When you arrive at our studio, which is in our residence, we meet in the office to review what we will accomplish during your sitting and sign the necessary releases. All clients are required to sign a model release, and minor clients must be accompanied by a legal guardian who will monitor the sitting and sign the release. Payment is due in full at the time of your session. Cash and Personal checks only.

We approach the sitting in two phases. In the first group of shots, we go for a "neutral" look, It is from this grouping that you will most likely choose for your main headshot. In phase two, based on our our initial interview, we'll find out more about the characters and roles you like to play and we bring out those characters during the remainder of the shoot through improv suggestions.

Many of our clients and their agents believe that a character look is best to submit for certain targeted roles and their chances of getting called for an audition improves. We've been successful with this approach, but its important to understand these two phases of the sitting and explain this when showing your contact sheets to your agent for help in the final selection of your images.

Bring your own makeup and hair brushes!! We are not licensed cosmetologists and cannot touch your skin or hair other than to point out things which should be fixed or straightened out during the shoot. You are more than welcome to invite a skilled friend who can help you in this area

The actual shooting is done in the studio. Professional, digital radio-controlled strobe lighting is employed to give the photographer complete freedom to move around during the shoot. Bring a CD of your favorite music to help set the mood! We have our own eclectic selection of music too. Be prepared to chat with the photographer during the shoot! Its a fun experience. We'll do everything reasonable to capture you in a relaxed, natural pose. We'll take frequent breaks so you can see the results (instant feedback with the digital camera), or change tops.

Bring your favorite bottled water! You need plenty of water to look at your best during the shoot.

When the shoot is over, the images will be transferred to the Mac-based graphics work station. Now comes the hard part! Culling down the images to between 25 and 35 for your preview sheets to take with you at the end of the session. We'll keep the entire sitting on the master archive, but getting down to a smaller number on your preview sheets sheets can be a challenge. If you have a talent agent, most prefer proof sheets so they can help you choose the final four poses that will be rendered into the great headshots which will help you get noticed.

The preview sheets will be printed for you to take home with you at the end of the session. Each image on the sheet has a reference number. Once you choose what you want, just call or email us with the image number and we'll finish your headshots and have them printed at the lab. They'll be ready in one or two business days after you provide the image numbers. Keep in mind that the previews are unfinished representations of the final headshots. They must be artfully cropped, color and exposure corrected, and retouched before they can be used and reproduced in quantity.

You will receive one lab-generated 8X10 photo, along with a CD-ROM with the final image files for each of the 4 final images. In addition, your CD-ROM will include web-optimized versions of these final images for you to use in emails, IMDB, on-line agency portfolios or any other web-based site you chose for self promotion. You may order additional images for finishing at very reasonable additional cost.

1. Wear solid-color mid tones: Plain white doesn't look great - unless you are going for the office business head shot. Try to wear colors that compliment your skin tone. This will help accentuate your natural features. Photography does not magically remove wrinkles! If you stuff your shirts in a ditty bag they will look like they were stuffed in a bag for the shoot. Bring them in a garment bag - even t-shirts. (by the way, it wouldn't hurt to invest in a couple of inexpensive tops you could pick up at a local discount store just for the shoot)

2. Neckline: Is your neck short or long? A V-neck lengthens the neck; a round neckline shortens it. A collar frames the face well, without taking away length from your neck. A collared shirt with a V-neck or a few buttons undone is most popular. Turtlenecks completely hide the neck, which is very unflattering, and should be avoided.

3. Subdued/No Patterns: Avoid bold colors and crazy patterns. Avoid light greens. If we decide to do some green screen shots to insert you into different backgrounds, a light green top could be a problem in post.

4. Glasses: If you always wear glasses, keep them on for the photo shoot. Lighting can be adjusted to eliminate glare. In difficult cases, the lenses can sometimes be removed from the frames, but it is very important to maintain a natural, comfortable look

5. Personal: Wear something that makes you feel great and relaxed.

6. No Jeans for full or mid-length shots. Jeans are a little too casual. Try something more formal - even Dockers. Remember you want to look extraordinary and have something to offer that the rest do not have. Jeans are fine for a head shot only portfolio.

