What to expect at your Headshot Session...
What to Expect at Your Headshot Session
Most of the nervousness people bring to a Headshot Session comes from not knowing what’s about to happen. So here’s the entire thing, in order.
Before you arrive
We’ll have talked about what the images are for — LinkedIn, a firm bio, casting submissions, a rebrand — because that changes the lighting, the background, and the expression we’re chasing. We will discuss how many outfits to bring and what will work. Bring more than you think you need; it’s easier to leave options in the bag than wish you had them.
Come rested. It shows up around the eyes more than anywhere else, and it’s the one thing I can’t fully fix afterward.
Arriving at the studio
The studio is at 7900 E Greenway Road, Suite 206, in Scottsdale, with easy parking right outside. Give yourself a few extra minutes so you’re not walking in warm and rushed — Arizona is Arizona, and arriving flustered is a real thing that shows in the first ten frames.
We’ll talk for a few minutes before any camera comes out. This isn’t small talk for its own sake. I’m watching how your face moves when you’re relaxed, which tells me what to direct you toward once we start. Important Hint: Consider bring your clothes on a hangar and change in the studio. With the Arizona heat this is usually the best way to mitigate wrinkles.
The shooting itself
Here’s the part that surprises people: you don’t have to know how to pose. Not even slightly. I direct every frame. Chin forward and down. Shoulder back a touch. Weight on the back foot. Squint the lower lids slightly. These are small, specific, physical instructions, and you just follow them one at a time. Nobody arrives knowing how to do this, and nobody is expected to.
We shoot tethered, which means every frame appears immediately on a monitor. This allows a quick on the spot review we can both see. This changes everything. Instead of standing there hoping, you watch what works and what doesn’t in real time. When we hit a good one (And we will), you’ll recognize it yourself — and once you’ve seen it, you can repeat it.
Expect to laugh at least a few times. Genuine expressions come from genuine moments, not from being told to smile. You will know all my kid rated stupid jokes prior to departure. I would like to hear yours.
How long it takes
A standard individual session runs about an hour, sometimes a little more with multiple outfit changes. Actor and model packages generally run longer, because we’re building a range of looks rather than one definitive image.
If you’re booking a team, I’ll come to your office for groups of six or more, and individual turns move quickly — typically ten to fifteen minutes per person once the lighting is set.
Choosing your images
After the shoot, in a hiiden location, I review the images and produce a "Cull" list. I put the selected photos thru a quality check. I apply editing actions based on experience and your specific directions. We do not want people to say
Afterward
Every selected image is individually edited by me. Not batch-processed, not run through a filter. Turnaround is quick, usually 3 to 5 business days and you’ll receive files sized and cropped for the platforms you actually use, which is a whole topic of its own. Think Linkedin, FaceBook, Pinterest and etc. Also know that you will be set for business cards, brouchures, flyers, websites and more. You will receive an entire package.
Scheduling
Everything runs by appointment, and I keep the calendar flexible on purpose — early mornings before work, evenings, weekends. Most people book around a workday, and that’s fine.
Ready when you are. Call or text 602-619-9366 to grab a time, or use the contact page at https://www.headshotsinscottsdale.com/contact Rates are on the pricing page, and it’s worth reading how to prepare before your appointment.
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