studio headshot.  We did a  shot with half light to give his picture a little darker feel.

7.  Inform your photographer of your least favorite feature: It’s okay.  Everyone has one.   Your photographer can set up your shot to maximize the features you want or can possibly “fix” one of your worrisome areas.

8.  Choose what you wear carefully:  Bring 2-3 outfits for different looks.  Solid colors are best, but beware of plaids as they look wavy to the camera.  Layers are a very flattering look.  Ladies, be sure to accessorize with one bold piece of jewelry, a necklace or ear rings are best.  (See Seressia’s photo above).  One outfit with a really bold pop of color that flatters you can be good also.  Don’t be afraid to experiment.

9. Have your hair done professionally:  It’s easier to photoshop facial issues than to fix hair.

10.  Get your make-up done professionally:  For a picture, your makeup should be slightly exaggerated.  On a budget?  Go to a department store or perhaps a Mac or Ulta counter and get yours done before hand.

I cannot speak for other photographers and their policies/procedures, but as much information as you can gather before your session the smoother it will go.  Matt and I get great enjoyment out of the new relationships we build with an author over and beyond the business aspect.  We feel like the more conversation we have and the more that we find out about a person the better we can represent and capture who they are.  Find a photographer whose passion is their work.  Enjoy your session, it’s such a fun time to get hair and makeup done (in the ladies’ case), go out and play, be glamorous.  We have so many people warn us before hand how much they hate themselves in pictures, how they take bad pictures, or just don’t like the experience…we have always changed their mind

NOW, as a special treat, One Six will offer your choice of a free business card design, design only, cards not included or, if you are in the area, we can offer a discount of 10 % to those who are local enough to benefit from our photo services.  Just leave a comment or question for Caroline below to be eligible for the drawing.