FAQ

When you walk into most photographer’s studios they will have the same setup ready to go for all their clients. When you walk into my studio you will see a different setup every day and different setups at different times of the day. I work with you to determine the look you’re after and setup for that. Additionally, I love experimenting with new lighting and techniques so I’m always trying new things with clients. However, new techniques or elaborate lighting don’t mean anything if the images don’t fit your style. That is my number one priority and the setup I use for you will be the one that creates the images you’re looking for.

I have a 100% money back guarantee. Or if you prefer we can do a re-shoot at no extra charge. See the link to the left for guarantee and re-shoot details.ption text goes here

I do sessions with less than 6 people at my San Francisco studio located in SOMA. I can shoot anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley (or the world for that matter) for an additional a fee. I do have a minimum location shoot fee. If you are outside of the San Francisco Bay Area or Silicon Valley please contact me as I would love to work with you.

Me and only me. When you go to some headshot photographers, you’re really booking with the company and you might get one of any number of photographers taking your picture. When you see the work on their website you don’t actually know who took the pictures you like or if they’ll be the one taking your pictures. I took every picture you see on my website and I’ll be the one taking your picture.

Lighting is the key to any great business headshot and I can light a headshot and portrait in many different ways. It is important to discuss beforehand the type of lighting you would like. I don’t use a standard lighting setup for all my clients because I want your headshot to be custom for you. If you would like elaborate or complex lightning that require special equipment there would be extra charges to rent needed equipment. This would be very uncommon and you would know prior to the shoot if there would be additional expenses.

We can use any color paper backdrop you want for your headshots. Any paper backdrop I already have in stock will have no extra charges. White, grey, and black paper backdrops will always be in stock as well as a variety of colors. If you would like a specific color backdrop to match your brand or identity there will be a fee to purchase the specific color/size backdrop if it’s not something I already have. I would need at least 2-3 weeks notice to get the specific backdrop and availability will determine if it is possible or not. I also have custom painted canvas backdrops that do have an additional fee for use due to their fragility and difficulty to set up.

I don't limit the number of images taken during the shoot and I don't shoot a specific number of images. Each shoot and person will have a different flow which results in more or less than another shoot. On average I typically take 100-200 images during a 30 minute session. Needless to say, there will be a lot of great images to choose from.

For the standard Individual Session you will get 3 high resolution images from the shoot. One of the three images will be retouched. You will also get three variations of the final retouched photo: A standard look, black & white and a warmer tone look. Because my sessions are custom for you if you have a particular look you would like I can do that as well. Sessions for more than 5 people only receive the retouched image and look variation images.

Every session comes with a retouched image. Retouching is an extremely important part of the process. An otherwise good image can be ruined with bad retouching. For business headshots you want your images to look natural and not over retouched. Retouching is more than just cleaning up skin and removing blemishes, it has to do with the overall look of the image as well. Not all photographers take the time and care needed for great retouching and many outsource their retouching to cheap “retouching farms” where the results are not good. Each of my retouched images are done by hand and great care is taken to ensure they look natural.

Proofs are viewed using an online gallery that you can share with others. Final images are delivered via an online gallery as well for quick and easy access. The final image can be downloaded to your computer. The final image are high resolution appropriate for online and print use. Raw files are not provided but can be purchased.

You will typically receive proofs from the session within 24 hours days although typically it's within 1-2 hours. The final retouched images arrive in about 1-2 weeks after making your final selections depending on current retouching workload but could be much faster. Rush orders are possible with a fee for delivery within 2 business days. For group sessions the timing will be longer based on the number of people photographed.

First, let me be clear about this: The camera a photographer uses makes no difference in the quality of the pictures you get. All modern digital cameras produce great images. As long as the camera was made in the last 5 years, the photographer matters more than the camera.

Having said that, my background is commercial and editorial photography. Those clients require the best files possible for larger reproductions. Because of this I use a high end medium format Phase One XF camera system that produces the highest quality files you can find in a modern digital camera due to it’s larger sensor size. I can guarantee no other headshot photographer you may be considering uses a camera of this caliber (more than likely they will be using Canon, Nikon, or Sony cameras which are great, but inferior to a medium format Phase One camera) But as I said, the camera being used doesn’t matter; it’s the photographer that matters.