7. No shiny leather: Screams "over the top". It limits your potential and distracts from your face.

8. Denim jackets: Sometimes they work. Bring it along and we'll see.

9. No Logos: Okay. Listen carefully: NO WRITING ON YOUR SHIRT. That goes for auditions as well. Its a movie industry thing - logos mean product placement issues and the production staff must be very careful about legal issues. So if a logo appears in your head shot, it just shows you aren't clued in.

10. Limited Jewelry: Avoid distracting accessories, such as large, shiny jewelry. If you have a pierced ear, wear studs or small hoops. No matter how much you love your gold necklace, remember it will take the focus away from your face.

1. Avoid heavy makeup! During finishing of your selected images, we will take care of blemishes and other 'artifacts' on your skin during the basic retouch process. Heavy makeup tends to look caked up. Remember that our cameras and lenses produce images at far higher definition than even HDTV and our job is to flatter you, but your head shot has to look like the person that walks into the audition space!

2. Skin Features: Do not hide your skin's personality! Flaunt your freckles. Cover your moles. They are a part of what makes you unique. Unique features are what makes others sit up and take notice. Of course, if the day of the shoot you are sporting a monstrous zit, use some light makeup, but we'll magically heal it! Generally speaking, unusual attractive features are an asset. Who would ever want to say good-bye to Harrison Ford's chin scar?

3. B/W Photo: The trend with Casting Directors today is color head shots. That's because its easier to see subtle differences in skin tones, and also because most quality reproduction houses offer color for the same price as black and white. However, a well executed B&W rendition can offer dramatic impact, and is sometimes preferred by Theatrical performers. Our RAW images are all in color, and we convert to black and white as requested.

4. Eyeliner: Soft, applied with a brush sparingly, using very little on the lower lid.

5. Straight Hair: You want to frame your face, so if your hair is very straight and long, give it some body to accentuate your face.

6.For Men Only: A very light coat of powder will help even out your skin tones. Otherwise, use make-up very sparingly. Unless you are going for the stubble look, be sure to shave before arriving at the studio!

7. Pimples, Etc: Life is full of little imperfections. Don't panic! We are expert retouchers and you will be amazed what digital retouching can do to a photo!

8. Dark Beards: Dark beards usually get accentuated in photos, so some men may want to use a little cream base to slightly lighten their beard.

9. Hairpiece: Great! You've got two looks. Definitely do a shot with and without it.

10. Haircut: Don't cut your hair the day before your shoot! It will look like you just got a haircut. Give your hair at least a week after a cut to relax.

1. Sound: Bring some music (CD's preferred)  that makes you happy, relaxes you, and makes you feel more at home. Be prepared to chat, relax, and have fun! We have our own eclectic library of music in many genres' on the iPod, so if you forget - don't fret!

2. Sight: Bring several changes of clothes, and do not be afraid to use them.

3. Taste: Eat well. Stay energized. Bring some bottled water to drink.

4. Smell: Scents tap right into the animal part of your brain. They can help get you in the right mood. If you have a perfume/cologne that makes you feel like a million bucks, or a scented candle that puts your mind at ease, by all means bring it.

5. Touch: If it works, bring a close friend who helps you relax and feel at ease with yourself, and who can help you adjust your hair and clothing. It your friend makes you giggle or feel embarrassed, pass on the invitation.

6. Above all - give yourself enough time. We suggest it will take from 1 1/2 to 2 hours for your session and our experience bears this out. If you are rushed, it will show in the results. If you know you'll be rushed, call in advance to reschedule your appointment. We'd much rather do it right the first time.

"I don't look like that, do I?" Each of us has a vision of how we want to look. Expert lighting and camera work can capture the natural you, but remember — you've come for a head shot, not a contrived "glamour" shot that casting agents will discard in a New York second!

Understand the use of a head shot. A casting agent analyzes the script. It calls for certain "looks" and sex/age/ethnicity characteristics. Your head shot will be filed with others in categories designed by the talent agency. If you have the right "look" for the part, your resume will be scanned. The ultimate purpose of your head shot is to make the short list and be called for an audition. Having a "perfect" look is impossible. Besides, getting the part is a balance of "the look", your acting training and experience, how well you do in the audition, and your desire. Yes, just plain luck also pays a role.

Remember that the camera is your conduit to the casting director. If you are nervous about 'playing to the camera' we'll work with you. But if you are terrified of it, better find another profession.