Frequently Asked Questions

It amazes us how bad people think they look until they experience a headshot session with us.

All of the headshots that are displayed on our website and the reviews you’ll read about us are from ordinary people, the vast majority of them also felt they weren’t photogenic.

As skilled headshot photographers, we don’t just tell you to smile and take a picture. We assume control of every detail and help pose and coach you throughout your entire session.

We are 100% committed to make you look your best so you just might be surprised at how photogenic you can be.

For more tips, with pictures, you can read our definitive guide on choosing colours for your headshots here.

The truth is that there are lots of tricks we have to make you look thinner on camera:

These components all have the capacity to make a much greater impact on slimming than wearing black.

We work with people of all shapes and sizes so we’ll always give you personalised advice on this when preparing your for a headshot session so its not overwhelming.

A professional headshot for an individual is the equivalent of a logo for a brand. It will help you get noticed in a crowded street and will also show people that you are established, care about your brand and have invested in your business or invested in yourself.

That being said, we know a lot of businesses that manage to get by without having a logo (my gardener for instance) or by having a logo thrown together (quite badly) in Microsoft Word.

Does that make them less credible? Not necessarily.

Is there likely to be the perception that they lack experience and carry a greater risk? That they are less invested in their product and could be a hiring decision that you regret?

Are they likely to need to jump through a lot more hurdles to be trusted? You bet!

There are lots of ways to market yourself and many of these don’t require an internet presence. We would say that if you only meet customers face to face and your customers aren’t looking for you online then you can probably get away with not having a headshot.

If you intend to take advantage of the internet and want to have a presence that will show people why you are the best person for the job, having a good headshot, whilst not crucial, is going to make your life a whole lot easier.

A headshot is a marketing tool and should be seen as a marketing expense, as an investment over an outright cost. If your headshot is done right it will make you more money than it costs you. In most cases it’s also a tax deduction meaning that it will normally cost you less than you actually think.

The value in having a professional headshot photographer taking your portrait, is similar to training with and without a personal trainer.

It is possible to get to the same place training by yourself but it will take you a lot longer, with many more ups and downs and some likely failures along the way.

An experienced personal trainer, after having worked with thousands of people, will have the knowledge and experience to get you from A to B in the quickest time, at a manageable pace and will be able to push you where needed to maximise your results. They will be able to guide you through exact exercises, tailored specifically for your body type and your goals.

It’s the same with a professional headshot photographer. The only difference is that once your headshot is done, it won’t put on weight, even if you have that slice of cake after dinner ????

Real Estate Agents for instance have their headshot on their website, flyers, property signage, sold stickers, social media, property listing websites.

With that kind of usage and exposure, even if you spent $1000, you could do so in the full knowledge that it will make you much more than this in future sales that would no doubt come from a trustworthy and welcoming portrait of yourself.

For others, a great headshot may be the difference between getting asked in for an interview or getting a promotion by showing you’ve the right image for the job.

In all of these cases, the relatively small cost for a professional headshot is likely to outweigh the expected returns.

With confidence we can say that we have never heard of anyone begrudging paying for a good headshot but we hear regular complaints from people who paid for a bad headshot that they couldn’t use.

Click here to see our packages and pricing.

Read our blog post on headshot pricing and why they cost what they do.

The extent to which we do this varies from person to person.

We work with all of our customers collaboratively in order to achieve the ideal results for each person or project.

We still want you to look like you so we‘ll always advise you on what’s appropriate for your style and industry.

There’s been a notable shift in the last 10 years across all of marketing that has put a much greater emphasis on being relatable and being authentic (being yourself).

The perception that that a tie will make you appear to be more credible is simply not true. Bad posture, creased clothing, bad lighting and the overall quality of your portrait will all have a much greater impact on your credibility.

Whilst we are seeing industries moving away from the tie, there are some that still expect it and so you’ll need to be mindful of this; finance and law being the most notable of these where a tie is often considered a necessary formality as much as it is a tradition.

After considering this, you probably will instinctively know if you need to wear a tie or not.

In most cases these days, it’s a no, a shirt and jacket combination has become the business attire of choice for most professionals including CEOs.

If you are still unsure, bring your tie and we can take some shots with and without it. You may find there’s a practical place for both.

If you feel like you can do your make-up yourself and feel you do a good job then you’ll still get a great headshot without professional make-up.

If you feel as though you’d like a more glamorous look or if you don’t feel confident doing your own hair and make-up, the make-up artists that we work with are fantastic and well worth the money they charge.

They have spent years learning how to accent features on the face, colour matching, toning and contouring to name a few. They can also give you one less thing to worry about before your shoot and will in most cases be able to do a better job than you at getting you camera ready.

For men we generally don’t recommend hair and make-up unless there is a specific look you are going for that will require it.

The cost for professional hair and make-up is $275 (including GST) and can be added to your headshot shoot. 

Consider bringing colours the you get a lot of compliments in. There’s normally a reason for this.

Anything that matches your eye colour is always a bonus as it will help draw attention to your eyes.

If you are a business owner or a brand ambassador consider wearing a flash of your brand colour. This can be done subtly through an accessory like a tie or belt or through lipstick or eye shadow. For a bolder connection, consider a top or jacket of the same colour.

Subtle flashes tend to work best in our experience and can tie in nicely with your logo when featured on your website.

Rich colours along with gemstone colours (sapphire / ruby / emerald) typically work well on all complexions. Pastels along with patterns are generally best avoided for photography although there are sometimes exceptions.

For example, you may be looking to tap into a business audience on Linkedin, a family audience on Facebook and millennials on Instagram. In such cases it would be smart to tailor your headshot to relate to these audiences. The Elite headshot session was designed with this in mind.

In most cases, the length of your session will depend on how experienced you are in front of the camera, your ability to let go and trust the process.

In addition to this, the number of looks you wish to achieve, either through clothing or locations will also play a part in how long we will need for your shoot.

We also care deeply about everyone who decides to work with us and we promise to do everything in our power and skill set to get them the best portrait we possibly can.

With our Elite and Branding session, we also have a complete happiness guarantee where we’ll either reshoot or refund your investment if you’re unhappy with your headshots.

We also care deeply about everyone who decides to work with us and we promise to do everything in our power and skill set to get them the best portrait we possibly can.

With our Elite and Branding session, we also have a complete happiness guarantee where we’ll either reshoot or refund your investment if you’re unhappy with your headshots.