Headshot Photography Session FAQ

+ What is your shooting philosophy? How do you approach the shoot itself? What is your personality like during shoots?

This is very important because it only helps if clients know what to expect going into the shoot. Once in a while people get in their head and they're thinking "why is this guy so calm, why are things going so smooth" and people overthink it WAY too much.

The way I approach headshots comes down to acknowledging and adhering to what I consider three facts about headshots:

• the subject needs to be COMPLETELY comfortable. Comfortable enough doesn’t cut it. “I think they’re comfortable because they say they’re comfortable” isn’t good enough. The subjects need to feel as if they can do anything without judgement or without being looked at.
• Expressions need to be natural. I’d rather take shots that have lesser variety of expression that are true to the subject than waste time trying to force a bunch of expressions for the sake of “variety” when you know damn well you’re probably going to use one of the more subtle shots anyway.
• It needs to be done as quickly as possible; with as little wasted time and mistakes as possible because the subject will get fatigued otherwise.

To accomplish the first thing; the actor is never going to be fully comfortable if I’m spending the shoot telling them what they’re doing wrong.

Of COURSE I’m going to give feedback if things are obviously wrong; hair, makeup, wardrobe are things that I get really focused on. But I’m not going to nitpick, I don’t make comments on people’s appearance and if someone looks uncomfortable I’m not going to say “wow you look uncomfortable”. That’s something a LAZY photographer would do because they lack the emotional intelligence to make the environment comfortable for the subject in the first place. OR they don’t understand how they can redirect the situation to make someone comfortable so they just dump the issues with the shoot on the subject.

Also; I'm not your acting coach. I'm not here to critique your career. That should be done another day, expecting to do that on the day you're getting pictures taken of yourself is a crazy thing. Your headspace shows through the pictures.

There’s an alternative way to do things; I provide a calm, peaceful, confident energy for people to feed off of, positive feedback and a LOT of patience. This is why I don’t recommend the 30 minute session to new clients. I’d rather patiently wait for 20-30 minutes for the subject to settle into a shoot than try to dance around and do a bunch of games to get a good expression out of them. How is someone going to settle in if I'm immediately pointing out their flaws? It doesn't matter how nice I say it; subconsciously it says to the subject “I must be doing really bad if he needs to do all that to make it work”. The subject starts to do WORSE and whatever naturalness they have disappears because they start to rely completely on me for the expression because at this point they’re checked out.

That said; my general style is DEFINITELY different from other photographers and I think you can probably understand this just by looking at my portfolio. I’m VERY focused during a shoot. I’m actually changing the lighting, changing the background, changing the depth of field and making sure each look really speaks on its own. I'm a true photographer by the core. I’m not just keeping the same light up on the same settings while swapping out the background paper. All the while, I have a razor sharp eye on wardrobe, hair, makeup, demeanor and expression. I approach this almost like a heart surgeon with the amount of precision I have with the lighting and the variety I get.

However; I’m just not the “fun” guy. I’m not dancing around doing crazy shit, laughing and having a ball. I’m calm, steady, focused, confident and empowering the person I’m working with. I’m chatting the whole time and having a conversation because I want the subject to be distracted (and not feel like they just standing there in front of a camera) but to do that, you need to be having a GOOD conversation and that doesn’t happen when you’re trying to be fun the entire time.

This is also why I'm not crazy about clients bringing people to the shoot. Clients can bring anyone they want because they're adults and they can make their own decisions, but most guests just don't understand these dynamics and how to ACTUALLY get the best out of someone. The most COMMON example is when people start out flat (everyone starts flat, it's totally okay), and the guest IMMEDIATELY points it out. They literally just completely ruined my process and my ability to use patience/care to let the person settle in and be natural. Worse yet; when the guest feels the need to stare at the subject while they're taking pictures. I've seen agents/managers do this but it's also pretty common for parents to do it as well. I'm not sure who's going to be completely themself and uninhibited with their parents staring at them, but clients live & die by their decisions. There's more information on this in my guide, and bringing a guest isn't ALWAYS a bad idea, but the analogy is worth noting. You really need to have an amazing relationship with the guest and that relationship needs to be used to collaboration with your career for it to work.

