Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Iaia.
Andrea, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m originally from Italy, and I began my photography journey as a professional retoucher. As a retoucher, I worked for many Italian and European magazines. Meantime I took acting classes and I started to work also in front of the camera both in films and stills. Thanks to that I became a friend with important national photographers that encouraged me to buy a camera since I was basically killing them with all my questions about lighting, exposure, lenses, etc… So I did and spent tons of time in the learning curve of how to control and create with light and shadows. Those mentors introduced me also to the importance of making comfortable the person in front of my lens, which is fifty percent of the job in a picture, especially in a headshot which is the first marketing tool for actors and entrepreneurs. Lots of struggle and trial and errors during the years have been repaid in Italy with publications on magazines such as Vanity Fair and GQ. I’m very grateful for that and honored to be featured on VoyageLA as well.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I moved from Italy almost two years ago and I have probably faced (and still facing..) the first big problem that every independent professional has to deal with: how to make people aware of my work. I’m still in the learning curve because everything moves in a different way compare to my country.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the AiHeadshots story. Tell us more about the business.
AiHeadshots is focused, as the name says on headshots, although lately, I’ve been busy shooting also lifestyle and editorial. A headshot nowadays can be a powerful marketing tool: it helps actor “getting in the room”, and entrepreneurs branding themselves. Unlike most photographers do, I don’t like shooting actors “per look”, or do a “20 minutes speed session”. I have a profound respect for my work and for the person in front of my lens.
In a photo session with me, the first half hour is just warm-up coaching the person the basics on how to engage properly the lens. Planning is key, I like to work closely with each actor before the photoshoot helping them selecting clothes and colors that can best market themselves. During the shoot, I use different light setups and backgrounds to best serve each look.
If I shoot an entrepreneur, we discuss the shooting together considering also the profession and the colors showed on the website.
Every person can be photogenic and interesting, is just a matter of knowing what to do when a camera is pointing on you. A photo session is a “fifty percent job” between the photographer and the subject where the photography gear is not included in the equation. I strongly believe that a good picture is based on capture a genuine “reaction” supported by some “basics”. It’s on the photographer to coach those “basics”.
If you don’t look good in a picture, is always the photographer fault.
Thanks to my experience as a professional retoucher, hire a make-up artist is not mandatory with me: my digital retouching techniques allow me to coif hair or add/enhance makeup while keeping always a natural look.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I think luck is a number game: the more you try the better the chances. We all have a learning curve to deal with.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aiheadshots.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiheadshots/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AiHeadshots82/
Image Credit:
AiHeadshots
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