Henry David Photography Featured in Redfin's St. Louis Bucket List!

We're thrilled to announce that Henry David Photography has been featured in a recent Redfin article titled Experience the Best of St. Louis: A Bucket List for Every Explorer!

As a St. Louis-based photographer, it's an honor to be recognized alongside some of the city's most iconic spots and hidden gems. The article highlights must-see locations and experiences that capture the essence of our vibrant city, and we're proud to be a part of this exclusive list.

Whether you're a local or planning a visit, this bucket list is a fantastic guide to exploring St. Louis. From historical landmarks to unique cultural experiences, there's something for everyone. And, of course, if you're looking to capture your own St. Louis memories, we're here to help with professional photography that brings your stories to life.

Check out the full article here, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to schedule a session or learn more about what we do!

Thank you, Redfin, for the feature—it's always a pleasure to represent the best of St. Louis!

First Impressions and the Importance of a Great Headshot

"First impressions are lasting" understates the actual case. The first impression, with startling frequency, is also the final decision.

-You, Inc.: The Art of Selling Yourself, by Harry Beckwith and Christine K. Clifford

A 2006 study by Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov showed that people make a judgement about a person's likeability, trustworthiness, and competence, in one-tenth of a second. Furthermore, their research confirms that this first impression does not change with time.

In 2016, Vivian Zayas, professor of psychology at Cornell University, and her colleagues found that first impressions were formed simply from looking at a photograph predicted how people felt and thought about the person after a live interaction that took place one month to six months later.

This is an incredibly powerful argument for making sure your headshots are the best they can possibly be.

Headshot Impression Test on Photofeeler.com

I recently discovered Photofeeler.com and I think it’s a fun way to test out what kind of impression your headshot is making. Photofeeler crowdsources votes from real people who will score the photo on metrics like competency, likeability, and influence. Disclaimer: I’m not in any way associated with this service, but I do think it’s a useful tool.

Written by Henry David, St. Louis Headshot and Portrait Photographer

Studio Lighting and Mood

Small changes in studio lighting can dramatically change the mood of a portrait.

I recently had the pleasure of working with author Dr. Tahir Rahman, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis.

Clamshell Lighting for Commercial Portraiture

Oxford University Press needed an approachable, commercial looking headshot to promote Dr. Rahman’s newest book.

We used a clamshell setup with a soft key light source above the subject’s face (the top part of the “clamshell”), and a broadly curved reflector for the lower part of the shell.

The key light above provides flattering wrap-around light, while the bottom fills in the shadows and smooths out the skin. I often find that adding a hair light opposite the key light adds depth and provides subtle background separation:

Commercial Portrait with Clamshell Lighting (Angler 48 inch BoomBox + Westcott Eyelighter + Gridded Hair Light)

Single Light Dramatic Portrait

By removing the reflector and hair light, we are left with just the key light. Moving the key light to one side of the subject’s face creates a classic Rembrandt lighting setup with deep shadows cast on the other side of the face. Removing a few light modifiers and changing the placement of our key light creates a profoundly different mood:

Single Light Dramatic Portrait (Angler 48 Octobox, feathered)

Post-Production

Lighting is paramount to controlling the mood of a portrait, but we can go one step further with editing and retouching in Photoshop. Black and White conversion, exposure reduction, contrast rebalancing, and detail enhancing all work together to add a sense of mystery and deepen the drama of the portrait:

Black and White Edit, Adobe Photoshop