The process works for 99.9% of my clients because they can just feel this by looking at my portfolio and that’s why they’re drawn to work with me but it DOESN’T work for the general public. If you feel like you absolutely need that kind of energy and you prioritize it over the final result I’m not your person. My process ONLY works if the subject trusts me. It only works if the subject came prepared to the shoot and weren't not distracted grasping to figure out things that could have been thought about days before (like wardrobe, hair, makeup). If you don’t care and you’re just here because I have a camera or you just care about looking cool, you’re not going to have the best time and there’s no way around that.

The irony is that the preparation material that I provide exceeds every other photographer in LA (probably anywhere else; there's really nothing close), and someone brand new to this will absolutely excel with my process. But it does require a little bit of reading, thought and prep. Some people want an all-inclusive experience where I provide the makeup, wardrobe styling, hair, acting coaching, and photography. For the time I have and definitely for the price, it just doesn't work like that.

Think about it; there are other photographers that will lie to your face and tell you "you don't have to worry about that; we'll figure it out for you!" and you get the most basic shots where you end up on your knees in someone's garage wearing a bowtie with a bright pink background being instructed to make a goofy face (since that look worked 15 years ago), all shot at an off-center, sideways angle because you didn't take a moment to think about how you wanted your acting career to go. Those people always wonder why their shots came out so basic and don't really look like them.

The proof is in my schedule. I only book 6-8 shoots per week (usually closer to 6) and I'm normally booked a month or 2 in advance. I could make THOUSANDS more (who wouldn't want that) each month by taking on just a couple more shoots per week; but I care more about the results than making a bunch of money. I care about avoiding creative burnout so I can be more present for all clients. My process just takes a lot focus and energy. I turn a lot of people away because I don't have instant aviability.

+ Do you provide or recommend a hair/makeup artist? Can I bring a makeup artist?

I no longer directly provide makeup artists for shoots, it’s too hard to guarantee 110% satisfaction with makeup. Additionally, with new California Labor Laws and Federal Labor Laws it's debately illegal to provide makeup services at a price I set to makeup artists that are independent contractors (an EXTREMELY common practice in this industry). HOWEVER, I do have a list of recommended Hair/Makeup Artists. Prices range from $125 to $400. This allows you to find the right fit for you, it also allows you to find the person that is within your budget. If you book your own hair/makeup person, make sure you show them my portfolio or some reference pictures for what you want, it will help them understand the vibe LOT. The people I recommend are INCREDIBLE and I really don't recommend booking someone not on my list.

Doing exceptional hair/makeup is a WAY tougher job than you’d expect. Finding a really great makeup artist is absolutely worth the investment and it’s really essential for you to contact and create a relationship with them yourself. The IDEAL situation as an actor is for you to already have your go-to makeup person, but I realize that's not common. You do not want to spend a ton of money for headshots only for a hair/makeup person to make a questionable style decision that may ruin the photos. If you look closely at my portfolio, you’ll see that most of my shots use minimal makeup that is very obtainable to do yourself. This is really what separates an actor’s headshot from a modeling headshot, and trust me, there really is a massive difference.

I do recommend makeup artists for a few situations:

If you’re someone who feels more like themselves while wearing makeup (this is common and totally acceptable!!)

If you’d like your pictures to appear more glam and/or elevated

If you can afford and prefer the convenience of having someone do hair/makeup

If your looks require specific hair/makeup that you’re not capable of doing yourself

If your manager wants you to hire a HMUA.

If you’re looking for personal branding photos for your website/social media. Good hair/makeup will REALLY help these photos pop!

If you want your photos to have an extra "pop" and it being a bit more of a statement on how good you look potentially at the expense of realism. (I realize that this is weird wording but this is totally fine and COMPLETELY aligns with the direction of what works best for soome people. If this is you; I actually want you to tell me that and I'll make it look crazy good/glam for you).

+ How do you help clients prepare for their shoot? What are your wardrobe recommendations? What do you recommend would help me get ready for my session?

All clients who book with me receive my guide, which covers everything I can think of.

This is an easier way to do things because there is SO MUCH info that I have available that I would be on the phone for hours with each client if I were to consult each person individually.

That is TOO MUCH information for someone to take in at once, so I have everything written down in a guide that clients can access at their convenience.

