Outside Headshots Can Be Taken In Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall – All You have To Do Is Call 919.723.8453

Let me start by saying this not a sales pitch for my headshot services. At the end of the day, you have to decide whether you like the photographers work and how you feel about the photographers personality. Although I’d like to think that I’m a fit for the majority of headshot needs, there are times that I will not be the right fit. With that said, don’t take me wrong. I’d love to earn your business if you like my work and my personality.

A professional headshot is not only important for your LinkedIn profile and other professional needs, but it could be the difference in getting the initial contact from a potential employer, being taken serious as a professional or getting an initial call to discuss a project if you are self employed. A headshot really is the first impression that you have to make with someone who has never met you. As you know, we live in the digital age which is very heavily driven by images. That’s why you should have the best possible image of you available.

Grant it, on Facebook a cell phone selfie, that blurry, poorly lit image of you smiling ear to ear or that shot of you showing off your new hairstyle, tan, etc.  may work well on Facebook, but in the professional world, a headshot may either cost you dollars or make you dollars. Yes, a headshot can be your money maker and you don’t have to shake your money maker to make the money. That’s supposed to make you smile.

Your headshot DOES NOT have to be taken by a professional photographer. You may find that odd coming from a professional photographer. However, I will stick with “your headshot should look professional.” That means it should reflect the professional you, be in focus and be well lit. If you can get that from a cell phone selfie and feel confident that it’s not only a money shot but a money maker shot, that is great. If not, feel free to call me at 919.723.8453 or use the online contact form to send me a message.

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If you are a professional photographer or hope to be in the future, this is one magazine that you should subscribe to. It is pack with great information including business advice and tips.

Professional Photographer Magazine is different than other photography magazine in the market. It seems more geared to the active professional photographer. Yes, I do subscribe to several photography magazines and a couple of video magazines. However, Professional Photographer Magazine is the one that I look forward to getting the most. It’s also the only one that I try to save every issue of.

As of this post, the subscription rates are as follows:

U.S. Rates:             1 YEAR    2 YEAR    3 YEAR
Print Only:               $19.95     $36.95      $52.95
Digital Only:            $19.95     $36.95      $52.95
Print and Digital:     $29.95     $52.95      $79.95

If you are serious about photography, this magazine should be part of your monthly reading.

I don’t get anything off the subscriber link. This post is purely to help you out as a fellow photographer.

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Product Above Shot By David Williams In North Raleigh Photography Studio

Product photography on a white background is not as simple as it may seem. It’s more than just snapping the shutter and getting the magical shot in camera. The white, for example, is not always a pure 255 white straight out of the camera in every corner of the image. If white is not lit properly, it will start to look gray.

The image above has been edited to really bring out the details that you see above in the product as well as making sure the white is a pure 255 white because the image will be used on Amazon and 255 white is a requirement. Post production editing is a critical part of product photography. Unless you know something that I don’t know, post editing of products is a must to get the best possible image.

I remember seeing a YouTube video that said the post editing of one product took 3 1/2 hours to complete. Sure, not every product will take that long to edit, but as a photographer, if you just charge based on snap, snap, here’s your image, you will either have a very unhappy client or you will be losing your shirt editing the images.

If you are reading this and looking for a product photographer, make sure that you not only like the work you see in the photographers portfolio, but also that the photographer you are speaking with actually sounds like he or she knows what they are talking about. If the photographer doesn’t ask many questions and says, Yes, Yes, Yes, No Problem, No Problem, No Problem to everything you are saying, you should continue exploring your options. A good product photographer will ask questions and share ideas of how he or she plans to help make your product stand out.

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As an International Corporate Event Photographer, I get to shoot in some very nice venues. The images above are from the Indian Wells / Palm Dessert area of California where I spent 5 days covering a conference.

Although I did not have a chance to get in the gorgeous pool or play on the beautiful golf course, I did manage to take some extra pictures of more than the conference. Seeing the images above helps remind me of how fortunate I am to be able to see places like this as part of what I do for a living. Although it is not a vacation, it’s still nice to be able to go to places like this courtesy of the client and be able to photograph people in and around these types of settings.

My guess is that many travel photographers may not be able to spend as much time enjoying what they photograph as they do photographing it. But it’s still awesome to get paid to do what you love whether there is a lot of down time to actually enjoy it or not.

Whether you are photographing a family at the local park or happen to be fortunate enough to travel around the country or the world in with your photography career, be sure to take some time to capture some images for yourself beyond the subject matter that you are photographing. In other words, take time to smell the roses.

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North Raleigh Headshot Studio Photography by David Williams. Images for Publication Use.

