Adam
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What makes a great headshot
Here’s what separates a great headshot from a shitty one. The obvious: Without a genuine smile and presence in the eyes, a viewer can’t connect with you. They move on. It’s why the session pays for itself: Actors cover the shoot with their first booking; office workers get it back hundreds of times over with…
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The Case for Radical Authenticity
You are you. Seems simple enough. You laugh your way, stare off meaningfully your way, remember your grandma your way. Professional photos should be easy. Just be, like, completely vulnerable, and charming, no matter what happens. Sure. Even if you can (lucky you!), there’s a problem: Obviously, we look like ourselves when we’re being ourselves.…
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AI Can Never Be You
Even when AI no longer hallucinates, headshot generators will still have a fatal problem. They can never make an expression that’s uniquely yours. It can make something that LOOKS LIKE you. But you’re not there. So if you’re good with misrepresenting yourself… sure, use a generator. The person in the picture will never be you.…
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Why I Opened A Headshot & Portrait Studio in 2025
I have a habit of bulldozing introductions. Let’s fix that. Hiii, I’m Adam. I designed and art directed at startups, small farms, mid-size firms, and big corporate for 20 years. I ran a poetry press for 10, and a filthy-mouthed guide to Albuquerque for seven. There was a lot of overlap. Everywhere I went, I…
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The fastest way to sort photos
You did it right and made too many pictures. Which ones are good? Glad you asked. Here’s the easiest way to sort your photos Folders work for this, but star rating is easier and more flexible, so you’ll want an app that does that (such as Lightroom). This works equally well for five or 5000…
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How to get a great profile picture
How do you get a truly great profile pic? Options. When you get something you’re happy with it can be tempting to stop. My advice: push through. Who cares if you make more? They’re all digital; the only cost is time. In my sessions, we might shoot 400 or more. (Which is why I developed…
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Limit your options
If your photographer sent you home with hundreds of pictures, they failed. They’re making you do their job. Staring at that many pictures is paralyzing. That’s why I developed systems to sort them. Staring at that many pictures of YOURSELF is even harder. How do you know what to choose? It’s tempting to think more…
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Accepting my strengths
I’m casually obsessed with Liquid Death. At first I was mildly horrified. It’s water in a can. That costs more than water in a bottle. Then I got it. They’re not selling water with world-class marketing. They’re selling world-class irony… with water inside. No matter how big they go, the message is the same. It’s…
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Failure is the best sauce
You have to live with being wrong. In my life, there’s a Before and After realizing what being wrong could do for me. It was a journey. Failure wasn’t just embarrassing, it was like a spark on a gasoline fuse. If I screw this up, I’ll never work again. (I may have had some imposter…
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How I make photoshoot booking easy
Between school photos, the DMV, and passports, we’ve been trained. Picture time sucks. Of COURSE it does: You wait an hour to be immortalized looking—and feeling—like a pigeon just shat in your sandwich. Awesome. Here’s how I redesigned the photoshoot booking process so it’s easy as trying and buying clothes at a luxe boutique: Decide…
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Confidence and vulnerability
Confidence is not the opposite of vulnerability. You can be both confident and willing to be wrong. In business, that combo is essential to leadership. In the arts, it’s the only way to guarantee something that works. So what is the opposite of being vulnerable? Being defensive (and cockiness, its weird, smelly twin). We can…
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Photography is empathy
When you’re out of your comfort zone and relying on someone else, how good are they at reading your needs? Doctors, mechanics, bartenders, physical therapists, plumbers, call center reps; everyone. Do they explain the how and why? Too much or too little? Are they kind? Do they even bother? Anyone can point a camera or…
