James Paterson gives headshots that cinematic look by showing how to shoot on-location with off-camera flash

James Paterson

If you want your headshot portraits to have a vibrant, more polished look, why not try shooting in a cinematic style? With a few simple camera skills, you can get the look of a film still and transform your subjects into would-be movie stars.

As with most great portraits, this has a lot to do with lighting, but it’s also about knowing how to get a lovely, soft background. Combine these techniques and you’ll be able to craft headshots and portraits with real star power.

There are two key elements that go into creating a cinematic headshot. The first is the backdrop. Ideally, this should be a jumble of details, colors and changes in light. With simple camera skills and the right lens, you can blur out the backdrop and reduce the detail to soft bokeh. We went to a graffiti-covered skatepark for our shoot, but you’ll be able to find interesting blurred backdrops in almost any location you can think of.