It super depends. We don't like to give hard numbers, but we've never seen anyone with fewer than 100 edited images or more than 600.

Once the keepers have been selected and the processing is complete, we'll send the photos in a beautiful, shareable, easy-to-use online gallery, from which you can create collections of favorites, and make selections for retouching.

Processing is light editing, during which we make global adjustments to each photo. This isn’t a slow and methodical look at every detail of an image- it’s more a quick “check” to be sure the photo is ready to show to the world. While we might do some precise corrections if the error is something we missed (a rip in a background, say, or a dust spot on the lens), we won’t be doing any detailed work here- no clothing logo removals or stray hair fixes or makeup corrections. (That all gets saved for retouching.)

Retouching is the next step after processing. It’s a close scrutiny of an individual photo, making precise local edits and looking out for any potential distractions, temporary imperfections, color discrepancies between different areas of the photo, and much more. This can take one or two hours per photo. All packages include complimentary retouching, and additional retouched images can be purchased for $40/ea.

You will receive your gallery of processed images within one week of our session.

You will have four weeks from the day of our shoot to select your favorites for retouching. If you do not choose your favorites within that timeframe, we will make the selections for you, though you will be able to download and use the final images.

You will have access to your gallery for six months after receiving it. You will receive a notification once it is going to be removed from our servers; you may request a one-time extension of one week in order to download your images.

This is a pretty complicated topic, and probably needs its own article. Your "best" headshot is determined by so many factors- what market you're in, your type(s), and much much more.

We recommend narrowing down your gallery with a quick pass, following your gut and picking as many as are appealing to you.

Once you have that smaller group, take your time and whittle it down to between ten and thirty options, maybe more if you have more looks.

Then, share that small collection with (in this specfic order):

your representation,
casting directors/directors,
your coaches/teachers/professors,
your castmates,
your second-best friends,
your best friends,
your siblings,
your significant other,
and your immediate family.

That order also represents whose thoughts and feedback are useful, from most to least - your immediate family is generally not going to be super objective at picking a headshot, while people who can cast you or are representing you will be incredibly helpful with telling you what photo feels the most like "you" and the most marketable in whatever media you are working.

(Your own opinion, after the first pass-through, is, we believe, basically worthless. We really don't know what we look like outside of the mirror, and often our vanity and spotty self-conception gets in the way of choosing an authentic photo.)

While there’s virtually no limit to what Photoshop can do in the right hands, we discourage clients from going too far into “airbrushed” territory. We also highly discourage any digital changes to a part of your face/body that will not change significantly in the next two to five years. A pimple, for example, is temporary and should be removed. A high hairline or droopy eyelid or less-than-chiseled jawline is a part of your face, and your face is what casting directors are looking to see when they call you in to audition, Hopefully the lighting and posing we did in the studio will have you looking amazing on camera and you won’t feel the need to make any huge changes.

That said, if you really feel that “transformative” retouching is what you need, we will work with you to make it happen, though at a higher rate than standard retouching.

Also, be aware that while retouching is important for eliminating distractions and making sure your essence really comes through in the photo, many of these photos will never be viewed in large-format print. Digitally, they will rarely be seen in a size bigger than a playing card. Be sure to view the images in as many digital formats and sizes as possible- they should look best as a thumbnail on a laptop or phone screen.

Once you've sent your selections, we should be able to send you the retouched files within one week.

Please don't. We can't stop you, but we put a lot of time and thought into the choices we've made around color, lighting, makeup, and everything else that has gone into the image we've made. Please consider our artistic agency before you retouch your own photos. You are, however, permitted to crop the photos as you see fit.

For in-person auditions, headshots are expected to be 8x10", with a resume stapled to the back. Portrait (vertical) orientation is slightly preferable to landscape (horizontal) orientation, though no one will kick you out of an audition for having a horizontal headshot.

As far as whether the photo has a border, where your name is placed, the font, etc., as long as the name is on the front, is legible, and the photo is 8x10, that's up to you.

Be sure and pay attention to any specific formatting requests whenever you're submitting headshots, but don't worry too much about these details for general use.

If you'd like us to format a retouched headshot or two with a name and/or border, please ask and we're happy to do so at no charge.

We do not offer printing services. You can, however order prints directly from your gallery. We do not recommend printing at pharmacies/Fed-Ex/Kinkos or on home printers. Our go-to printer is currently mpix.com.