As an Atlanta based commercial and corporate photographer, I’ve had a lot of people inquire about having me do straightforward business headshots for them over the years. The problem I’ve run into time after time is that for some of these people – people that are small business owners and simply need an updated headshot of themselves and maybe one or two employee’s is that they just don’t have the budget for the level of service I provide when shooting five, ten, twenty, thirty, or even one hundred employees for larger companies. It always killed me to have to turn them away because I just couldn’t come down to a reasonable rate for these entrepreneur’s and come out ahead in regards to the time it takes me to do. To read more about that, check out this post.
 

So, this brings me to what this post is all about: My New “Express Headshot” Option.

After much thought, I’ve decided to put together an offer for these people that really want me to shoot their portrait for them due to my experience and ability as a photographer, particularly as a portrait photographer.

My new express headshot option is based on me trimming as much fat off the job in regards to the time it takes me from the moment the client calls me to inquire about it, to the moment I send them their finished headshot as possible, allowing me to charge less, yet not have to sacrifice anything in regards to the look of the final product. Here’s how:

Scheduling:

I have a written out a quote for the express headshot service already. All I have to do is plug in the client’s info.

Setting up the shoot time for Monday –Thursday’s from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm within a 25-mile drive of Atlanta. The idea behind this is to keep me from having to spend more time driving to or from somebodies office due to scheduling the shoot for four o’clock on a Friday afternoon.

Shooting:

Shooting with what some may see as a point-and-shoot camera (but is actually an extremely capable little camera) along with battery-powered shoe mount strobes. I’ve put together a kit that I can easily and quickly throw over my shoulder and get down to my vehicle and your location with no problem, rather go through the whole production that it can be when I take my normal lighting gear and cameras.

Delivery And Payment:

Not shooting tethered and posting a web photo gallery. I usually shoot tethered to a laptop just so you can see what I’ve captured of you that day before I pack up. To make certain I do have something you’re happy with to choose from. Then, I post the best of what I get to a web photo gallery that I send you the link to so you can choose the image(s) you’d like to have polished up for final delivery on your own time.

But with the express headshot option, I will bring my iPad in for you to preview the images on, and you will need to pick the shot(s) you’d like to have delivered right then. Based on what you pick, I will create an invoice for you and collect payment for that amount. From there, once back in front of my computer, I can simply grab the file(s) you have requested, polish it up, and send it to you via email.

My Goal:

My goal behind this is to get everything done inside of a three to four-hour window. A thirty-minute drive to and from your location for a total of one hour, an hour or so there, and an hour to polish up and send the finished portrait to you – yet still deliver a beautiful shot to you – for $300. If you’re interested in knowing how this breaks down for me as a business person, if I succeed, then I will make $75 to $100 per hour (before expenses). Photographers – myself included – don’t usually charge a flat hourly rate for their services. But, $75-$100 per hour is a pretty standard hourly rate for a graphic designer or retoucher, thus being why it’s my goal to make about that per hour for this particular option, with three to four hours being what I feel it will take me to complete.

What To Expect The Day Of Your Shoot And How To Prepare:

I will likely show up ten to fifteen minutes early. Once there, I will quickly evaluate where the best place for me to set up my background and lighting will be based on the general layout of your workspace/office.

I strongly suggest that you bring the clothes that you want to be photographed in with you that day and put them on just prior to your time with me. This will eliminate the possibility of you spilling coffee on yourself, and then have to worry about it staining your clothes, showing in the shot, and paying an additional fee for it to be retouched out. Putting on your clothes just prior to being photographed rather than wearing them that day will prevent them from getting wrinkled prior to your shoot time.

I recommend solid darker colors over light colors. Contrast is good, though. A dark jacket with a white shirt and tie is fine. Whereas just a white shirt and tie can end up not looking so good depending on your skin tonality.

Without a jacket, you definitely want a solid color or pattern shirt with darker colors in it. Pastels and white can look great in some cases, but more often than not, are best to avoid.

Really loud colors and busy patterns – as well as too much jewelry – can be bad too. You want the photo to be about who you are and not what you’re wearing.

I also suggest you get your hair cut a few days prior to your shoot in an effort to look your best the day of the shoot. You don’t want to think to yourself after the fact, “Darn! I was looking a little shaggy. Should have gotten a haircut prior to having that photo done.”

Having your clothes pressed at the cleaners is also a good idea if you’re like me, and ironing isn’t one of your talents.

Once set up, I will likely only have you in front of my camera for five or ten minutes and will capture a variety of expressions. From there I will let you look through what I’ve shot on the iPad and pick which one you would like to have delivered.

I charge an additional $75 per image if would like to have more than one delivered. The “polishing up” of your selected photo will include basic blemish removal, brightening of the teeth and eyes, and softening of bags under the eyes if present.

Payment will be due for the total amount of the services requested at that time and can be made via cash, check, or PayPal (with the standard PayPal service charge added to total invoice).

How Much More For My Business Partner?

If it’s not just you, and you have one or two business partners, I will photograph them for an additional $125 each, assuming they’re there and ready to go at the same time. That’s $50 for my time photographing them, and $75 for my time polishing up their selected shot.

Do I Have A Studio?

98% of my work is location-based work, meaning, I drive to the client or the story I’m covering, therefore a studio space would be unnecessary overhead for me. Additionally, it’s almost always to the clients benefit me coming to them, particularly in the corporate world. They’re more comfortable in a space they’re familiar with and have to invest less time in the overall process due to not having to travel to and from me.

Usage Rights:

Unlimited. This will be specified in the agreement I send you that will require your signature that you will have unlimited usage rights for the images to promote your business or yourself to potential clients and employers.

What will the finished photos look like?

All of the photos included in this post were shot with the same gear that I’ll be using for your express headshot. The photos you request will be delivered to you in both high-res and low-res format.

Dean, the owner of SozoHosting, went with my express portrait option but needed another shot done on white to be stripped out and used on his website as you see here. So we negotiated an additional fee for it prior to the shoot date and this is how it turned out.

In Closing:

I’m excited to offer this new service due to business headshots being the type work that comes very easily to me after having done so many of them in years past. This express headshot option is pretty low stress for me as far as commercial / corporate photography goes but is definitely a common need amongst those that are concerned about presenting themselves well professionally – understandably so – on their website and LinkedIn – but don’t have the budget for my normal level of service and rates. Please do reach out to me if what I’ve described above appeals to you and we’ll get a date set up for your shoot.

-Keith