BEHIND THE LENS BLOG

I like to crop my headshots tightly because I value the effect of a tight close-up on people and their interpretation of the photo. To illustrate my points, I've included a side-by-side comparison of the same image with a tight crop and a loose crop. I like professional headshots to have a powerful impression on the people who view them. The tighter crop allows the viewer to feel a person's confidence projecting out from the photo. Headshots are all about expression. With a l

My lighting is punchy and glamorous. It shows form and creates depth on my client's face in a radically different way from what you will see other photographers using. I like this lighting because it has a clean, crisp, and contemporary feel and is appropriate for professional headshots, especially in Silicon Valley. Traditional Low-tech lighting. Most photographers use “Rembrandt Lighting.” It’s prevalent because it’s a beautiful light that painters originally developed duri

I guide my customers in expressing themselves as confident and approachable heroes of their own stories. It’s a lot of fun to see people's uncertainty and self-consciousness about being photographed melt away as I coach them on how to address the camera and position themselves to bring out their best features. The headshots we create are always spectacular because my customers are actively engaged collaborators in their headshots, not simply following instructions as a passiv

How I Came to be a Professional Headshot Specialist I’ve been asked to tell the story of my career arch and what motivated me to specialize in headshots after 32 years as an interiors photographer. Humble beginnings to living the dream: After serving in the US Navy, I went into business with my father building custom furniture in Denver, CO. This went well for several years until I nearly took off my fingers on the table saw. I decided to find a career that didn’t involve pow

I make a big deal about my Palo Alto headshots studio and the value it give my customers. I don’t talk nearly enough about the other services I offer that add just as much value, such as my Makeup Artist, Sarah Brohmer. Sarah and I have been collaborating on my customer's headshots for more than two years now. We’re a great team and have great chemistry. Our personalities and strengths complement each other perfectly. Sarah is a great person and an outstanding HMUA (Hair and

People love a winner. According to a 2018 research paper published in the Association of Psychological Science, Irmak Okten writes that people first impressions about other people's character, such as trustworthiness and competence based on how they look. It’s the human thing to do. According to a 2016 research on first impressions, two Princeton researchers found that people make lasting judgments about other people within the first 1/10 second of meeting/seeing them. This p

We all want to look good. Looking at our best helps us make good first impressions and feel good about ourselves. My customers value their professional image and want to look better than usual in their headshots, and I don’t blame them. In today's online world, the first time most people see you are in your headshot. Headshots are everywhere, on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, company websites, press releases, and book jackets. You can’t get away from them, and they’re becomin