EUOL headshots

[EUOL]

All right, kids.  Which of these do you think should go on the jacket of my book?

Thanks to Micah for the photos.  These are copyrighted to him, so, uh, don't steal them or anything.  (I can't imagine what you'd want a bunch of pictures of me for, though....)

http://www.brandonsanderson.com/graphics/BRANDON1.JPG

http://www.brandonsanderson.com/graphics/BRANDON2.JPG

http://www.brandonsanderson.com/graphics/BRANDON3.JPG

http://www.brandonsanderson.com/graphics/BRANDON4.JPG

http://www.brandonsanderson.com/graphics/BRANDON5.JPG

[Tage]

Definitely #5. While I think #2 is not bad, it makes you look really young for some reason. And you just look weird in the rest.

[Brenna]

I like the first two and the fifth the best, I think. You look very concerned about something in the fourth one.

[fuzzyoctopus]

I second the motion. Both #5 and #1 look great, but for some reason #1 looks like you're trying to sell the shirt.  #5 is definitely better for the back of a book.



And yes, I just said you look like a model.

[Prometheus]

#1 then #5. I'm not a shirt-buying guy, but I can't see what fuzzy was talking about. Not #2.

[GorgonlaVacaTremendo]

Uh, were you being sarcastic and cruel about anything imparticular in number three, or...?

Five is the best, definately go with five.

[EUOL]

No, Gorgon, the sun was just in my eyes.  I couldn't pull off a smile that day without giving a strange squint.  Micah threw in one smiling pic for variety, but none of them turned out well.

[Master Xaio]

Definitely 5.   Number 2 looks kinda artificial, 5 is a more natural looking posture, while still looking good.

[42]

I concure, #5 is the best. #1 isn't too bad, but doesn't look as natural as as #5. The rest just look silly.

[stacer]

You look very concerned about something in the fourth one.

I second that. And Micah was right, the smiling one isn't nearly so good as the serious ones. The way to avoid the dead-eye look is to stop smiling between, and to have the photographer or someone talk to you about something pleasant so that you forget you're getting your picture taken. I have to have people stop smiling all the time when I'm doing engagement shots, etc., because it ends up looking fake.


I'd actually vote for #1, because it's a little closer and just enough off-center to give the photo a little dynamic movement or whatever you might call it. Either that or I'd crop #5 in just a bit to be at the same dimensions as #1, because the expression is a little better in that one. I also like the turn of your head in #5, just slightly more than #1. So maybe I'm really voting for #5--I'm convincing myself as I talk about it.

And by the way--looking good! These are much better pictures than the one on your staff page. I don't remember seeing you without glasses.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

shaven?
oh yeah, you teach at byu

we've got the facts and we're voting 5

[Gemm: Rock & Roll Star; Born to Rock]

Well, were you writing a book about constipation or something similar, #4 would be excellent.

But I think I like #3 best. Not that I totally know you or anything, but a smile does me better for an author than a... non-smile. Or you could do the Gaiman "Mona Lisa" smile thing. Which I must say EUOL, just because you cock your head to the side a bit and then put on a straight mouth, doesn't make it a smile. Or maybe just wear darker clothes.

[Tekiel]

#1.  Everyone in my family voted, and we all said #1 (or #2 without the bars in the background).  You've got a little squint in your left eye in #5 that I just can't get over.  

Definitely #1 (or 2 with some touch-ups in the background).

[Peter Ahlstrom]

I like #3!

my roommate says you should have glasses on so you look smart.

[EUOL]

Yeah, they were bad with the lighting, though.  They have a slight tint to them--unnoticeable to most people, but they were turning dark in the photographs.