HOW DOES THIS WORK?
A lot of people ask me “so…like…how does the shoot work?” It’s actually pretty simple and definitely stress-free!
Where Do I Go?
If we’re shooting at the studio, it can be a bit tricky to find. My studio is in The Iron Factory, located at 118 Fontain Street, Philadelphia PA 19122. There is NO parking allowed on Fontain Street, but there is plenty of parking around the building and I personally usually park on Mascher or Howard – there is plenty of free street parking on both, just make sure you pay attention to loading zones and other signs. I’m the white door with “The Iron Factory” on the front.
The building itself is a multi-use space of studios and apartments, so depending on who came in last, the door might be locked. DO NOT ring the buzzer – they go right to the apartments. If the door is locked, simply contact me via phone, text or messenger. If it’s open, I’m straight up the stairs through the door that says “The Iron Factory”.
What Actually Happens?
We’ll typically start with outfit selection. Some people have a great idea of what they want to wear and some need help. Either is fine. I will never be offended if you say “I 100% want to shoot in this exact outfit” but I ask that you humor me if I say “OK, but I’d like to try this too…” So we’ll pick an outfit and you’ll change into your first look and we’ll start shooting. We’ll shoot against several different backgrounds (as I really like stark, clean, Peter Hurley style shots) and then we’ll do some with a more organic background as well. If it’s a nice day, we’ll probably take my favorite look for a stroll outside. We’ll shoot some, switch backgrounds, shoot some, switch outfits – rinse and repeat.
How Long Is The Shoot?
I don’t really hold to a strict “time” limit unless I’m shooting other clients that day. Please don’t be offended if we’re booked for an hour or two hours and it ends up a little less. I’m in the habit of saying “an hour” but it can range from forty minutes to an hour and fifteen. In essence, I shoot what I need and I know when we’re done – I usually shoot 80-100 frames an “hour”. Most headshot photographers shoot in 20-30 minute sessions, but I try to take a little bit more time than that with my clients as it is. If you ever feel I’ve cut you short, please don’t hesitate to let me know!
How Do I Smile?
This is the terrifying part for everyone. Smiling, posing, everything you ever hated about getting your picture taken. The good news is…I don’t believe in that. I like my shoots to be a conversation. It is rare that I’ll ask you to pose. We’ll have a conversation that usually starts with what you’re looking for out of your headshots, and it can evolve into anything and everything (and usually does) from there. Somewhere in that conversation, I’ll start to see “you” through the lens – and when I do, I’ll ask that you pause and maybe tweak a thing here or there, or maybe not even stop you at all.
That’s how I get the shots I’m happiest with. It’s certainly good to know your angles, to know what looks best on you in terms of expression and intention, but all of that becomes subconscious in the grand scheme of things and we’re going to get some amazing shots without having to really worry about any of that. I promise.
How Do I Get My Pictures?
After the shoot, I’ll go through everything we took and contact you with a link to a folder of proofs – this folder will contain unedited, watermarked copies of all of the good shots from the session. You’ll typically get the link within 48 hours. You’ll look through and (focusing on mainly your face and expression) pick your choices for editing, depending on how many final shots we’ve previously discussed.
After you pick your favorites, you’ll receive your master copies in the same folder the proofs were in, typically within a week. Please remember that I can only move as fast as you can. If you wait a week to send me your choices, there’s still another week to wait before you get them back. If I send them to you proofs in two days, and you send me choices three days later – it could be closer to two weeks in total from the day of the shoot to the day you receive your masters. People always seem to ignore this math!
If I missed anything, just ask!
WHAT DO I WEAR?
Wardrobe can be the make or break for your headshots (or any shoot for that matter). You don’t want to choose anything that pulls too much focus off your face, however you want to look like you put some thought into it…
Wear Something You LOVE
If you don’t feel comfortable in it, it’ll show in the pictures. Don’t go out of your way to wear something that isn’t you! That favorite t-shirt? That dress that makes you feel like a movie star? Those are the looks we want to capitalize.
If You Don’t BRING It, We Can’t Shoot It
Most people show up with a suitcase of options – you don’t have to, but it’s also not a bad idea. Always bring triple what you want to shoot: if you want three looks, bring nine. Options are your friend!
Color Color COLOR
All of them and none of them. It literally changes with every person. I personally love shooting bright bolds that bring out your eyes, but also love shooting neutrals that let us focus on your face. The good thing is you brought nine things, and we have tons of options! The only thing we definitely don’t want is BUSY patterns!
TYPES of Clothing to Bring
Everything. I love shooting layers. ALWAYS bring a light jacket/coat of some sort. T-shirts, dresses, tank tops, sweaters – all of it works. Don’t be afraid to bring a tank top in December and a leather jacket in July!
Your FACE
Keep it simple, you should DEFINITELY wear makeup, but neutral is your best friend. One small tip: a shade lighter than you think is right is almost ALWAYS perfect for lips. Men don’t need to worry about makeup, unless you want to use a simple, translucent powder. Make sure you look like yourself!
Your HAIR
Hair changes from person to person – don’t go out of your way to do something crazy or special – do it the way you would for an audition. Men – you DO NOT want to get a hair cut RIGHT before your shoot – give it a week if you can.
This is ZIT
Without doubt, you’re going to have less than flawless skin the day of your shoot. DON’T FREAK OUT! I’ll gladly fix anything that rears its head. LIKEWISE, make sure you point out any birthmarks, moles, etc. that are a definitive part of who you are and your look – that way we’ll make sure they don’t get removed in the editing process.
The Biggest SPECTACLE
If you wear glasses, bring them. Again, we need you to look like you. It might be a great idea to bring a pair you can pop the lenses out of, but if not, we’ll MAKE IT WORK!
