So I need a new headshot for a conference I’m speaking at in June and I’m short on time so I fooled around with my camera last night (ooh-err, missus) and narrowed it down to three options…

[rgarner@mastodon.social]

@aral go with what reads best at thumbnail size. To me, the most approachable are the two bespectacled, maybe leaning towards the closed-mouth one, but the open-mouthed one is fun and you've turned upwards so less of your face is in shadow. Were I doing it as a formal portrait I'd brolly a speedlight lower left but these are decent.

The non-bespectacled one people might mistake for Kiefer Sutherland in 24. Which has its place, it's just in tense terrorism-related TV

[gracelesshippo@mastodon.ie]

@aral

In all seriousness they're grand.

[flaki@flaki.social]

@aral big adam savage energy

[pcxt@piaille.fr]

@aral or this one

[oaj@mastodon.com.pl]

@aral: 1st and 3rd are good contenders IMO.

[aral@mastodon.ar.al]

@rgarner Thanks, Russell

PS. Most of the emotion in the photos is the pain of leaning over my desk to get close enough to the camera I usually use for streaming (a6400) for the f1.4 lens to do it’s magic (shh, don’t tell anyone).

PPS. Do you know I didn’t even realise I wasn’t wearing my specs in the third one until you just told me? Our brains, what’re they like, eh?

[aral@mastodon.ar.al]

@pcxt Sadly, loses its effect when cropped square (as the photos are on the site); otherwise I was very tempted to

[beaufils@mastodon.social]

@aral Did you get your chips back from that Seagull?

[rgarner@mastodon.social]

@aral I was wondering about the lens – I was leaning towards "good camera, 1.4" rather than "AI bokeh". You can just tell

(though clearly when I can't, I can't)

lol@the pain, which is real

[pcxt@piaille.fr]

@aral sure I get it
Maybe you can add black stripes above and below aral in CinemaScope

[spacelifeform@infosec.exchange]

@aral

I like the third one due to the serious look.

[yassie_j@labyrinth.zone]

@aral@mastodon.ar.al @witix@mk.absturztau.be the last one looks too intense to me, but the first one seems to have a good mix of vibes and raw aura

[mttkng@masto.98degrees.co.uk]

@aral First. Third needs a CW.

[rmi@cloudisland.nz]

@aral this is the one

[rapsneezy2@mastodon.social]

@aral

My vote is for the smiling mastodon avatar!

(But they're all good, hard to choose)

[woe2you@beige.party]

@aral I think you should go with Blue Steel.

[yukari@fedinet.waltuh.cyou]

@aral the third look like federal judge skeptical with defendant attitude , i choose first.

[cairobraga@gts.cairobraga.com]

@aral DAMN, you're handsome!!! I voted for the first, however: your pfp is even better.

[camille@social.praxis.nyc]

@aral
I think you got too close. Can you back up a bit and try again? Its an extreme close-up in all cases with the first being the least so
@rgarner

[aral@mastodon.ar.al]

@cairobraga Haha, thanks, Cairo – now *that’s* not something I hear everyday