Many people experience “sticker shock” when they book a headshot session with a professional photographer. They had no idea a photo of their face could cost several hundred dollars. This begs the question, “why are headshots so expensive?” It’s just a photo of my face, right? How hard can it be?

Okay, so you need an updated headshot and don’t want to go to a professional. We get it, headshots can be pricey and professional photo studios are intimidating! Oh wait, your coworker Shannon always brings a camera to the company parties. Maybe she can take it?

Let me stop you right there.

Let’s say you just hired a professional photographer for headshots, an event, your wedding, or your commercial photography project. Should you ask your photographer for the RAW files from your photo shoot? If you don’t know what a RAW file is, that’s okay! We, as photographers are required to know these things and are here to shed some light on the subject.

As a photo studio celebrating its 19th year in business, we’re here to tell you that men have just as many insecurities and body image issues as women. There are some studies, like this one, that even show men are more likely to feel anxious and insecure about their bodies compared to women. MORE.

Should you tip the makeup artist? After a headshot shoot, when the makeup artist is just out of earshot, we’ve often had clients frantically whisper to us, “psst! Do I tip the makeup artist?!” Whether or not to tip your makeup artist is a complicated question. And it should start …

You might have heard about AI generated headshots and thought, “so I can get a new headshot and not have to have my photo taken? SIGN ME UP.” As photographers who hate having our own photos taken, it was even tempting for us to try out. But we haven’t. And for a frightening reason.

If your creative worker (photographer, graphic designer, copywriter, etc.,) sent you this link, it’s because you just asked them for a discount they can’t give you.

Please don’t be offended.

The first time I felt myself take a step in the aging process was in my mid-twenties. I was doing laundry and thought to myself “gee, my whites look a little dingy.” (yes, that actually made me feel old. Today I would just file that under feeling like an “adult,” …

Last month the whole team gathered for our monthly “workshop day,” where we pick a skill to expand on together. The theme for that meeting was posing, but it didn’t go how we thought it would go.

“I hate what’s happening to Chicago.” It’s something a relative of mine who moved out of state over 20 years ago said to me once when I asked if they would ever move back. “What do you mean?” I asked. “You know– I see it on the news all the …

DOUBLE CHIN. It’s arguably THE most common lament we hear during headshot sessions. And no one is immune to the appearance of a double chin in their photo. It can pop up for anyone. It has nothing to do with weight, age, or “photogenicness,” if we can invent that word.

Sometimes people in front of our cameras ask us what to do with their hands before we even say “smile.” Even when you know the photo is cropped tight enough to not even see your hands