If you read my previous post about How I became a photographer [HERE], then I want to let you know that I didn’t choose to be a headshot photographer, either. Headshot photography took me by surprise, which I humbly integrated into my career, and eventually, it occupied all of my photographic career.
I moved to San Francisco back in 2009. At that time, my English wasn’t very strong. Despite my lack of confidence in my English language skills, I refused to give up on portrait photography. I decided to start with Craigslist. I made a post offering portrait, wedding, family, and newborn photography services.
One of my first requests was from a guitarist who was preparing for a tour to South America and needed new headshots.
“What is a headshot?” I went to my dictionary and read the translation “shooting someone in the head”. Thank you Craigslist, but no thank you!
When I told my husband about this creepy email, he burst into uncontrollable laughter. “No, honey, she is not a Craigslist weirdo, a headshot is a type of portrait photography for actors or professionals”.
I met the guitarist in person for a consultation, and to my surprise, she spoke my language! I got so excited about the opportunity to work with her and asked if she would like a whole creative photoshoot as well as getting a new headshot.
The result of our photoshoot exceeded all of her expectations. She was so impressed! She asked me why I don’t work with musicians from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. “What conservatory?”, I asked. She offered, “I will take you there and introduce you to my instructors and friends.”
That’s how I was introduced to musicians and opera singers. I hadn’t known that I lived just 15 minutes from SFCM. I found out that students have recitals almost every evening, open to the public… for free. I took a program for a whole semester and would go to listen to live classical music. I made friends with the musicians there and invited them to be my models for test shoots and assignments while I pursued my MFA at the Academy of Art University.
To this day, classical musicians and opera singers are my favorite and most loyal clients. I often find that a simple headshot session can result in inspirational portraits.
That’s not the end of the story. There are more things to be grateful for from that Craigslist post. The guitarist was Arina Burceva. During her tour to South America, she got approached by many publications, and that is how my work became published for the first time, in a Peruvian music magazine.
Thank you Craigslist! Thank You Arina Burceva! Thank you San Francisco Conservatory of Music! Thank you to all my friends and clients for trusting my skills. I hope my photography brings you success in your career and personal life.