The guide works for everyone, whether it's their first session or if they've been doing headshots for years. If you've been doing this for years, please don't overlook it. If you have your process and know what you're doing, I respect that but at least take a glance at it. I constantly update the guide if I find any bit of knowledge that can be of help. Clients that don't read the guide end up being dramatically unprepared compared to the ones that do. I don't even need to ask if people have read it or not because I know.

In short, the guide covers the following:

Creative direction Wardrobe Hair/Makeup Hiring Professional Hair/Makeup Posing

I typically won't answer any preparation questions until the guide has been read. Also, I won't answer any basic "what should I wear to the shoot" type of questions because that's what the guide is for.

If you have more specific questions I'm more than happy to answer those! That's what I'm here for! I often pick out wardrobe once I can actually see it in person and give makeup advice if I feel like something can be better. For hair; I tend to lean towards minimal styling during the shoot because it can turn into a mess if it gets overstyled so I do tend to lean away from talking about hair too much. Also; I can give hair advice but it doesn't mean that the client can execute what I'm thinking- so again, more specific questions are needed there (example: do you prefer x hairstyle or y).

I just can't direct or dictate your shoot from scratch.

I also ask/request for moodboards before each shoot; these are optional but the more detail the better. It's not required and if you just screenshot a few shots you like from my portfolio that helps WAY more than nothing. But again; I can't give much feedback beyond that because I'm not your acting coach and I can't dictate your career and I also need to see the wardrobe in person, while worn and at different angles before judging if it will work. Before each shoot I'm studying that moodboard and the questions on your appointment form so I can be prepared. I have a slightly annoying request about clients not showing up before their appointment time and this is excatly why. I'm usually spending that time digging into all their info so it's as fresh in my head as possible.

+ How much does retouching cost, do any of the sessions include retouching?

Retouching is a flat rate of $30 per image. To keep my prices lower than everyone else in the same tier of quality, I don't include any retouches with any session. For a lot of people; retouching is barely necessary because the lighting looks so nice out of camera. A lot of the recent images in my portfolio aren't retouched or just had a couple spots removed; I allow clients to do that on their own if they'd like as well! Also, you won't be forced to sit down and pick retouching selections on the spot. You can do it on your own time.

I don't want to downplay my own retouching service too much though; it will give the images a really nice final polish and it's really important if the photos are going to be printed or displayed anywhere important.

+ Do you do any model shoots? PR type shoots?

In general, not for random people. I prefer to work with actors, and my studio is currently set up specifically for headshots. That said, if I've worked with you before and you need some PR shots, there's a good chance that I'd be able to work something out for you! Just email me, and we can set that up. Heck, even if you're a friend of a client who has a good relationship with me, that's enough. It's a lot of fun! This is where my 35mm or medium format film offerings REALLY shine.

If you're already in a modeling agency and you were referred to me, please feel free to reach out to me! I always love working with quality referrals.

I just try to avoid doing model/PR shoots for entirely random people because it's always disastrous (people trying to take advantage of my pricing because photographers who focus on models charge more because it's a more involved process).

+ Do sessions require a retainer? Am I allowed to reschedule?

Every session requires a non-refundable retainer to hold the date. For all headshot sessions, I require a 50% retainer. The retainer will be forfeited in the case of a cancellation, lateness, or no-show. You may reschedule the session once with at least 7 days (168 hours from the appointment time) notice and apply the retainer to the rescheduled date. I cannot guarantee that a new session with be available for you and in some instances, the shoot will have to be canceled. Rescheduling without at least 7 days’ notice incurs a $150 rescheduling fee. If you rescheule the day of or the day before the shoot; your retainer will be forfeited and you will have to book a completely new appointment. I will not hold a new date until the rescheduling fee is paid. You may only reschedule the shoot once, if you can’t show up to the second date you will forfeit the retainer. You have 30 days to pick a new appointment date once you notify me of your intent to reschedule.

You can make any adjustments or cancel the shoot (with retainer returned) within 24 hours of the time of booking.

When you create the appointment, you must acknowledge that you understand all of these policies. I cannot provide a refund for people that did NOT read the FAQ and decide that they disagree with the policies after booking. If you are unsure about anything, please email me.

