I shoot a fair number of executive headshots during the week. Besides my cameras, I bring a laptop that I wirelessly transmit the images to while I’m shooting so the clients can see the photos immediately after their session. And I bring a plethora of lights. My typical setup includes 4 or 5 SB-800/900 strobes…starting with the classic main light, fill light, hair light, and maybe a background light arrangement. But I’m always open for adjustment. When I arrived at the Ogletree Nash Law Firm and saw where they were going to set me up, I almost did a cartwheel. Usually I end up in the back of some dark, smelly, cramped supply closet.

This lobby outside their office on the second floor of the Saks Fifth Avenue building had the most beautiful light coming in this huge bank of windows. I figure, why mess with perfection? So I set up my favorite David Mahue canvas, put a little kicker/hair light up, and left the rest to natural illumination. Free light…gotta love it! Here’s the resulting head-shot.