Professional Headshot FAQs

How long will my session take?

Your session will take roughly 15 minutes total per person - including setup, shooting, and image selection. After setup and posing, Joe will take several photos with slight variety. You will then choose your favorite photo on the spot. Immediate retakes are possible if minor tweaks need to be made.

One image is included in our Basic Headshot package. Additional desired photos are $25 each, billed afterward accordingly.

Will I have direction?

Yes! Joe will guide you through the entire session. He will choose your backdrop / location and set up lighting, taking into account any requested individual or company specifics.

He will then help you find a pose you are comfortable with, provide tips for flattering micro-posing, and chat with you a bit while shooting to make sure that a natural smile and expression are achieved.

Inspiration

Your company may provide specifics on how the image should look for team uniformity. If this is an individual or small business session, please feel free to bring “inspiration” images of styles, backdrops, poses, or an overall feel that you are going for.

What should I wear?

Starting generally: choose the level of casual vs formal attire based on the intended use for your company or individual venture, or as instructed by your company if applicable.

Avoid clothing, accessories, and styling that are too distracting. We want YOU to remain the focus of the photo, while maintaining a bit of personal style.

Possibly the most important tip of all: select clothing that you are comfortable in. Discomfort shows in photos, so make sure you select an outfit that you would typically wear, that fits you well and is not too constricting, flatters your features, and feels like something you would actually wear on a professional day-to-day basis.

The best outfits are simple, classic, and representative of your personal professional style.

Colors: Solid colors work best for shirts, jackets, and dresses.

Neutrals (tans), black, and bold colors like navy/maroon/evergreen tend to work best. Pastels can work if they suit your features. Avoid anything on the neon/coral spectrum, as these colors can bounce up onto your face and create an unnatural color cast.

All white outfits can work, so long as the background is not white. For this reason, white is typically better suited as a layer underneath other colors.

Patterns: Avoid patterns overall. Large patterns can be distracting, while small patterns like pinstripes / houndstooth / plaid can “strobe” and read poorly on-camera and in lower resolutions if used online. Avoid words, logos, etc - unless instructed to wear a company uniform with a logo.

Hair + Makeup: As with clothing, we feel that headshots are not the best time to try a new hair style or makeup look. Keep hair neat, styled, and ideally how you typically wear it. We will correct any obvious flyways, and will make sure that bangs are not covering your eyes.

The same for makeup: less is usually more, and how you normally wear it (or don’t) is best.

Will you retouch my photo/s?

After you select your favorite photo/s on the spot, we will then proceed with a very light and natural edit - primarily to enhance contrast and lighting. Minimal retouching through Photoshop will only be used if there are any blemishes, flyaways, or other small things that are not normally a part of your features.

When will I get my photo/s?

After processing and editing, we will deliver your photo or set of photos within one week, usually much faster. Images will be sized at 16x24inches at 240dpi - plenty of resolution for print needs, and of course for web use.

A note from the photographers

We recognize that headshots can be a bit of a nerve-wracking experience, and therefore we promise to do our part to make them as comfortable as possible for you. It’s our job to help you feel and look like the best version of yourself!

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at joeandjenphoto@gmail.com with any additional questions. Thank you for taking the time to review this information, and we look forward to working with you for your professional headshots!

Jen and Joe