You don't need to cross a bridge
Most people assume professional headshots mean downtown SF. High-rise lobby, receptionist, sterile white backdrop that says "we're very serious here." But getting there—bridge traffic, circling for parking, navigating a building you've never been in—burns through all the relaxation you need for looking natural on camera. You'll spend the first ten minutes of your session just decompressing from the commute. That's expensive time to waste on breathing exercises.
Why Temescal
My studio is in Oakland's Temescal neighborhood. Quiet block, easy parking, good coffee on the next corner if you're early. Clients from Berkeley, Emeryville, Walnut Creek, and across the East Bay are here in minutes, which means you walk in calm instead of frazzled. That difference shows up in every frame. There's no recovery period; you just start.
The neighborhood has a creative energy that seeps into the work. This isn't a corporate office park with fluorescent lights and a shared kitchen nobody cleans. It's a space where people come to make things—and when you're in that mode, it rubs off. You stop thinking about "getting your headshot done" and start actually enjoying yourself.
On location across the East Bay
Half my sessions happen outside the studio. Parks in Berkeley. Rooftops in downtown Oakland. A client's own office, backyard, or favorite block. The East Bay is full of textured, lived-in spaces that make your headshot feel like yours… instead of stock photo #4,817.
Location shoots also mean your photos reflect where you actually live and work. If your people are in Oakland, your photos should feel like Oakland. That authenticity comes through in ways you might not consciously notice—it's the difference between a photo that could be anyone anywhere and one that feels like it has a real story behind it.
The practical upside
Less commute, more energy. Less stress, better expressions. You arrive ready instead of recovering. Professional headshots in Berkeley or Oakland shouldn't feel like a half-day expedition. They should feel like running an errand in your own neighborhood… except you leave looking incredible and feeling like you finally checked something big off the list. The kind of thing where you text a friend afterward: "Just got my headshots done. Why did I wait so long?"