I reallllllly, really don’t like taking people’s retainers or charging a rescheduling fee, but cancellations/rescheduling are EXTREMELY expensive for me. I’m really disciplined about doing only a few shoots per week and people plan their headshot sessions in advance, so it’s difficult to fill a spot. Rescheduling/cancellations create huge revenue losses- the rescheduling fee doesn’t even come close to covering those losses, it’s just there as a deterrent.

+ Can you waive the rescheduling fee?

I can waive the rescheduling fee if you find a replacement for your session!

The policies regarding deposits and rescheduling are extremely strict, there are no exceptions whatsoever. In order to give me time to edit photos and have a quick turnover, I only accept 2 bookings per day. Every instance of rescheduling typically costs me way more than the fee costs. Please be professional and prompt in communicating with me if anything comes up and treat your appointment like it’s a booked job.

+ Do you have any financing options?

Yes!

PayPal & Afterpay offers monthly payment options for up to 12 months, pending credit approval.

They both have the "Pay in 4" feature that lets you make 4 biweekly payments.

You can use PayPal in the scheduler on the website for the deposit only. If you'd like to finance the whole shoot, it's best to contact me first.

+ Can I see the photos as we take them?

Yes! The photos will be tethered over to a laptop and large screen where you can see instantly see the photos AND the adjustments that I make to them. This will also allow you to make any hair/makeup/posing changes if there’s something that you don’t like. There’s also a mirror where you take the pictures to help with making changes.

+ What is your typical turnover time?

Since I limit sessions to 2 per day and sessions are typically quick & efficient, I typically deliver the Hi Res & Low Res photos the next day. Retouches take 4-10 business days from the time I receive your selections. Expeditated service for retouches is offered at an extra cost based on availability.

+ Do you have any pets at the studio?

Yes! My dog Waylon is here. He is a small Cavapoo and he absolutely loves people. If you have any issues with dogs (such as being allergic), please let me know beforehand so I can make sure he's crated during the session. If you have a severe allergy to dogs it may not be a good idea to book with me, unfortunately.

+ How many different background options do you have? Where do you shoot?

I have over 100 different background colors to choose from including 70+ custom hand painted canvas options (these cost $300-$500 EACH).

I shoot most of my images in the studio, but we can also go outside and shoot around the Art District. There is a TON of outdoor options around here and usually some really nice lighting.

+ Do you have a phone number that I can contact you with?

I no longer have a phone number. I used to have one posted everywhere, but since I’m a business it ends up getting completely full with spam calls and for the people that aren’t spam- they’re usually calling me when I’m with a client and unavailable. If you do need to get on the phone with me, send me an email and we can schedule a call, I’d be happy to chat! I typically answer my emails immediately if it’s within business hours. If you have my number, please text before calling- I don’t want clients that are in the studio being interrupted as it’s not fair to them.

+ Do you play music during the shoot?

Yes of course! Feel free to send me any playlists or recommendations! My speaker is a little weird about connecting new devices so I normally just play it off of my phone. I just can’t blast anything loud because we need to communicate and I need to be able to fully focus! I also have neighbors we need to be respectful of.

+ Can I take BTS photos/videos in the studio?

Absolutely! This is encouraged too, I’d love if you tag my Instagram @headshotsbymatt or Tiktok @marcheski

+ What happens if I no-show my appointment?

This is probably one of the worst things that can happen to a photographer. No showing to your appointment makes you 100% responsible for damages to Matt Marcheski Photography for affecting the time allotment for appointments and a loss in productivity. Clients that don’t show up to their appointment will lose their deposit/payment and will not be allowed to rebook, ever. If you ask to reschedule but don’t confirm new date and/or pay the rescheduling fee by the time your appointment comes around, you will be considered a no-show. You are considered a no-show if you arrive 15 minutes late without any notice. Clients that are 30 minutes late with notice may be considered a no-show.

+ Do you hop on a call or video call before each shoot?

No. My preparation guide is more effective than a call. If that guide doesn't help; the client probably needs EXTENSIVE work with an acting coach or wardrobe stylist. It would be comical for me to claim to do what an acting coach or wardrobe stylist can do in a just a quick call. A lot of photographers will claim "oh don't worry, I'll figure that out all for you!" and that's when you get the cookie cutter results we ALWAYS see. I'm not going to lie to clients that are maybe a little unsure to con them into booking a shoot. EVERYONE is unsure before it shoot. It does require a little bit of planning on the clients side and my material equips and empowers ANYONE to handle that.

