The question is no longer IF you have a personal brand, but if you choose to guide and cultivate the brand or let it be defined on your behalf.
-Shama Hyder
Two sided white and black V-Flats are perhaps the hardest working equipment in my studio. They are predominately used to control light. The white side bounce light and the black side absorbs light. Both the white and black sides can also be used as backdrops.
Renoir said once that nothing was so difficult, and at the same time so exciting, to paint, as white on white.
-Ambroise Vollard, French Contemporary Artsit 1866-1939
When I employ a white V-Flat as a backdrop it tends to be for personal branding images. The truth is pretty much everyone in business needs a professional headshot on a light background. The old adage is true, “You only have one chance to make a first impression.” This is also true of your online presence whether your headshot is featured on LinkedIn, your website, social media platforms, or dating service.
“A series of experiments by Princeton psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov reveal that all it takes is a tenth of a second to form an impression of a stranger from their face, and that longer exposures don’t significantly alter those impressions (although they might boost your confidence in your judgments). Their research is presented in their article “First Impressions,” in the July issue of Psychological Science.”
-Association for Psychological Science
The white V-Flats, depending upon the lighting set-up, can be pure white or have a gradient from white to gray.
White V-Flats aren’t just for capturing personal branding, this series of fun “dancing” portraits” were captured with the white V-Flats acting as a backdrop.
And, of course, we can have a bit of fun too. White V-Flats don’t have to be all about serious business.
The studio’s gray backdrops also work well for headshots, in particular the Light Gray.
Black V-Flats are also frequently used in personal branding sessions.
Interested in learning more about what the studio has to offer? Click on the following links to jump to the studio’s portfolio of images, and download a digital copy of the studio’s Magazine and Style Guide to learn how to prepare for your photoshoot: