Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why should I choose a Headshot Photographer for my portraits?
A great portrait is a mix of Equipment, Technique and a Photographer who can coax a great natural look out of you. In a world where literally everyone is a Photographer now, finding someone who specializes at all three of these is rare. I love the challenge of making a single picture to represent you to the rest of the world. Talking with you and then knowing what to try is something that’s taken years to develop and it sets us apart from other photographers. We’re especially good with people who aren’t comfortable in front of the camera! We’ll make it super easy for you!
What type of lighting do you use?
We have all kinds of professional studio equipment. The amount of yourself that you want photographed as well as the background you want in your picture will determine the lights we use. We have some standard setups we trust but we’re also always interested in trying things to create new looks so your shot can be unique. Feel free to ask us to try things during your shoot or send us a picture of something you’d like to recreate!
What are my options for Backdrop?
We have a selection of different backdrops for Studio shoots. We have standard White, Black and Gray as well as several textured backdrops for a more unique look. We have smaller drops for headshots and large drops for full body work and groups. If you have a color you want to use that will match your company’s color scheme, let us know. We have access to lots of other backdrops and we’re always looking for a reason to purchase another color. We have several companies who have purchased their own backdrop to insure uniformity in all of their website pictures.
What about hair and makeup?
We have an ‘in house’ makeup artist and we offer professional airbrush makeup for most sessions. Jen is a Chanel Makeup Artist and has years of experience in the beauty and wedding industry. We can consult with you prior to your session to determine the look you’re wanting and Jen is amazing at doing makeup for Photography. We have several connections for Hair and can be helpful but we do not have a regular ‘in house’ hair stylist. We will definitely help you look over yourself prior to your shoot so that we can get every little hair in its right place!
What should I wear for my shoot?
Our feeling is that strong, bold solids work best for headshots. The focus of your picture is YOU and we would discourage you from wearing any busy patterns or anything that will make someone looks anywhere other than straight into your eyes! We love small jewelry, scarves, headbands etc as an option but make sure your outfit doesn’t rely on them because we’ll probably shoot pictures with and without accessories to see what you love best. Most of all, you should be comfortable. Wear your favorite outfit and bring a couple more with you. Think about easy things to swap out vs a complicated outfit that will take 10 minutes to change. We have single outfit sessions and sessions where you can change clothes multiple times. We want to spend your time shooting and not changing clothes! We’ll talk about your background choice prior to your shoot we we can help you with clothing ideas that will help you jump out of the picture.
What about my shoes?
We’re shooting your face so wear whatever shoes make you happy!!
Can we shoot headshots outside or with a natural background?
Sure! We can shoot your headshots anywhere. Realtors often want headshots in a “living space” that echoes what they do and we’ve shot many Business Owners in their business just to tie in their building with their pictures. The simple answer is we can make great pictures anywhere. Again, knowledge helps us to find a background that perfectly suits your need and balances out your outfit and lighting idea for your shoot. We will often shoot in such a way as to blur the background slightly as this helps keep the focus on your face while providing a little context for the picture. We have lots of examples of this in our Gallery.
When we shoot in the studio its a very controlled environment and there’s no wind or direct sunlight. This is often advantageous to making a great portrait. If we decide to shoot in a different location or outside, we will talk you through all the things to think about so we’re both prepared for the shoot.
Will my pictures be edited?
Yes! We do basic portrait editing on everything you pay for. This includes color, contrast, exposure and some basic edits to skin, eyes and hair. We can do additional edits for heavy acne and blemish removal and we’ll discuss everything you’re concerned about with you after we look at the pictures to determine if we can include it in the base price or we’ll need to charge you extra for. If your hair is crazy on the day of your shoot, its probably going to look crazy in your pictures. We can erase a few fly-away hairs but if you just walked in from a wind storm without a brush, we’ll talk you through what options we have for you! We do have a full bathroom available to please feel free to bring hair products and makeup for touch up. If we’re doing your makeup, we guarantee that we’ll make your skin look great! We do have options for full “Magazine Quality” edits and if looking like a professional model is what you want, we have high end retouching available. Our base editing style is a clean, natural smooth look with distractions removed without drastically changing what you look like. We call it “The Best You” and we love this style of editing.
Can I bring Props or My Dog?
We’re not going to tell you NO for anything and we’ve done all kinds of sessions with props and pets. For some business shots a prop of some kind might be completely appropriate and if your Dog is your life, we’re happy to accommodate you or just take a picture of your dog for you! What we will tell you over and over again is, a Headshot is about YOU and conveying to the world in a single picture who you are. We always want the focus to be on you. That said, we’re fun and open minded so ask anything and we’ll see what we can do!
What do I get back from you after my session?
We will build your headshot package around your desired end result. We will deliver your final edits to you electronically and in full resolution. If you know how you want pictures cropped we can give you cropped versions as well as full size versions at no additional cost. We’ll also provide you with Web Sized versions that will upload and display quickly while still looking as good as the full resolution files. The number of pictures you get will be determined by the package you purchase or by your decisions during/after the shoot. If you come for a single picture and you can’t choose between your three favorites, we have affordable options for you to have all three!
What’s the timeframe involved in getting my edits back?
Rarely does it take us more than a week to finish your edits and often they are done in a day or two. Some of this depends on our workload and travel schedule, but most of our Headshot Clients get their pictures back in just a few days. Large Corporate shoots will take longer, but individual shoots will come back to you quickly.
How will I select my pictures?
We shoot headshot sessions tethered to a computer. This means that your pictures pop up on our computer screen right as we’re shooting. We’ll take breaks during your shoot to evaluate the looks we’re getting and to allow both of us to discuss other ideas. The pictures you see initially are what we call “RAW” meaning they have zero processing. We’ll pick your favorites based on smiles, eyes, posture and lighting and then the edits will come later. Before you leave your session, you’ll have selected the pictures you love and that you want us to edit for you as well as looked at some possible suggestions for editing style.
How do I book a Session?
You need to contact me for a date/time slot. You can use the “contact” form here to reach out to us with all of your details or feel free to call us to discuss and schedule. We can usually book you within a week or two and we do have options for last minute emergencies including overnight printing!
Can you come to my business for multiple people in a single session?
Of Course! We have a full mobile studio and the beauty of us coming to you is that every one of your pictures will look the same. We’ll set up in a convenient place and space people 5-10 minutes apart so everyone has enough time to get the picture they want! We have a mobile option for instant selection so everyone can pick their favorite shot and not leave it up to us or someone at your business. We can customize a backdrop for you that matches your company’s color scheme if you want and even work with you (and your web designer) if you need headshots or product cut out from backgrounds for web design.
Can you make me skinny?
We will work together during your shoot to help you feel the best about you and your pictures. While there are Photoshop techniques for Body Shaping, we’d rather choose the right lens, light and position to help the best you stick out in the pictures. If you have concerns, please openly talk with us. We can only address what we know and and what we see from a Photographer’s perspective. We may not know what a bad hair day looks like for you and whether that mole is something you love or you’d like us to remove it. Communication is key and we’ll do everything we can to ask lots of questions!
Can you cut me out?
Yes! If you are wanting to shoot pictures specifically for web page use where you may need to be added on top of other graphics etc vs a headshot in a box, we can also supply you with a “cut out” version at an additional cost. Its helpful to know in advance what color you’ll be added to (if you know it) because it affects the backgrounds we may choose to shoot against. If you need full body or portraits shot for cut-out and delivered with transparent backgrounds, please let us know in advance and we’ll quote you prices for that additional work. You’ll also get versions with the background included.
Are you ready for your headshot?
Its not just your picture - Its your personality captured in a single image!
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