My name is John Godwin, and I bloody love shooting headshots – they’re my passion and my specialism all rolled into one.
Every single actor who walks in my studio is a challenge and a puzzle that must be solved in the most elegant and delicate way possible. There’s no cookie-cutter lighting in my studio, and everything I shoot is my own creative vision – I don’t copy other headshot photographers, as is so common, and I don’t rely on pre-planned generic lighting setups. The challenge for me, with every actor, is to create a completely unique headshot that doesn’t look like anything I’ve shot previously.
My advertising photography background means I understand how to create an image that sells. How to understand the needs of the brief, and how to execute the brief in a way that gets the core message across. In the case of headshots, the message is “BOOK ME”. Maybe not that loud though.
My studio is fully equipped for any and all levels of photography. From food shoots to product and advertising, to full length portraits, and even jewellery and cosmetics. All of that equipment is available on the day to bend and shape the light in an unlimited amount of ways. I’m obsessed with light, and I hope that’s obvious in the pictures.
I’m relaxed (slightly manic if I get excited), and most importantly, I’m easy to work with. It doesn’t matter if you’re on your first ever set of headshots, or your 50th, you’re going to be put completely at ease in my studio. My favourite type of person to shoot is someone nervous. Preferably terrified, dripping with sweat, shaking, maybe even retching a little (I’m just kidding about that last part). I love taking that person in hand, and guiding them through the early stages of the shoot, and spinning the laptop round on an amazing shot and showing them that anyone can look brilliant in front of a camera. Watching someone’s anxiety melt away is a such a cool feeling, taking a good shot of someone, and at the same time, maybe giving that person a little extra confidence about themselves (even if they already had it plenty, but especially if they didn’t have so much).
I operate London Headshots purely for pleasure, because it is subsidised by my advertising, commercial and editorial commissions, I’m not forced to shoot multiple actors per day. I can have fun shooting a single actor and making sure I put all of my energy into that one shoot. It’s not completely altruistic – photographing actors is amazing practice for larger projects, so think of your presence in my studio being a collaboration rather than a transaction.
Rather uniquely, also, I don’t upsell my images or try to convince you to buy extras. They’re there if you want them, but the idea is that you get everything you need in the four – otherwise what was the point of booking me? Most of the time I give the extra images away free, anyway. I also tend to go back over old headshot sessions (2+ years) and retouch them again if I feel my skills have progressed since then, and then I send an updated version if I feel I can improve it. If I happen across a headshot that I love that didn’t get picked, I’ll usually retouch that one, too, and send it on for free. What I’m really trying to put across here is that I give a shit about the headshots I choose. They’re as much a part of me as they are a picture of you, and I don’t just shoot and forget. I remember all of my clients by name, and I welcome anyone to test me on that fact!
That’s all really. Outside photography I like reading, Mixed Martial Arts, and keeping myself fit and healthy. I was a bodybuilder for 10+ years, and I still hit the gym regularly to maintain a little bit of mass. I also love puzzles – especially logic puzzles. I do a bit of running, some Spartan’s, etc, and I love cooking, too.
I’ve run out of stuff to talk about. BOOK NOW!