A lot of people ask me “so…like…how does the shoot work?” It’s actually pretty simple and definitely stress-free!
Where Do I Go?
If we’re shooting at the studio, it can be a bit tricky to find. My studio is in The Iron Factory, located at 118 Fontain Street, Philadelphia PA 19122. There is NO parking allowed on Fontain Street, but there is plenty of parking around the building and I personally usually park on Mascher or Howard – there is plenty of free street parking on both, just make sure you pay attention to loading zones and other signs. I’m the white door with “The Iron Factory” on the front.
The building itself is a multi-use space of studios and apartments, so depending on who came in last, the door might be locked. DO NOT ring the buzzer – they go right to the apartments. If the door is locked, simply contact me via phone, text or messenger. If it’s open, I’m straight up the stairs through the door that says “The Iron Factory”.
What Actually Happens?
We’ll typically start with outfit selection. Some people have a great idea of what they want to wear and some need help. Either is fine. I will never be offended if you say “I 100% want to shoot in this exact outfit” but I ask that you humor me if I say “OK, but I’d like to try this too…” So we’ll pick an outfit and you’ll change into your first look and we’ll start shooting. We’ll shoot against several different backgrounds (as I really like stark, clean, Peter Hurley style shots) and then we’ll do some with a more organic background as well. If it’s a nice day, we’ll probably take my favorite look for a stroll outside. We’ll shoot some, switch backgrounds, shoot some, switch outfits – rinse and repeat.
How Long Is The Shoot?
I don’t really hold to a strict “time” limit unless I’m shooting other clients that day. Please don’t be offended if we’re booked for an hour or two hours and it ends up a little less. I’m in the habit of saying “an hour” but it can range from forty minutes to an hour and fifteen. In essence, I shoot what I need and I know when we’re done – I usually shoot 80-100 frames an “hour”. Most headshot photographers shoot in 20-30 minute sessions, but I try to take a little bit more time than that with my clients as it is. If you ever feel I’ve cut you short, please don’t hesitate to let me know!
How Do I Smile?
This is the terrifying part for everyone. Smiling, posing, everything you ever hated about getting your picture taken. The good news is…I don’t believe in that. I like my shoots to be a conversation. It is rare that I’ll ask you to pose. We’ll have a conversation that usually starts with what you’re looking for out of your headshots, and it can evolve into anything and everything (and usually does) from there. Somewhere in that conversation, I’ll start to see “you” through the lens – and when I do, I’ll ask that you pause and maybe tweak a thing here or there, or maybe not even stop you at all.
That’s how I get the shots I’m happiest with. It’s certainly good to know your angles, to know what looks best on you in terms of expression and intention, but all of that becomes subconscious in the grand scheme of things and we’re going to get some amazing shots without having to really worry about any of that. I promise.
How Do I Get My Pictures?
After the shoot, I’ll go through everything we took and contact you with a link to a folder of proofs – this folder will contain unedited, watermarked copies of all of the good shots from the session. You’ll typically get the link within 48 hours. You’ll look through and (focusing on mainly your face and expression) pick your choices for editing, depending on how many final shots we’ve previously discussed.
After you pick your favorites, you’ll receive your master copies in the same folder the proofs were in, typically within a week. Please remember that I can only move as fast as you can. If you wait a week to send me your choices, there’s still another week to wait before you get them back. If I send them to you proofs in two days, and you send me choices three days later – it could be closer to two weeks in total from the day of the shoot to the day you receive your masters. People always seem to ignore this math!
If I missed anything, just ask!
WHAT DO I WEAR?
Wardrobe can be the make or break for your headshots (or any shoot for that matter). You don’t want to choose anything that pulls too much focus off your face, however you want to look like you put some thought into it…
Wear Something You LOVE
If you don’t feel comfortable in it, it’ll show in the pictures. Don’t go out of your way to wear something that isn’t you! That favorite t-shirt? That dress that makes you feel like a movie star? Those are the looks we want to capitalize.
If You Don’t BRING It, We Can’t Shoot It
Most people show up with a suitcase of options – you don’t have to, but it’s also not a bad idea. Always bring triple what you want to shoot: if you want three looks, bring nine. Options are your friend!
Color Color COLOR
All of them and none of them. It literally changes with every person. I personally love shooting bright bolds that bring out your eyes, but also love shooting neutrals that let us focus on your face. The good thing is you brought nine things, and we have tons of options! The only thing we definitely don’t want is BUSY patterns!
TYPES of Clothing to Bring
Everything. I love shooting layers. ALWAYS bring a light jacket/coat of some sort. T-shirts, dresses, tank tops, sweaters – all of it works. Don’t be afraid to bring a tank top in December and a leather jacket in July!
Your FACE
Keep it simple, you should DEFINITELY wear makeup, but neutral is your best friend. One small tip: a shade lighter than you think is right is almost ALWAYS perfect for lips. Men don’t need to worry about makeup, unless you want to use a simple, translucent powder. Make sure you look like yourself!
Your HAIR
Hair changes from person to person – don’t go out of your way to do something crazy or special – do it the way you would for an audition. Men – you DO NOT want to get a hair cut RIGHT before your shoot – give it a week if you can.
This is ZIT
Without doubt, you’re going to have less than flawless skin the day of your shoot. DON’T FREAK OUT! I’ll gladly fix anything that rears its head. LIKEWISE, make sure you point out any birthmarks, moles, etc. that are a definitive part of who you are and your look – that way we’ll make sure they don’t get removed in the editing process.
The Biggest SPECTACLE
If you wear glasses, bring them. Again, we need you to look like you. It might be a great idea to bring a pair you can pop the lenses out of, but if not, we’ll MAKE IT WORK!