Frequently Asked Questions

Depending on your package. The shoot normally takes approximately 15 minutes to 4 hours from the time we start shooting. The shoot is a process of learning about your face and your expressions and what makes YOU look your absolute best in a photograph. You would appreciate that everyone’s face is different and hence your pose, the expression in your eyes and the angle of your face will be slightly different than the next girl or guy.

You will only need to think about Tops as its a Headshot shoot. I would expect that you might bring up to 5 tops. They could be shirts, jumpers, crop tops, tank tops, I only want you to bring tops that you really really like. My theory is that if you really like the top you are wearing then you are going to feel more comfortable and its going to be easier for you to relax.

Obviously, if you are looking for Corporate Images you might need to wear a shirt & tie for men or a corporate type shirt or blazer for women. The same thing applies though. I would still expect that you feel comfortable in the outfit you choose.

Make up should reflect the type of look you want. If you are a Model or an Actor then light fresh make up that allows casting agents & directors to get a feel for your face is important.

If you have scars or permanent blemishes on your face, there is no point covering them over with make up because they will see them in a meet & greet anyway and they will be annoyed if they discover them at that time.

If you are looking for Corporate Headshots then I would suggest the make up that you would wear to a job interview or to a normal day at the office.

I have a professional make -up artist that works with me that can attend your shoot. She can give sound professional advice as to the type of make-up that would suit you. Please ask about make-up & I can include it in my quote.

Your choice of hair style should reflect you! For those with short hair it should be clean & neat. For those with long hair you have more versatility.

Usually during a shoot we do some some shots with it out, back, up, pony tailed. This gives you a number of options to choose from when you go to select your final Images to edit.

I have a professional hair stylist that works with me that can attend your shoot. She can give sound professional advice as to the type of hair style that would suit you. Please ask about hair & I can include it in my quote.

You will be accosted and mugged, then immediately invoiced for the full shoot fee. Just kidding! (or am I?)

Fear not, the session is super-relaxed. We work hard, but we don’t work stressed. After a cup of tea and a chat, we’ll have a look at your clothes and talk about what you want to get from the session. Before the shoot starts, you will be given full instruction on what to do. Everything is taken out of your hands.

There are rules to follow that make ANYONE look good in a shot. You get taught these rules, and then we’re ready to go. I’ll show you how to move, how to ‘look’, and how to express yourself, along with giving queues throughout the shoot on what to do.

The one thing you won’t feel during the session is unprepared. This part of the session is super-important and useful to helping you understand exactly what a casting director is going to respond to, and how you can effectively communicate your casting potential to the camera, and ultimately, to the person booking you for an audition. The session progresses at an unhurried pace, although I do push the pace a little if the light is particularly amazing and looking like it won’t be around for long. In these instances, though, it’s not about pressure, it’s something fun. There’s never any stress in my studio, it’s about two people connecting as a team and getting work done without anxiety.

We shoot approximately 100 images per clothing change, then we switch everything up for the next look. Deciding on the looks is a collaborative process, and before we do anything, a small discussion takes place to make sure we’re picking clothing and light in a combination that best represents your casting potential, your personal aesthetic preference, or both! We run through this process until the four looks are complete, and then we review what we’ve done.

Throughout the shoot you will have full access to the laptop that displays all the images being shoot in real time, and although everything is out of your hands and my responsibility, you are welcome to have as much (or as little) input, direction, and control as you would want. Once the session is complete,

I will sort through the images of the day, removing any that aren’t useful, and a gallery of curated images will be uploaded to a provide space and emailed to you and anyone else you specify ready to pick for retouching.

OK, so this is the most important responsibility you have regarding your headshot session (apart from turning up alive). The clothes you bring are very important, so if you’re someone who only wears black, you’re going to need to head out and buy some stuff and keep the labels on to return them after.

Here we go: Bring lots of clothes – lots. You’ve got four looks, but that doesn’t mean you should only bring four things. We need a variety of options to mix and match, and also for fail-safes – not everything you own suits a headshot as much as it suits you in real life. Bring VARIETY. Don’t just bring 52 of the same tshirt, as so many often do. Bring shirts, t shirts, anything unusual (nothing “silly” or “ironic”).

Make sure that whatever you bring is ironed. Don’t just bunch it up into a ball and stuff it into a bag. Please please try to avoid plain black and plain white, and also anything burgundy or royal blue.

Avoid white shirts unless they’re absolutely essential. Only smart-casual. Anything grey is A-OK. Bring it. Denim shirts = excellent. Pastel colours = brilliant. That awesome t-shirt with the cool picture: leave it at home. Collars – fine, but nothing crazy or too big unless useful for a casting.

Neither of these things means you can’t have an amazing headshot that you’ll love, and I’ll prove it to you. Taking a photograph is about acquired technique, not talent or looks. I’ll tell you in plain English how to look and how to move, and what to do with your face in order to create confidence and mask nervousness. It works every single time, and the best part is that you can see it on the back of the screen.

I sit every single client down and I run through everything as part of a mini-workshop, so you’ll be comfortable before we even step in front of the camera. Everyone thinks they’ll be the one person my techniques don’t work on, well, I’m 1500 clients in, and I’m yet to meet that person!