What should I wear for my headshots?

 You should bring plenty of options to the shoot, we will go over it beforehand but here are some pointers for you:

• Always bring clothes that match your style and personality.

• Stay away from clothes with busy patterns. Solid colors are best. No logos.

• Try to stay away from black and white. If you are a person who relies heavily on black, think about choosing colors that flatter your natural skin tone.

• Any muted color is great for tops. Very bright colors can draw attention away from your face.

• Bring an undershirt or camisole if you are shooting in multiple outfits. It saves time to be able to change tops quickly in the studio for more headshot looks. For men, wear an undershirt with a V-neck if possible.

• Make sure that whatever skirts or pants you wear are clean, pressed and match your shirt or blouse. This goes double for collared shirts and suits. We do not remove wrinkles in Photoshop.

• Keep jewelry to a minimum. Stud or small loops earrings are fine, but nothing that will take away from your expression. 

We are more than happy to communicate with you about the clothes you are planning to bring. You can text us pictures of what you are considering and then we can discuss your ideas.

 

What about hair and makeup?

We highly recommend working with a professional hair and makeup artist. Hair and makeup are not included in the session fee. For men we recommend a light foundation to help take out any shine. For women, we recommend professional makeup by an experienced artist, but here are a couple of tips if you plan on doing it yourself.

• Stay away from any makeup with an SPF. These ingredients are designed to reflect certain kinds of light and can cause your skin to appear more shiny on camera instead of less.

• Easy on the blush — this is the one area that stands out the most in photos and can be very difficult to correct in post-processing.

• Bring your makeup to the session in case you need to reapply some.

Our sessions are very often scheduled back to back so come with hair and makeup ready to go so you can get the most out of your session.

 

What happens if I need to reschedule or cancel?

In order to get on our schedule, we require at least a 50% deposit for your session. Most people choose to pay in full, but that’s up to you. If you need to cancel, know that your payment can go towards a future session, but we do not offer refunds. Our schedule can get pretty hectic so if we held a spot for you, chances are we had to turn down someone else who wanted that time slot. We are happy to give you one complimentary reschedule of your session with no penalty. After that, rescheduling will require a $50 fee.  

 

Where do I go to get my Headshots?

Most of our sessions take place in our Hampton area studio. If you need us to work on location for your session,  you can upgrade to an on-location shoot for a small fee and we can collaborate on the perfect place to get the images you are looking for.

 

What is the Right Size Session for Me?

All of our sessions are based on length. Depending on what you need, you want to make sure that you book the appropriate amount of time to get the images you need. Check out the descriptions below to see what will fit you best.

Business Basic Session: This session includes a 30-minute studio session and a gallery of images. All looks will be done in the studio. You will get up to two different looks and minimum of 20 high-resolution images. This session is ideal for someone looking to add a look or two to their portfolio or to update an online profile.

Standard Session: This session includes a 60-minute, studio session and a gallery of images. You will get up to 4 different looks with a minimum of 50 high-resolution images. This session length is great for someone looking for a more in-depth shoot that can include headshots, medium shots, and several outfit changes. Even if you just need something simple and you might need a little more time to relax and warm up for the camera, this is a great choice.

 

What About Retouching? 

For any images that you plan to use for marketing or audition purposes, we highly recommend getting your images retouched. We have experience making people look their best without making them look fake: you will still look like you. We remove blemishes, reduce dark circles under the eyes, correct any discoloration in eyes and teeth, and remove stray hairs. 

There are cases where retouching is unnecessary like with images for employee security ID badges. Since they aren’t used in marketing purposes, retouching isn’t necessary. For a modeling agency submission, we stay away from retouching in most cases because the agent really needs to see what a model looks like naturally, without heavy makeup or digital manipulation.

You can order retouched images anytime before or after your session. We do, however, offer a discount on retouched images for those clients who pre-purchase them when they book with us. 

 

How long does it take to get my images back?

Please give us 2-3 business days to send your images back to you. If you requested to have images retouched we will send a separate emails with those images. We will send you an email letting you know they are completed. Please download and save your images to your computer. We also recommend saving them in a second location as a backup. Retouched images will be available to download as a high-resolution file that you can use for all your printing and reproductions needs. Let us know if you need faster delivery and we can make rush delivery available to you for a small fee.

What else should I do to prepare for my headshot session?

The key to making sure that your session goes well is being prepared. We have put together some resources for you as well as tips on how to make sure that you completely nail your session.

• If you plan to get your hair cut or colored, make sure to do it 3-5 days before your session. Please don’t do anything drastic or different with your hair right before the shoot. Hair regret is very real and is probably the number one reason that people can be unsatisfied with their images.

• Take care of your skin by drinking water, using a facial wash, and a lotion made for the unique skin of your face. It’s amazing the difference it can make in your complexion. We recommend getting a professional facial for those who really want to up their headshot game, but if you do, don’t do it the day before. About 3-5 days beforehand is ideal.

• Stay away from alcohol and do your best to get a couple of solid nights of sleep leading up to the session. Alcohol and lack of sleep can make your face puffy, give you red eyes, and cause under eye darkness to be exaggerated.