Studio and Location Headshots: Aruna Krishnan

Working with Aruna was simply a joy! From the Pre-Session Consultation through the end of the Headshot Session, it was more like working with a collaborator than a client. And that is the ideal scenario for any portrait session. The idea of a “photographer” and a “subject” when it comes to portraiture has never sat right with me and I strive to eliminate that idea from our work with clients. Our clients are not mere subjects that we plop in front of the camera, they are unique individuals that we are blessed to interact with and collaborate with.

Aruna truly meets the definition of a unique, and impressive indvidual! She is the author of two self-help books, “STOP, WAIT, GO: Rules for a Busy Mind” and “UNPUZZLED: Problem Solving for a Busy Mind”. She is also a Business Strategy Consultant and a Podcast Host. Oh, and she’s a wife and mother as well! Did I mention triathlete? Yeah, she trains for and competes in triathlons in her spare time.

It was an honor to help Aruna create new headshots for her various enterprises!

The photo session itself was a combination of studio portraits (we brought the gear to her and set up a studio in her home) and location portraits in her back garden. Starting in the studio, Aruna cycled through a few outfits and poses, and then we repeated that process outside. In the images from her session, I particularly like the confidence that she projects. It’s a confidence that I find inspiring, engaging, and approachable.

The outdoor location headshots were shot using natural light. There was bright, direct sun, so we used 36” circular diffusion panel held between Aruna and the sun by our photo assistant to soften the sunlight.

For the studio headshots, we were using: a 400W monolight (two 200W instruments in a dual adapter) with a 48” circular softbox set camera right; a 6.5’ x 3/5’ reflector panel just off Aruna’s right side; a 400W monolight (two 200W instruments in a dual adapter) with a 8” x 24” strip softbox set behind her on her right side; and a 36” white circular reflector in front of her just above waist level. The background is a 7’ x 6’ pop-up backdrop. Below is a diagram of the setup.

Overall, the session was a joyful experience with an impressive woman, who was a great collaborator!