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FILM & DIGITAL
HEADSHOTS
Choosing
headshots taken either on film or digitally, does not have to be a hard
decision. Aside from cost, the differences between the two are not
paramount. As a photographer, I was trained to expose and process
film as well as expose and process the final prints. The darkroom is
my home for most of this process, which incidentally has a large overhead
due to supplies, time and upkeep. With digital photographs and
headshots, the darkroom is now the computer - and the time and upkeep is
enormously cut down. Although the hardware itself can have more
startup costs, in the long run, digital photography is more cost-effective
and time efficient.
To the
untrained eye, there can appear to be no difference at all between film and high-end
digital prints. 35 mm prints that have been digitized from film negatives
or prints possess a heightened degree of color saturation and detail. However, looking at a digital image
that has been properly metered and exposed to the necessary digital
filters will show extreme likeness to digitized film. The largest
factor in achieving this likeness is in the quality of the equipment used.
First of all, you must understand that not just any $500 point-and-shoot
digital camera is going to come through in creating film-like headshots.
Just as a standard video camera is not going to come close to the look a
moving picture film camera can create, professional, digital images need
to be captured with a professional camera. In motion pictures, this
would be par to using High Definition and 24p digital video cameras.
I personally
use the Nikon D70, which has over 6 million effective pixels, and shoots
an image size up to 3008 x 2000 pixels, and which like Single Lens Reflex
(SLR) cameras, lets the photographer make vital adjustments that standard
digital cameras cannot afford. Having full manual functionality in a
camera, including aperture size and shutter speed controls, exposure
modes, bracketing capabilities, depth of field preview, as well as
compatibility with variable focal-length lenses is essential to creating
professional quality digital headshots.
As a
photographer, I personally have no qualms if you prefer to have your
headshots taken on film. I personally appreciate some of the finer
aspects that film has over digital. I also work with a professional film SLR,
and will shoot the same headshot packages (see Headshot Packages).
Just keep in mind that it will cost more. |