Headshots & Portraits
Headshots are like a visual business card. As the name suggests, it’s only shoulders and up. The goal is to represent someone professionally, accurately, and make them marketable. The lighting is consistent and straightforward. A headshot should make you think about the person, not the photograph.
A portrait reveals an insight about someone’s personality or character. It can show any or all of the body (or go conceptual, and not even show the person), and use light, posing, clothes, props, and their environment to tell the story. My portraits are also roughly torso-and-up, and I draw on decades of creative exploration to make the picture itself embody a part of you.
Planning
We start with a planning session on Zoom. I’ll explain my approach, ask some questions, and share some secret techniques. If we’re making a portrait, we’ll set our goals. This call makes our studio time both super-efficient and super-effective.
I’ll send a link to book and pay for our studio time, and we’re off.
Making Pictures
Preparation
- Drink lots of water and get good sleep for three nights before our session. This will help your skin to glow!
- If your schedule allows, finish eating an hour before our session. Hunger and food comas are no fun.
- Please come with hair and makeup done. I do not provide them. I prefer light makeup—the camera picks up a lot!
- Bring all clothes, makeup, and styling tools you need for each look. You can hang them and change in the bathroom.
- To keep us focused and efficient, please come alone. Parents and caregivers are always welcome.
Arriving
I’m a block from the MacArthur BART. Free parking is available on 39th St. and the BART garage (both a block away). Please text when you’re close.
If you can do stairs, please come to my door on Turquoise Way (plants on the landing). Otherwise, I’ll meet you at the front of my building on 39th.
I have a large, very friendly, existentially depressed dog. His name is Blu and he will adore you.
The session
I’ll fine-tune the light for you and make some sample pictures. We’ll review them together and dive in, headshot first. For each look, we’ll shoot for a bit, review for a bit, and pick the images we want to keep.
If we’re making a creative portrait, you’ll change/break/snack while I set up lights. We’ll work in mostly the same way—shooting and reviewing—with variations to give us options.
Then a final review, tearful goodbye, and you’re off!
After the shoot
I’ll send a proofing gallery within 48 hours with the images we selected. Choose as many as you’d like retouched and delivered in high resolution and social-ready. If you haven’t yet, tell me which sizes you need (8×10 for actors; square for most profiles, etc.). I’ll send the final files within seven business days.
Each image costs $200 for retouching and unlimited usage rights. Subsequent shoots are heavily discounted, so I hope to see you again.