Simple, low-cost setup for consistent corporate intranet headshots
Asked 2/15/2013
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2 answers
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We need to take basic head-and-shoulders photos of new employees for a company intranet. Existing professional portraits look much better than the quick iPhone shots we’re taking now, and I suspect lighting is the main issue. What’s a simple, inexpensive setup for getting consistent, decent-looking portraits that can be folded away and stored when not in use? The final images are only about 100x100 pixels, so we don’t need high-end quality. Is a phone sufficient if the lighting is improved, or should we use a basic camera instead?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
1
You're correct that the lighting is probably the problem here. Camera phones can take some amazing photos with proper light.
Cheap is my favorite approach to lighting. Pick up some clamp lights (cheapest) or some shop lights (little more expensive, but brighter). Both can be positioned easily. If you're going to use more than one light source (which you should), make sure they are the same color temperature (don't mix and match halogen, CFL, etc).
The advantage of a constant light source is that it doesn't require you to sync a flash of any type. The disadvantage is that the light is significantly less than dedicated flashes, so a longer shutter time is required.
If you want to step it up, you can go the strobist route. Find some old flashes that can be triggered by another flash. An SB-26 is very popular for this. You can set these flashes up anywhere as long as there is line-of-site to the camera. By putting them on slave mode, they'll flash when they see a camera flash.
Advantage of this route is much more control over your lighting with a plethora of light modifier options, temperature consistency, and being able to overpower other light sources. Disadvantage is that you're looking at around $100-150/flash and you'll need a camera with a strobe flash (as opposed to a camera phone).
Originally by user10283. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user10283
13y ago
0
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Lighting matters more than the camera here. For small 100x100 intranet headshots, a phone can be perfectly adequate if you give it good, consistent light.
A simple budget setup is to use two inexpensive constant lights, such as clamp lights or shop lights, placed so they light the subject evenly. If you use multiple lights, make sure they are the same color temperature—don’t mix different bulb types like halogen and CFL, or skin tones can look odd.
Constant lights are easy because there’s no flash triggering to manage, and the setup can be packed away easily. Their downside is lower output than flash, so you may need a steadier camera/subject or a bit more ambient light to avoid blur.
If you want better results later, an off-camera flash setup can produce stronger, cleaner light, but it’s more complex than necessary for basic intranet portraits.
So the most foolproof cheap approach is: keep the phone or a basic camera, improve the lighting first, and standardize the setup so every employee is photographed the same way.
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