What should I wear?
For headshots, simplicity is best. I always recommend avoiding bold patterns or shirts with text or logos on them. Minimal jewellery is typically best and less distracting as well. Depending on the brand you are looking to portray men can bring a suit jacket, ironed dress shirt and a couple of options for ties.
I suggest bringing about five different top options to choose from at the shoot so that we can capture formal as well as casual images. Try to include a variety of colors and necklines and typically tops that cover the arms are better suited for headshots. Gemstone colors such as emerald, sapphire and ruby are very flattering to most skin tones.
As with any rule there are always exceptions and if you want to bring along your favorite patterned shirt and bold earrings and that's what you feel best in, go for it!
How should I style my hair?
For women with long hair it's nice to start with hair styled down with the option of either putting it half up or in a ponytail partway through the session.
If you're in need of a fresh cut I highly recommend Frenchie's Hair. It is the perfect place to treat yourself and when you mention you heard about them from me you receive a sweet deal on your cut!
For men I usually recommend having your hair cut a few days before the session so that it looks well groomed but not the overly fresh cut look. Remember to arrive either clean shaven or with a trimmed beard, depending on what your facial hair style is.
I can highly recommend going to see Sagar from Hectic Cutz. He is one of the best barbers in the city and if you're lucky you might run into one of his celebrity clients!
Do you recommend having my makeup done by a professional?
I typically recommend doing your makeup as if you were attending a wedding or other similar formal event. Sparkly eyeshadow and large false eyelashes should be avoided as they don't photograph very well.
Professional makeup can look nice especially if you have an experienced artist and you have let them know it's for headshots. I can recommend Kerris from Frenchie's Hair and Shiny from Glam By Shiny.
How do I decide which photo to pick? They all look so great!
During the session I will have a monitor on-site for previewing the images to make sure you're happy with what we are capturing.
Together we'll select your final images right at the shoot so you don't have to wade through all your photos on your own. This also speeds up turnaround times for delivery the files.
Can I choose more than one headshot for retouching?
Of course! All packages include one retouched image and any additional retouched images are $75.00 each.
What does retouching mean? Aren't you just running a simple filter on my photos?
I do all the editing on your images. If it makes you cringe thinking that someone is going to see every detail of your face you are not alone! But trust me, I have retouched hundreds of photos and there's nothing I haven't seen either on the screen or in the mirror looking back at me. This is a judgement free zone!
I retouch all of your images to a very high standard. Flyaway hairs, lint and blemishes are removed while still keeping your skin looking natural and not completely blurred out. I want to make you look like yourself on your best day!
I know the past two years have not been friendly to many of our waistlines and I am often asked by my clients to make them look slimmer. While I certainly have the ability to do this in Photoshop I don't recommend it. You want to present yourself in a way that people will still recognize you when they meet you in person. Through posing and clothing suggestions we can make you look slimmer straight out of camera instead.
What is the wait time for retouched images?
Retouched files are delivered via an online gallery within five business days.
Can I get all the unedited photos from my session?
No. You only get the retouched images that you selected at your session. Why? As a professional photographer I never give clients the RAW files from a session. The final look of my images is a big part of my brand and by delivering unedited files there is always the chance that they will get posted as is, or edited in a different style. This inconsistency can be damaging to my brand and can cost me future business. My clients pay me to edit only the very best of the shots from the session and retouch them professionally.
If you would like a watermarked proofing gallery of all the images taken at your session I am happy to provide that in the case that you'd like to order more photos down the road.
Will you make me look 20 years younger and take off the 10 pounds I gained during Covid?
How long is a typical session?
Most individual sessions run from 30-45 minutes long. It all depends on how many different looks and backgrounds you would like to try.
There is no obligation to purchase all the looks that you try. It's fun to see how different tops photograph on different colored backgrounds so bring lots of variety!
How do I pay for my session?
Can you come to our office for our staff photos?
My portrait studio is completely portable and I can come to you and use either a backdrop or your work environment as the background of the image. I require a minimum space of 8 x 12 ft for my setup.
I do have a $500 on-location fee that would be added to your final cost.
This location fee covers the hours spent tearing down my studio, travel time, setting up at the office, tearing down again, and once more setting up in my studio.
What if I hire new staff? Can they get a photo to match the rest of the team?
Definitely! This is one of the best parts about working with me for your company headshots. As you add to your team you can include a headshot at my studio as part of your onboarding process.
For the same group rate of $190 per person I will match the lighting style, background, and make recommendations so that their outfit and expressions match the rest of the group.
Who decides which headshots we get?
Company headshots include one photo per person. I bring a tablet on location and after each employee's mini session they will make their final selection right on the spot.
This way employers aren't burdened with either making the selections for their employees or hounding their staff to make their own choices from an online gallery.
How much time do you need per person?
15 minutes or per person is all I need for a quick lint roll, hair check, 10-15 shots and image selection. I work pretty quick!