This post was sparked by a phone conversation that I had with a businessman looking for a headshot photographer.

His Position……

1) He’d been in his field for 10 years and had gotten by without a professional headshot.

2) He was price conscience and price shopping. A lot of things didn’t matter to him.

It was very much a price decision. Don’t lose respect for me in what I am about to say and by no means am I trying to sell YOU the reader on my headshot services. This post is not a sales pitch. This post is about the value of a professional headshot no matter who you hire.

My Thoughts……

1) 10 years without a pro headshot in an industry that most are using professional headshots. Not a good business move.

2) Shopping for a professional headshot based solely on price. Another bad business decision.

Let me put the price point in perspective here before I move on.

1) I work out of a studio in a business district.

2) I shoot as many images as I can in up to 1 hour on multiple backgrounds including outside (optional)

3) The client gets to choose his or her favorite image from the photoshoot which includes basic post production editing and lifetime unrestricted usage rights. The image is delivered as a print file, web file and Linkedin crop file.

In the Raleigh market, most professional headshots range from $100 to $200. I’m in that range. So I know for a fact that I am competitive in the market place plus I do nothing but headshots and commercial photography.

The reaction that I got from my quote was a little shocking but not surprising considering the industry the caller worked in. Although I know other photographers that would shoot for less, he didn’t seem to want to know who they were. All I can guess is that he was looking for a beginner photographer or JcPenney photography pricing model. Because true professionals don’t give away headshots for $49.95.

The reality is that most calls I get end up scheduling while they are on the phone. I give them the overview and the price and we schedule. It’s really a simple process. Although my headshot pricing is about the mid-range for the Raleigh market and actually extremely reasonable for someone with a studio outside of their home, my experience when someone is price shopping is that they rarely call me back. There will likely always be a better price and sometimes those prices come with a catch.

How does $55 for a headshot sound?

That’s what a recent client of mine told me he was quoted for the headshot photoshoot, but the catch was that each image was $125. So in reality the photoshoot with one image is $180 which falls in the $100 to $200 range of Raleigh. However, someone may feel suckered getting int he door for $55. Also, the photographer worked from home which is fine with the exception of asking the potential client to help set up her backgrounds. Needless to say, the $55 plus the add on and asking to help set up backgrounds were two core reasons the man came to me instead.

Professionals Get It Right The First Time

I recently scheduled a headshot appointment with someone who had previously decided to get a headshot at a department store for convenience because she was taking advantage of a special offer to be photographed with her husband. She told me that by the time it was over, the special offer (something like $29.95) and the headshot cost her over $100 and she cannot use the headshot. That’s what I mean by saying: “Professionals Get It Right The First Time.”

True professionals provide professional quality and excellent service or they will not be in business for very long. It is still true that “you get what you pay for” and paying a little extra to hire a true professional that will get it right the first time makes a difference.

When I told a fellow photographer about the story of the man shopping price and the industry that he worked in, my friend who worked in the same industry as the man for 10+ years prior to becoming a photographer texted me the following: “So many of them have a scarcity mentality. They will spend more money trying to figure out how to get by without something or how to get it on the cheap than if they would have just paid for quality.”

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The top image above was taken by my equipment assistant, John, who is listed on the team page. The bottom image is one of several final images that I shot during this setup.

In the first image, you’ll see my primary assistant, Lindsay, who is also listed on the team page, holding a Canon 600 EX-RT Speedlite. Lindsay is pointing the speedlite at the subject to provide fill flash outside. I was standing about 25 feet away with my Canon 5D Mark III with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens and the Canon ST-E3-RT mounted on the hotshoe. The Canon ST-E3-RT communicates wirelessly with the Canon 600 EX-RT Speedlite. I was using TTL High Speed Sync mode rather than manual mode on the speedlite.

Shooting out in the open like this scenario can be difficult when using studio strobes because of the sync speed issue. Even when the ISO is set to 100, the shutter speed will likely not get to 1/200th or less when the lens is set to f/5.6. That’s the beauty of High Speed Sync: I was able to set the camera to AV mode which means that I set the f/stop like I wanted it and the camera chose the shutter speed. With High Speed Sync, I don’t have to worry about the shutter speed being greater than 1/200th of a second when using flash outside.

Yes, there are other ways to do the shot above like using a reflector or reflectors, but I like the simplicity of the way that I did this shot. I simply placed my assistant with one speedlite in her hands close to the subject and I set the camera to AV mode with the flash to High Speed Sync. It’s that easy and it’s not complicated.

