Length
Custom Lighting
No-ones face looks the same, and they each react differently to the lighting on hand. So we make sure that each person’s face is as beautiful as possible by taking a few minutes to fine-tune the lights to be as flattering, professional, and appealing as possible.
Comfort
Are you comfortable in front of the camera? Once the lighting is fine-tuned, it takes a little bit for our subjects to relax and get into it. We take the time to ensure we get to a comfortable state.
Variety of Expressions and Poses
Have you ever had a set of photos come back and not liked what you saw? We want you to be happy with, and proud of your shots, so you can use them everywhere. We even show you the pictures on the computer as we go along and before we finish, to make sure there are at least 2 shots you could be happy with before you leave the room!
In our time together, we try different postures, angles, poses, and expressions. This is impossible to do in a 5-minute or 10-minute session!
Experience & Guidance
The key to a good headshot is being comfortable. So we help you every step of the way from inquiry, through the shoot, and to delivery of your final shots.
Step-by-Step Guidance
We send helpful emails when you book and the day before your shoot, with tips on how to prepare, logistics on shoot day etc. so that there are no surprises.
Expert Photographers
Having a natural-looking, flattering, and genuine photo of yourself, in a potentially uncomfortable situation, is not an easy thing to do. That is what we are experts at, and where our experience comes in.
High End and Professional Lighting
A headshot is by definition for professional use. And professional lighting and equipment is a big part of that. It’s one of the reasons a passport photo or a selfie in a mirror don’t work for headshots!
Our Signature Lighting has been designed and tweaked over the years to:
- Be as versatile as possible with a minimum amount of adjustments for each individual – even people with very reflective glasses
- Work with any shade of backdrop.
- Work with any colour of outfit. Even white on white looks great with our setup.
Enjoyable
No-one loves having their photo taken. This is one of the reasons that people are trying AI headshots – you don’t have to go in front of a professional camera.
But the trouble with AI is that it’s not really you, is it? And if your target audience realizes it’s AI…what might they think you’re hiding?
We know that fear of the camera is a big part of this. So we are experts at making it fun, easy, and enjoyable. That’s part of being a professional photographer.
Two Fully Retouched Images, Shot a Bit Wide for Maximum Versatility
Would you use your passport photo for a headshot? Probably not. It is designed for one thing, and one thing only – to identify you.
A headshot should be useful for a whole variety of things, both serious and less serious, and with different framing. We shoot our headshots to below the hands, to provide maximum versatility, and send you 2 or 3 crops for each image. These could be great for LinkedIn, business cards, brochures, different places on your website, etc. There are a lot of ways to use a headshot, and not all of them will work with the same, shoulders up image.
So we provide you 2 fully retouched shots for each session, with 2 to 3 crops each, which you can choose via a proofing gallery online, on your own time. You can purchase more as well – I would say half of people do. In your two shots, look for:
- Differences in expression (for example, serious for work and fun for your Facebook page)
- Differences in pose (for example, traditional hands in front, or hands in pocket)
- Different orientation – that is one looking left, and one looking right
- Maybe a slight change in outfit. We have time to try a 2nd jacket or change a shirt in a 30m session
Successful
Ultimately we want your headshot to help you build trust with your target audience. Some measures of success that a headshot could help with are (but not limited to):
- Job seekers: Show some initiative when searching for a job, and you might just find you float to the top of the pile of resumes.
- Website Conversion: A headshot and a real person on your site will certainly help people feel more comfortable inquiring
- Conference talk promotion: Appear super professional to potential attendees at the presentation you’re giving
- Memorable: I have forgotten the faces of more people whose business cards I have than I can count. Put it on there! Help people remember and have a good impression of you
How much is a headshot worth if it helps you accomplish one (or many) of the above and more?