Makeup will not be provided. My studio is located near Union Square and there are many options within walking distance to have your hair & makeup professionally done. I have client discounts available with some of the nearby makeup artists and can provide you with a list of makeup artists for the shoot.

It is very unlikely you will need rights beyond what comes with the session. The included rights are very broad and cover most needs. However, you do not have unlimited rights to the images. If you need uses that aren’t covered by my licensing I’m happy to discuss your needs.

Unless otherwise agreed upon the standard license will be for use on your company's website, social media pages, event presentation bio photos, and marketing materials (direct mail, email promos, media press releases, etc).

The images may be used on the inside or back of a book jacket, but not as the cover.

Non-Press Release third party use is not allowed in any way without an additional license. That means you can't give the image to a media outlet to use in any way or use in any type of media.

The exception to the third party restriction is if you were the author of an article for the publication. Then the image can be used for an author photo accompanying the article or the contributors page in the publication.

Paid advertising use (print ads, billboards, etc) is allowed for small companies (less than 25 employees) and sole proprietors for ad spends less than $15,000 a year.

Paid advertising for larger companies and ad budgets are available for an additional fee if needed. Additional licenses are available if you need them at and extra fee.

See session Terms & Conditions for more information and the Full Licensing Information here.

There are no refunds for any retainers/payments for any reason whatsoever.

Due to the complexity of scheduling many shoots in a day and the time preparing and setting up for a shoot I have a strict cancelation/rescheduling policy.

For studio shoots, retainers and payments are non-refundable unless there was an error on my part. Shoots can be rescheduled, but if you reschedule with less than 7 day notice there will be a $100 per person rescheduling fee. If you want to reschedule with less than 48 hour notice the fee is $200 per person. If your session was booked within 48 hours of the session time you will only be responsible for the 7 day reschedule fee. If you do not show up for an appointment or inform me you will not make it with less than three hours notice, you would need to pay any balance due and then book a new session. If no balance is due only a new session needs to be booked. Rescheduling fees can not be waived for an reason.

Rescheduling with less than 48 hours for sessions with five or more people will result in the loss of your retainer or payment.

For any location shoot, the shoot can’t be rescheduled less than 7 days from the shoot without losing your full retainer/payment. Please see the full rescheduling policy for location sessions.

Scheduling or rescheduling issues are not a valid reason for a refund. Due to the popularity of my service there may be a long wait time to get in (please do not assume what long means). Unfortunately I can’t say here what the current availability is be because my schedule is constantly changing. If you have any date expectations, restrictions or deadlines please contact me prior to booking to ensure I can meet your timeline because a refund will not be possible after booking. Additionally I don't do shoots on the weekend. Sessions with discounted rates or coupons have reduced scheduling availability than full price sessions which may add to scheduling timeframe. However there is an option to pay a $100 fee to get in earlier subject to availability.

Unforeseen natural or biological events are not a valid reason for a refund. In such cases your retainer payment will be good for a rescheduled shoot with no rescheduling fees regardless of how soon your session was to be.

When booking a session you will be agreeing to these terms so hopefully you’re reading this so there are no misunderstandings or animosity at a later time :-)

There are no additional costs related to any sessions to get the services as described on the session booking page. You can optionally order additional services above and beyond the services that come with the session you paid for. Those services include anything that requires additional setup or equipment beyond the normal headshot setup such as full body shots, specialty lighting, backdrops not in stock, or non-paper specialty backdrops and possible fees for getting a session earlier than current availability. Additional services are optional and not required to get the described services for the session you paid for. You will be given the opportunity to add the additional services prior to your shoot. All fees for rescheduling shoots are listed above and will not change after booking your session. There are no hidden or surprise fees unless you are requesting something above and beyond what comes with the session you paid for or requesting a session time sooner than what is available (if possible).

I do need to charge for any incurred expenses. Unless you're doing an elaborate shoot that requires extra equipment, that will mean parking fees and other minor expenses if I am traveling to your location. If your shoot needs extra equipment, expendables, assistants or other expenses you will know the costs upfront.

All payments will be done via credit card through my website. If you would like to be invoiced for the shoot to pay another way there is a 10% fee for all invoiced payments. Additionally, payments via invoicing still need to be made prior to the shoot for retainers and the final payment must be made before receiving images.

See session Terms & Conditions for more information. For information on my money back guarantee go here.