If you are a photographer and don’t own a speedlite with TTL and High Speed Sync options, you may want to do some research into the best speedlite for your budget that offers both TTL and High Speed Sync. Currently, Canon’s top speedlite is the Canon 600 EX-RT and Nikon’s is the SB-910. Both are between $500-$550 each as of this writing.

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Both images above are stock images to provide a visual.

Yes, I have a studio in a business district. No, I do NOT have a residential home studio. And, Yes, I travel locally and beyond to shoot headshots.

Headshots are one of my core specialties as a business and commercial photographer. But this post is really about the individual needing a professional headshot taken trying to decide what’s the best option for him or her and exploring a few advantages and disadvantages of all three options.

In order for me not to repeat headshots way too many times below, please keep in mind that this post is about options for getting a professional headshot taken for just ONE individual. When exploring your options for a headshot, one of your top questions may need to be, do you have an in home studio, mobile studio and/or business district studio?

Home Photography Studio?
All home studios are not created equal. There are some very large, very professional in home studios that are better than those in a business district. However, in today’s digital age of easy entry into photography, it’s not uncommon for a photographer working out of his or her home to convert an area of the home on an as needed basis in order to do headshots. For example, it may be the photographers dining room, spare room, garage or basement. In the case of the garage or basement, these options may be more dedicated fully as the photographers in home studio. Again, there are a few photographers that have amazing in home studios. Just ask for the details when trying to decide what’s right for you.

Two (OK One) Advantages For You:
1) Potentially lower cost than a photographer who has a studio in a business district. If cost is critical (minor in most cases), this may be a good option for you.
2) Honestly, I don’t have a #2 because most of the advantages for an in home studio in my opinion favor the photographer not the client.

Two Disadvantages For You:
1) You are going to someone’s home whom you’ve never met, so a referral from someone you trust may be important vs. finding a photographer at random.
2) If the photographer is a male and you are a female or vice-versa. then being in a residential home may not be the best option.

True Story: Someone that chose me to do his headshot told me that one of the photographers that he was considering mentioned that if he could help set up for the shoot in her home that she could make it work. He really liked her work, but this and her odd pricing model were two core reasons that he decided to use me instead.

Mobile Photography Studio?
The photographer bringing the studio to you is likely going to be a popular option for headshots. Some photographers don’t have an in home studio or a business district studio. Being mobile is the only way the roll (no pun intended). However, there are cases when it’s multiple staff members in an office that the photographer bringing the studio to the client makes for the most logical choice and works out well. I go to companies on a regular basis for this type of headshot photoshoot.

The advantages and disadvantages below are concerning one  individual needing a headshot taken not several people.

Three Advantages For You:
1) Convenience is one of the best advantages of the studio coming to you.
2) You can get shots taken (if needed) of you in your working environment vs. a studio background.
3) Price can be an advantage or a disadvantage pending how the photographer structures his or her pricing. For example, an advantage would be working with a friend of mine who is a photographer and is 100% mobile (at the time of this post). He is very competitively priced when going on location.

Three Disadvantages For You:
1) It may make a difference if the photographer has to come to your home vs. your office.
2) All of the equipment getting in the way pending the size of the area that the photographer has to set up in could be an obstacle.
3) Price can be an advantage or a disadvantage pending how the photographer structures his or her pricing. For example, a disadvantage would be a photographer that has an in home studio and especially one with a business district studio that has to pack up and load up gear only to unload and setup at your location and then pack back up at your location then drive back to his or her studio and unload and unpack then reset up simple for a one person headshot on a background. That’s a lot of breaking down and setting up which is why I personally charge more to go on location for just one person than I do in studio. The client has the option to decide if the extra cost is worth me bringing the studio to them or them coming to me.

Traditional Business District Photography Studio?
Not all established photographers have a studio in a business district, but I’m one of those that have chosen this route for numerous reasons. I find that individuals needing a headshot like being able to visit a studio that’s surrounded by other businesses. But, rather than continue on, I’ll dive right into the advantages and disadvantages.

Three Advantages For You:
1) The studio is set up and ready to go at all times. In my case, I have two studio rooms with 3 to 4 backgrounds ready to go to keep things moving.
2) There are other businesses located around the business district studio in most cases, so there is a certain level of personal comfort in that.
3) Just like in the mobile section, price can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. In my case, I think price is an advantage to those coming to the studio because I am very competitive (less in many cases) than other studios plus I charge a lot more to go on location for one person vs. one person coming to me.

Two Disadvantages For You:
1) The location of the studio can be a disadvantage if it’s across town, but so could an in home studio. Quality, experience and service may be worth the extra distance though.
2) Just like in the mobile section, price can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. In many cases, a studio in a business district may charge a lot more than small in home studios because of more overhead.

