Every Session Starts Here — But It Doesn't Have to End Here

Every headshot session I do starts the same way: clean background, good light, solid photos. It checks the boxes, and for a lot of people, that's exactly what they need. There's real value in a photo that's polished, professional, and ready to go to work for them.

But sometimes a client walks in and you sense pretty quickly that "checks the boxes" isn't going to be enough.

Hester Fox is a gothic historical fiction author based in Massachusetts. Her books are atmospheric, moody, and haunting. Titles like The Witch of Willow Hall and The Last Heir to Blackwood Library don't exactly suggest a gray background and a well lit smile.

We started there anyway. Those photos are good, and she wanted them. But after we paused to review the photos, the conversation shifted. She wanted something darker. Moodier. Something that actually felt like her.

I love that moment. It's the moment a session stops being a transaction and starts being a collaboration.

A few minutes in, she said: "Oh my, you can photograph me all the time!" — which, honestly, is the best thing a client can say. But more importantly, by the time we were done, we had images that belonged on the back of one of her novels.

She ended up purchasing four photos and asked me to keep the gallery up so she could come back for more. Within days of our session, her new portrait was live on her website. It feels so incredible seeing that my work supports my client’s vision!!

That's the goal every time — not just a photo that looks like the thing it is, but one that looks like you.

If you're an author, a creative, or anyone whose work has a specific mood or world behind it — let's talk. There's a version of your headshot out there that does a lot more than check boxes.

Book a session in my Maynard, MA studio through this link. I’m excited to hear from you!