The Setup
Hurley’s setup is simple and intimate, with lightbanks deployed to surround the subject’s head. He’s shown here photographing Popular Photography editor-in-chief Miriam Leuchter. She says she usually doesn’t like being photographed but left his studio “feeling great.”. Popular Photography
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Peter Hurley Sample Image

Peter Hurley Sample Image

“I try to draw colorful expressions and reactions from my subjects the entire time we’re shooting.”
Peter Hurley Sample Image

Peter Hurley Sample Image

For women, this lighting usually fills in every shadow, rendering complexions smooth and wrinkle-free.
Peter Hurley Sample Image

Peter Hurley Sample Image

Hurley starts by clearly defining the jawline.
Peter Hurley Sample Image

Peter Hurley Sample Image

Extending the jaw is where all my work begins.
Peter Hurley Sample Image

Peter Hurley Sample Image

He orients his headshots as horizontals, instead of the more conventional verticals.
Peter Hurley Sample Image

Peter Hurley Sample Image

By cropping the top of a subject’s head, Hurley is able to enlarge the eyes for a more expressive portrait. This headshot also shows the importance of subtle but flawlessly effective makeup.
Peter Hurley Sample Image

Peter Hurley Sample Image

When lighting men, Hurley often won’t use a fill light from below. The resulting shadows add character, he says. To make sure the head is adequately shaped, he will often add an accent light, as seen on the man’s left cheek and chin here.
Peter Hurley Sample Image

Peter Hurley Sample Image

To clearly define head structure, Hurley asks subjects to extend the chin and present the jawline. Here, it also moves the face forward, drawing attention to it by throwing the far shoul­der out of focus.
Peter Hurley Sample Image

Peter Hurley Sample Image

As the reflections in the eyes reveal, Hurley surrounds women’s heads with light sources to fill in shadows for luminously glowing complexions.