The Headshot -

Back in 2012 we photographed a series of headshots and lifestyle images for Marietta Calas at her home. We do these refresh sessions every few years to keep her library current and give her a variety of pictures to use across websites, social media, press materials, and printed collateral.

This past weekend I was editing a recent video for Marietta and wanted to slip in a few stills. I keep a folder of outtakes for moments like this—shots I know the client likely doesn’t already have. This particular frame started as a quick test to verify the lighting. I probably said something like “think of something pleasant” right before I fired the shutter. Marietta’s expression here was a little off-guard, which is exactly why it caught my eye and made me smile.

Technical details: Canon 5D Mark II with an EF 100mm lens at f/4. Lighting was a single Larson 22" softbox mounted to a Photogenic Machine Studio Master II speedlight, with a 48" gold reflector to add warmth.