If you're trying to work out whether £150 for 30 minutes is reasonable, the more useful question is what that 30 minutes produces, not how long it lasts.

My Essential Session gives you one retouched portrait specifically designed to advance whatever your goals might be. Getting to that single image involves a short briefing on what the photo is for (this might be for LinkedIn, a company bio, or an actor's profile), enough direction and guidance to get your expression and posture right, and many more than one shots to choose from (later on, I’ll give it a proper edit to look like you at your best, rather than a quick crop and filter).

None of that fits into the five minutes you tend to get on a high-volume corporate shoot day. It also isn't three hours, roughly the length of my more in-depth Signature Sessions, which most professionals don't need or want for one image. Thirty minutes is enough time to do the job properly without turning it into a mere production.

The £150 covers the studio, my time before and after the session, and the retouching – not just the half hour you're in front of the camera. What you're paying for is one image that's been made carefully enough to represent you properly, in a way that works for you, for as long as you need it to.

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What if I need more than one photo?

Sometimes a client sees something in one of the other frames from their Essential Session, like an unguarded look alongside the more composed ones. In that case, they'll often buy an extra portrait or two from the same shoot.

Other clients want more than that, such as a full portfolio refresh, or a set of images for a rebrand. For this, I offer the Signature Session: a longer sitting with as much time for multiple backdrops and outfit changes as needed, and priced per portrait rather than as a single fixed fee. It exists for the same reason the Essential Session is capped at 30 minutes: I think a shoot should take exactly as long as it needs to, no more and no less.

If this sounds like what you need, have a look at the difference between the Essential Session and the Signature Session, and book whichever fits.

FAQ Section

Is 30 minutes long enough for a professional headshot?

Yes, when the time is used for one image rather than several. Thirty minutes covers a short briefing during which I understand the goals which the photo needs to point towards, direction through a handful of poses and expressions, and time to review the shots together before the session ends. What determines the result isn't the length of the slot but whether that time goes toward one considered image, or several rushed ones.

What's included in the Essential Session?

The Essential Session is a 30-minute studio session resulting in one retouched portrait (with the option to purchase more, if you’d like). This includes the shoot itself, a selection process to choose the strongest image, and professional retouching afterwards. It doesn't include multiple changes of outfit/backdrop/lighting partway through, or an unlimited session length, which are what separate it from the Signature Session.

How much should a 30-minute headshot session cost?

Pricing varies by what's included in the time, not the time itself. A session that includes direction, multiple angles, and proper retouching will cost more than one that's a single unposed frame. The Essential Session is £150 and covers all three. You can find photographers who charge less than this for the session, but you will be gambling on less experience, no consultation, budget equipment, no studio, and less careful retouching/post-production.

Do I get to choose which photo is retouched?

Absolutely! As I shoot tethered, you'll see the shots from the session as we go along and select the one that goes forward for retouching, rather than receiving an automated pick.

Where does the session take place?

At my studio on Tontine Street in Folkestone.

Is this suitable for a LinkedIn photo?

Yes, a LinkedIn photo is are a common reason clients book the Essential Session. The single retouched portrait is delivered at a resolution suited to LinkedIn, a company website bio, or similar professional profiles.