Can You Spot the Fake Photographer?

In a world where anyone and everyone can take photos, it’s easy to get in the mindset that a camera is camera. But there’s still a big difference between a professional photographer and an amateur one. To put this notion to the test, professional portrait photographer Ben Lucas created the Headshot Challenge to decide once and for all how important it is to use a professional photographer versus a fake one:

For the Headshot Challenge, each person was photographed by both Lucas and paid actress Mary, using the same lighting, setup, and camera options. The goal of the experiment was to show that there’s more to capturing portraits than the technical aspects. To create a great photo, you have to be able to connect with your subject, and each image should bring out the personality and/or emotions of your subject.

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Image Comparison of Circus Performer Sarah

Throughout the video, each subject was photographed by both “photographers”. It’s easy to see their techniques were vastly different. While Mary used a more technical approach with terminology you might hear at any large photography studio chain, Lucas offered a more personable approach to help his clients relax in front of the camera.

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Real vs. Fake Side by Side Headshots of DJ Becka

After the shoot, the photos were placed side-by-side to see if the subject could tell the difference between the two photographers. Every person photographed was able to decipher between the fake and professional photographs. In fact, during the post-shoot interview, no one was surprised to find out that Mary was a paid actress.

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