Conclusion:
You have to ask questions about location, cost, experience, etc. to decide what’s best for you. Just ask yourself when comparing an in home studio vs. a mobile studio vs. a business district studio, what are the key advantages and disadvantages for my personal needs? Which option based on multiple factors is truly best for me?

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Can you guess what industry the lady above is in? If you guessed the travel industry, you are correct.

Although she did get two other more traditional shots seen below, she decided to have a fun one in the mix. Even if you are in a more traditional business field that is far more serious than the travel industry, you can still add some variety to your headshot session and not just go with the ordinary. Any good professional photographer will mix up your photoshoot enough to at least give you the opportunity to see something a little different even if it is as simple as a background change.

You might be set in your ways and only want the classic headshot which is perfectly fine. However, if you will allow the photographer just a little creative room, you may end up with something you would have never thought you would like.

A classic example that I run into on a regular basis that subjects like more than they thought they would is taking a few shots with arms crossed. Notice the image above with arms crossed is both colorful with the necklace and pleasant because of the smile. I do a lot of headshots and based on my initial feedback from most people, the percentage who like a shot with their arms crossed is very high.

Another way to get some variety in your headshot session is to have some of the shots taken horizontally like the large one at the top of this post. White space can be effective and in most cases, the image can also be cropped and used vertically.

Whether you want to have as much fun as this lady is having in the passport image or be more traditional because of the industry you are in, you should at least try something a little different. You just might like it. You may also have other uses for the image rather than making it your LinkedIn profile picture.

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I absolutely love being a commercial photographer and shooting images like you see above. I’m as passionate about commercial photography as a friend of mine is about weddings, but I’ll let him stick with weddings. I’ll take full day commercial shoots like the one above any day. FYI, I don’t cross over to the dark side of weddings. I’ll let the photographers who love doing them keep doing them.

Any experienced photographer that tells you they never make mistakes and all their images are fabulous is, well, not completely honest because just like professional golfers take some bad shots so do professional photographers. The digital age just makes it easier to get more great shots.

With the image above, I wanted to see the side of the fire truck in addition to the fireman using the radio. However, when I first saw the reflection in the side of the truck, it was of orange cones, brown grass and a canopy tent. So I had an idea: There was another fire truck just over my shoulder that was not in view of this scene, so I worked with the firemen on set to position the other fire truck where I could see it in the side of the main fire truck that I was shooting.

Yes, in the modern age of Photoshop, the reflection could have been changed or even made to be no reflection at all, but there is no need for all that additional post editing work. With that said, Photoshop and post production editing in general is definitely helpful to enhance images, but don’t have the mentality of, “I’ll fix that, and that, and that, in Photoshop.” There is huge value in trying to get things as close as it needs to be in camera and saving some post editing time.

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Horizontal Headshot Taken in North Raleigh Studio By David Williams Of DWPPC

FYI, before I dive in, the head/hair does not have to be cut into. Some people like that and others don’t. So make sure whomever you hire for your headshots knows your preferences. In my case, I leave head room and crop after the fact if needed.

It’s not rocket science to turn the camera horizontally when shooting headshots. It actually give a different feel to the image with the added white space.

The headshot above was taken in my North Raleigh studio while doing a headshot session for business use. This is 1 of 3 images that the lady pictured choose.

Keep in mind that a photographer’s portfolio will likely only be a sampling of what he or she is capable of. The online portfolio will likely not include every background, every pose and every possible image that you can image.

The key to working with a headshot photographer is to discuss what your needs are and what you like (show the photographer examples). But you should also give the photography some range (within reason) of what he or she thinks might work. In my case, I find that clients are often pleasantly surprised when they tried a pose that they may not have thought they would like.

The nice thing about horizontal headshots is that they can also be cropped vertically without a lot of manipulation. If a headshot is taken vertically, white space can be added in post production with extra editing time, but that’s likely not  the best route to go. The photographer will actually compose horiztonal shots differently than vertical shots.

If you are considering hiring a professional headshot photographer, ask yourself these 7 questions:
1) Do I like the portfolio? That’s obviously a must but ties to #2 below.
2) Do I think this photographer can be creative outside his or her portfolio and match some styles that I like?
3) Does the photographer have an in home studio, business district studio or brings the studio to me?
4) Do I think that this photographer will be easy to work with?
5) What’s included in the price that I am paying?
6) Does the photographer include or offer post production editing (Photoshop/Lightroom/etc.)?
7) What kind of experience does the photographer have with headshot photography and is it a core part his/her business?

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