As one of Portland’s premier headshot photographers for the better part of 15 years, I’ve learned a thing or two about what makes a great headshot. It’s not just the light to the color or the pose. There’s something special, something unique about the subject that shines through. Take a look at these samples of my recent work and see what makes these images click.

In all cases, the eyes of the subject are the most important thing. These these two images, which were shot with two different lighting styles, both accomplish the same goal: a super-strong eye-to-eye connection and the feeling that we know a little bit about the person in the picture.

When we got to the end of this session, we decided to shoot a few casual portraits — headshots with a bit more movement, if you will — and this is one of the images we captured. What makes this headshot great is the relaxed feel of her smile, as if we were just hanging out, drinking coffee.

A person whose eyes change character with every turn of the head is, unquestionably, one of the most interesting people to photograph. In these images, we see the subtle nuances of the subject’s personality in the way her eyes meet the camera. Some dynamic lighting doesn’t hurt.

Here we see the same subject wearing the same clothing, photographed within a few minutes of each other, yet the message is definitely different. On the left, we meet a slightly sassy and ultra confident teenager and on the right we meet a wide eyed and wondrous kid.

Four different men in four different images with four different lighting schemes and four different message.

On the left, we have a chisel-cheeked actor with serious leading man vibes who needed strong studio light and a bright open background. In the plaid, we have a business person, a restauranteur, who hung out on the front steps of our studio, comfortable and casual, like his restaurant.

Second from the right is an actor who wanted to portray more range than just a leading man: the leather jacket, the dynamic side lighting and the drill-a-hole-in-you stare brought out his innate gangster vibes. And lastly, and most dramatic of all, a model guy with model vibes.

The professional headshot on the left captured exactly what the subjected wanted: strong and businesslike while remaining accessible and friendly. The other two images — shot for working actors with plenty of experience — exude the confidence needed to compete in the acting industry. And that’s what makes them great headshots.

Michael Verity is a Portland, OR-based photographer specializing in professional headshots, modeling portfolios and fashion editorial photography. The husband of an acting coach and father of two young adult actors, he’s been photographing successful actors, models and creatives and business professionals for more than a decade.