Actress Headshots: Crystal Finn

Actress Crystal Finn came by for a new headshot. She wanted a bright, natural feel to the photos – unfortunately it was cold and raining outside, so we’d have to create the look in my Brooklyn studio (which conveniently doubles as my railroad apartment). You know the kind – a long, slim series of connecting rooms. The relative crampedness of the space definitely imposes some constraints and makes you get creative.

In this, my favorite shot, Crystal is actually seated in my dimly lit hallway. The light was done with 3 flashes – the first coming in from the living room into the hallway at a 45 degree angle (not hitting the model directly) and ping-ponging off the walls to create a nice big soft main light. The second is the hairlight behind her, creating a nice window-y backlight. And finally a third flash lights the background, in the room at the end of the hall.

Just as we were done in studio, the rain cleared up and allowed us to go on my roof for a couple of natural light shots. I love shooting up there – I have New York City as a backdrop, but just as important I have a variety of colored backgrounds to blur out.

At one point even the NYPD got into the fun, circling above us in a helicopter. Maybe they thought Crystal was a celebrity?

Soon, soon.