I do like to learn everything possible about my clients; which you'll see in the booking process and my guide gives you more ideas about how you can forward your vision to me if you have one. If you don't have a vision for your shoot thats fine too! I'll get you some good basics to start with!

Before each shoot, I reread all of the communication that I had with the client as a quick refresher. If we did a call instead, I typically DON’T have that information available and in front of me and it just ends up being counter-intuitive.

+ Do you provide discounts?

For return clients yes!

10% for the 2nd shoot 15% for the 3rd and beyond

These don't automatically apply. Please reach out before booking!

+ Can I provide feedback during the shoot?

Absolutely!!! I very much prefer when this happens. You can even show me photos in my portfolio and I’ll try my best to replicate them. Alternatively, you can show me your past headshots and what you DO and DON’T like about them. Typically, the only time that someone has a negative experience is when they hold their tongue and DON’T provide any feedback until they’re gone. Please let me know if there’s anything in my control that you do or don’t like during a shoot. Some examples:

You don’t like the background

The lighting is too hard or too soft

There’s too much or not enough shadowing in the light

You feel like your hair, makeup or wardrobe needs to be adjusted

I show the photos as we shoot so I can make any adjustments if necessary. During a shoot, it’s important to look at the photos non-objectively. Negative and self-deprecating talk can quickly derail a shoot and lower your self-esteem.

I can do literally anything with the lighting; if I can't I can explain to you why. I won't be upset if you don't like something because I have to ability to fix it with ease.

+ Why is the retainer 50%?

Why is the retainer 50%?

There are four reasons for this.

First; it's extremely rare that I ever reschedule a client's appointment- even if I receive an offer to do a higher-paying shoot for a booked day, I'll keep the original appointment I have. In the last three years, I had to reschedule 4 or 5 appointments. In all those cases, I could give two weeks' notice or more. I've never canceled an appointment, and due to good health, I've actually never gotten sick and needed to reschedule an appointment (very thankful).

The 50% retainer is necessary to do this because I need to be SURE that clients will show up. It's happened to me that I've turned down high-paying jobs because I already had a client on the books, only for them to cancel the day before a shoot, and it's a humiliating feeling.

Second, I need the clients to take these shoots seriously, and the retainer has really helped in that aspect. When I had a lower retainer, I had way too many unprepared and uncommitted clients. When you read the guide, you'll notice that there are a lot of moving parts that create a successful shoot. The higher retainer helped people realize, "okay, this is for real now". I've had much better success rates with people reading the guide and being prepared with a higher retainer.

Third, I only want to work with clients that are absolutely serious about working with me and showing up and having fun. The retainer helped weed out some of the less serious people who preferred to cancel rather than show up to their appointment.

Fourth, high attendance rates allow me to keep prices affordable while taking on just two clients daily (which helps me focus entirely on each shoot and is also a non-starter). If I had more people canceling or rescheduling, I'd have to raise my prices to cover those losses, which is NOT fair for the people who care about being prompt and professional.

+ How can I use the images?

In general, you can use them however you’d like. Clients receive a perpetual license to use the images in any way. It helps a TON if you tag my Instagram @headshotsbymatt or mention my name if you’re posting on other platforms. If you’re posting to your own website, crediting my work and providing a link to my website helps my website SEO a lot. This isn’t required, nor would I ever chase someone down because they didn’t credit me, but it is always very much appreciated. I DON’T provide a licensing contract, if you’d like one to feel safe, you’re more than welcome to ask and I’ll provide you with one no question at all.

Clients do NOT get the copyright to the images unless something is worked out beforehand. This does NOT affect your ability to use the images in any way, it does protect me if I ever use them or post them to social media.

FOR ANY OTHER SHOOTS, especially commercial shoots; different licensing terms will almost certainly apply and it gets worked out on a case-by-case basis depending on client need.

If anyone uses these images without your consent and you can't get them taken down please let me know.

+ Where are you located?

In the Arts District in Los Angeles.

+ How do you accept payment?

I accept cash, credit card, Zelle, Paypal, Venmo, Cashapp and Afterpay.

+ What is the "Full Body Look"?

