Headshot for LinkedIn
MATT STONE
Birmingham Headshot – Matt Stone
Raphael Lionel Photography will always be my go-to studio for photography. From liaising with Raph on the phone I felt looked after, understood, and that he was able to accommodate my needs. He was punctual, friendly, and made the effort to get to know me. I didn’t feel under pressure or stressed at any stage. While having my pictures taken, he made me feel comfortable, and at ease, he directed me really well and professionally..
When seeing the edits of the photos, I was more than impressed with the quality of the photos, so much so that I purchased more than I initially wanted!
A Birmingham Headshot session -against the clock
A Birmingham Headshot session for Matt Stone. Matt made contact to advise that he was in need of an updated headshot for his LinkedIn profile. He had never been into a Portrait Studio before and understandably was a little unsure as to what to expect.
We had a great little chat beforehand, with Matt explaining the type of images he had in mind. Having seen my work he was confident that we could produce what he needed. At the time, Matt worked for Birmingham City Council. He is also a Trainer and Facilitator for Connect Futures, who work to protect young people in the local community. We thought it was key that he wasn’t too formal and his posing was similarly reflective of his easy nature. Matt only had his lunch hour for the shoot. Fortunately, he worked a short walk from the studio. Over a period of just 30 minutes, we shot a variety of images, and below you can see a few.
If you’re interested in a short lunchtime Birmingham Headshot session see my Headshots and Personal Branding contact page.



how i shot this headshot session
Before shooting, we discussed in detail the type of look Matt liked when he looked at other profile pictures. A simple black background with no furniture or visual props, we agreed would be best for LinkedIn. I shot this with two lights. The first a gridded strip light, set to his right and angled at 45-degrees. This was set on low but was really key to giving him some separation from the background. The second light was a 90cm parabolic, in front of him and again to his right but shooting across him and pointed down at a 45-degree angle.
In addition, by adding a white V-flat to the left of Matt, I could bring up some of the shadows and cut down on the drama in the image.
Aiming to limit any light spill on the background, I sat Matt about 4/5 ft in front of the black seamless. This worked well.
In conclusion, My camera settings were F/6.4 1/200 ISO200 Fuji X-T3 35mm Lens (50mm equivalent).