orlando headshot session faq

Headshot Session FAQ

What does my session include?

Our Standard Headshot Session is designed to accommodate the best possible combination of comfort, creativity, and efficiency. Whether you are a seasoned pro in front of the camera or getting headshots for the first time, your experience will be tailored to your needs. Here’s what it includes:

  • Up to two hours studio time with our lead photographer helping to craft the perfect images for you.
  • Wardrobe consultation and direction helping you put together the best clothing combinations that sends the prefect message.
  • Posing and expression coaching to make sure that you look your best.
  • Instant image review. See and sort out your images right away with the help of our lead photographer. Make sure that you got exactly what you came for before ever leaving the studio.
  • Online proofing gallery of your favorites. View and sort your images in the comfort of your own home or office with an online gallery that you can share with friends, coaches, mentors, or partners to get second (and third) opinions. Use the proofing gallery to chose your favorite image for retouching with the option to purchase additional images from the gallery.
  • Your favorite image hand-retouched in high-resolution, delivered digitally after your selection. We remove blemishes, stray hairs, dark circles, and make sure your headshot is perfectly finished while still looking like the real you.
Where Does the Session Take Place?

Most of our sessions take place in our studio. It’s located in the Winter Park area of Orlando and is just a few minutes from downtown. The particular area our building is located in is currently undergoing pretty extensive road work, so make sure to allow a few extra minutes to get to us. It’s also not a bad idea to check us out on our Google My Business listing and familiarize yourself with the view of the outside using Street View. You can check that out RIGHT HERE. 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 are my options for purchasing images? Do you offer retouching?

Depending on what session you choose, it will include a set number of high-resolution, retouched images. We also have different options for you to choose from if you need to purchase any additional images, it all depends on what you need.

1. Retouched Images

If you need a certain number of high-resolution images that are edited by hand to perfection, this option is for you. We take every image and reduce blemishes, fix stray hairs, and other standard edits to make you look your best while still looking natural. If you plan to use these images to market yourself or your brand, we highly recommend retouching. You can get a better idea of what that looks like on our blog, HERE.

3. Full Gallery of Images in High Resolution

If you need all of the images in your gallery at maximum resolution, then this option is the one for you. Although these images are not retouched, many clients who rely on a professional design team for their retouching and distribution will want to have the highest possible resolution. In some cases, clients just want to have a full resolution back up from the shoot and this is the best way to do that.

You don’t have to make a purchasing decision ahead of time, we are going to work with you before and after your session to make sure that you get exactly what you need.

What happens if I need to reschedule or cancel?

We understand that life can get in the way. Built into our online scheduling system is the ability to change your appointment if you need to. All you have to do is call, text, or email to let us know in advance of the session and we can provide you a link to move your appointment. If, for some reason, you were unable to make your scheduled appointment or give us advanced notice, we are happy to reschedule your appointment at no additional charge for the first reschedule, and $50 each time after that to cover our administrative costs.

What about hair and makeup?

 We highly recommend working with a professional hair and makeup artist. Although hair and makeup are not included in the session fee, we have several great artists that we can refer you to who specialize in camera-ready makeup.  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.
  • Go 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.

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. 

Who do you recommend for Hair and Makeup?

 If you don’t have a hair and makeup artist who you use, here are a few artists that we work with regularly and highly recommend. You can contact them directly to set up your appointment and work out payment.

If you book hair and makeup with one of our recommended artists, it is possible for us to make our studio available ahead of time. This is all based on availability, just let us know and if we can make it happen, we will. 

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 branching out to some colors that flatter your natural coloring.
  • Any color is great for tops, but remember that very bright colors can draw away from your face so pick something slightly more subdued. There are even colors of clothing that are so bright that a camera has trouble reproducing them and they look completely different in the final image.
  • 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 as it is less likely to show up in the photos that way.
  • In a headshot session, your lower half will not likely make it into the photos, but make sure that whatever bottoms you have are clean, pressed and match your tops. You never know what we might be able to get out of your session. If you are wearing a suit, be sure to bring the pants.
  • Undergarments. Make sure to include the right undergarments for the tops you bring. You might be disappointed if you bring that super cute tank top or strapless dress but you forgot a strapless bra.
  • Make sure any clothes that you bring are clean and neatly pressed. This goes double for collared shirts and suits. We do not remove wrinkles in Photoshop.
  • If you want to bring jewelry, make sure that it matches. Gold earrings don’t look great with a silver necklace, etc. Bring some options that you love but keep in mind that a headshot is about your face. For entertainment, unless you are shooting specific character shots, keep jewelry to a minimum. Simple studs or hoops and simple necklaces are fine, but nothing that will take away from your expression.
  • Before you head out the door, make sure to grab a unique article of clothing or two. Do you have some cool fedoras? What about a really great leather jacket or a scarf you love? You never know what might come out of a shoot so grab that item and bring it with you. Do you play guitar? Golf? Do you kick-box or collect swords? Bring something that’s unique to you and we might just be able to fit it in to the session and create something really cool.

We are also more than happy to communicate with you about the clothes you are planning to bring. You can text us pictures of your ideas or we can collaborate on ideas with a Pinterest board.

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 non-spf 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.
  • We have some useful articles on our blog for you to check out including 5 Ways to Nail Your Headshot Session and 5 Things to Check Before You Leave for Your Photo Shoot that will help you be prepared.
How long does it take to get my images back?

For most sessions, you will have the opportunity to see and select your favorite images immediately after shooting. This speeds things up quite a bit as it eliminates sorting through images in your online proofing gallery. You will already be confident that you love all the images. For our Standard Headshot Session, your will receive an email with a link to your online proofing gallery within 2-3 business days of your session. If your appointment is for a a new-hire session for one of our existing clients, you will have the opportunity to select your favorite image for retouching immediately after the session.

I’m just getting into the acting/modeling industry. I got my headshots, now what?

Since we’ve been working in this industry, we’ve worked with people who we highly recommend and also know people who you need to run away from as fast as you can! Just email us and we’ll send you information on how to get started and plugged into the industry here in Orlando or you can see our list of actor and model resources HERE.

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