This is for anyone who needs shots that require me to shoot anything below the knees. Doing these kinds of images requires me to pull out paper backdrops to the floor, and it causes damage to them every time they're stepped on—especially the white ones. The extra charge covers the costs associated with having these in stock, replacing them, and having the space to store them. It also covers the cost of having the lighting equipment and space big enough to even accomplish these types of shots.

+ What is the "Curated Folder" add-on?

This folder is where I place my hand-picked favorite images from the shoot. I usually take anywhere between 300-1500 images per shoot, so it takes QUITE a bit of time to pour over that many images and narrow them down for you.

Typically I end up with 4-6 images per look, but I can do as many or as few as you'd like.

It can be overwhelming for people to see that many images of themselves. It's an excellent option for people who want to skip to the best shots. I've been doing this for a while, and I know what people prefer to see in images. It's excellent non-biased, professional feedback from your shoot.

+ Can I bring a friend to my session?

Yes! I am one of the few photographers that actually allow this. HOWEVER; there is a reason that most photographers don't allow guests; they can easily be a distraction and really take away from your experience in a lot of cases.

Additionally, I highly recommend not bringing an agent or manager unless they were someone who recommended me or is familiar with my process. They tend to be a complete nightmare during shoots, constantly telling their clients that they're not doing enough or asking for weird, over-the-top expressions (it really brings down the confidence of someone getting their shots done constantly being told that they're not good enough). This directly goes against my process- I prefer to give constant positive reinforcement and show the clients what they are doing well. I have exercises that help people who need it, and I'm very aware of how much I can get out of each person for their experience level. My process involves getting as many background and lighting combinations as possible instead of forcing expressions. Lighting and backgrounds do WAY more to tell a story than a forced, tacky expression. Agents and managers also tend to just stare at their clients, and it makes a lot of people really uncomfortable. If they have any requests I really want to know what it is, but having them there just never helps unless they're there to be positive and reinforcing.

Another type of person I HIGHLY recommend against taking is a parent who is not actively involved in your career. They typically deeply misunderstand acting headshots and end up giving ridiculous feedback that does more harm than good. Also, it depends on your relationship with your parents, but some people are just uncomfortable with their parents around and never fully open up or feel comfortable. Obviously, anyone under 18 needs an adult present.

To ensure that this doesn't happen here are a few tips for guests:

• Make sure they realize that they are not the center of attention. I've had clients bring guests that come in and talk to ME so much that the client literally gets left out.

• Make sure that the guest is ONLY there to support you. I've seen clients that bring guests that say things like "I don't like that angle on you" and it ruins the client's confidence or gets them in their head.

• Make sure the guest doesn't make you late or hold things up.

• The guest's input almost always slows things down and wastes time. Optimal results come from JUST the client and I communicating.

There ARE a few times when having a guest is helpful:

• If you're nervous and they're there to unconditionally support you and hype you up.

• If they have a role such as styling, touching up makeup, or helping you with posing. (I can help with posing but I am by no means a modeling coach).

+ Can I bring a pet to my session?

Yes! My dog Waylon will be here, so if your pet is nervous around other animals it's not a good idea. Also, Waylon is extremely social and playful so if you bring a pet they will probably be running around together and playing which can be distracting, especially during shorter sessions. Make sure the pet is trained and well-behaved. There is a lot of very expensive equipment and you don't want them knocking anything over because it will break.

+ How many headshot sessions do you book per day?

Typically I will book a maximum of two per day. This allows me to give full focus on every shoot as a unique, high-end experience while also giving me free time during the week for other tasks including, marketing, networking, content creation, social media management, website development, community outreach, test shooting, and administrative work.

I do shoots only 3-4 days out of the week. I lean more on 3 days a week to avoid creative burnout. When I add a 4th day it's normally just a single shoot and sometimes just an hour session.

+ Can I wear glasses without it affecting the lighting?

The short answer is yes but there are some caveats to this.

If you have high-quality anti-glare lenses- it typically won’t affect the lighting. If it does, it’s usually easily photoshopped out

If you DON’T have anti-glare lenses, I can raise the lights above the glasses and shoot them downwards; however, this is really not optimal and affects the quality of the image. A go-around to this would be to find a cheap pair of reading glasses that match your frames and pop the lens out. It is 100% worth the extra effort to do this.

+ Do you accept tips? Is tipping necessary?

Yes, I accept tips, but it definitely isn't necessary. It's not expected for photographers either, but I have enough people who want to send a little extra after a great experience.

At the end of the year, tipping is usually enough to put a dent in transaction fees. Therefore, I don't charge any transaction fees for Credit Card or Paypal Transactions, saving clients between $15 and $50 per shoot.

+ Do you charge sales tax?

Nope! It's not necessary for this type of service.

+ Can clients write-off their shoot on their taxes?

Yes! You can typically write off these shoots if you use the photos for work. Examples include actors, models and self-employed individuals. Please let me know if you need any receipts or custom invoices.

Many employers offer reimbursement for headshots as well. Consult your employer if you think it may benefit your position.

+ Why is headshot photography so expensive?

This is a great question and I totally understand why someone would ask this. However, I consider the prices at my studio to be extremely, cheap based on what I’m able to offer. Comparable studios have a sales average of $1,000 to $5,000. Comparable photographers have a day rate of $2,000. I wrote in detail about pricing in this article: “Why Are Professional Headshots So Expensive?”.

+ Who made your website? Who does your SEO?

I do everything! I learned this all myself because I felt like it’s very important to be able to update the website at least weekly. Everything written on this site is all written by me. A large majority of the clients that book me are reading through every word on this site (as they should!), it’s very important that this information is coming directly from me. All of my policies and procedures were created by customer feedback and experience. If I ever feel like a session could have gone smoother, I change my policies to lay the groundwork for a better customer experience in the future. I’m very happy with the current process and the reviews definitely reflect that.

+ I'm very insecure about my appearance and the idea behind getting headshots stresses me out. Can you help with this?

When I shoot, the ultimate priority is that the environment be laid-back and fully supportive. I can pose you, help with expressions, support you, and try my best to get the very best from you. HOWEVER, this must be a FUN experience for you to get the best results. If you enter it with a bad or negative attitude from the start, I don't think I'm the right photographer for you.

I'm more than happy to make this a pleasant, fun, and empowering experience for you. Still, there are a few conflicting issues with the overall workflow of acting headshots that override anything I can do to make you feel fantastic. Let me explain.

My workflow is set up to create the best ACTING HEADSHOTS for you. Acting headshots are a tool that help you get bookings and because it's a tool, I'm a bit limited in my ability to use creativity to help you look better.

For instance, I can't use fun, dramatic, or creative light and shadows to hide things that you're insecure about. Acting headshots need to be shot mostly straight on and with even, pure lighting.

During the entire session all of the photos will be automatically on display AS WE TAKE them. This is essential for 95% of actors because we need to make corrections and adjustments. I listen to feedback and improve the lighting, backgrounds, angles, and overall look of the shot to match my client's branding goals. This is VERY tough for people who have deep insecurities.

The overall structure of my shoots also isn't great for people who struggle with self-image. All my shoots are timed but allow for unlimited looks. This is an AMAZING value proposition for most actors—it saves them hundreds of dollars, but if you need more time because you're battling with insecurity or self-image problems, this just creates additional stress.

The way I deliver the images ALSO isn't ideal for this type of client. I deliver ALL of the photos from the session in high resolution. The good ones AND the bad ones. This is what talent agents and managers want because what's good and bad is subjective. ESPECIALLY for the headshot use case where "bad" can be reinterpreted as "interesting". You'll have to see unflattering and unretouched photos of yourself. The benefit is that you get EVERYTHING.

There are a lot of photographers who shoot and don't show the images, don't collaborate with you on the style/lighting of the images and will only send you a few images from the shoot (and force you to get them retouched as well). This is really what you want to look for if you're worried about seeing pictures of yourself. They developed that style for a reason. While you get way less input and control over your image, it may be for the better if you want to feel flattered at the expense of the overall value and results of the shoot.

You might have noticed it's a bit harder than you thought to find the right headshot photographer. This is because the skill itself is VERY hard to learn. The expectation is AMAZING images, but there are quite a few limitations to achieving this goal because these need to be tools for the actor to get bookings, and there are a lot of guidelines and rules to meet industry standards. A good headshot photographer gets MAXIMUM results regardless of those limitations, and that's just really hard to do and takes experience. It helps going into the shoot if you're aware of that.