Headshot Pricing Guide
Welcome! I’m so glad you reached out. Whether you need a polished professional headshot, a full personal branding session, or something in between, you’re in the right place.
I’m Katy, and I’ve been photographing people in Portland for over 17 years. I know that being photographed feels vulnerable. Booking headshots can bring up every insecurity you have about how you look on camera. My whole job is to make you forget all of that and get you laughing, moving, and feeling genuinely like yourself in front of the lens. My sessions are personal, energetic, and deeply collaborative. You’ll feel the difference the moment we start.
My portraits feel vibrant, genuine, real, bold, honest, fun, playful and artistic.
The Studio
I photograph most of my headshot sessions at Daylight Creative Space in NW Portland, a beautiful, light-filled studio with massive windows, clean neutral backdrops, and a warm, professional atmosphere. I also sometimes rent Cream Creative Space depending on availability and the look we’re going for. Both spaces create a distraction-free environment where the focus is entirely on you.
The studio setting gives us total control over the light, which means we can shoot any time of day, in any weather, and still get gorgeous consistent results. If you prefer the outdoors or want to shoot on location at your office or a spot that tells your story, I’m absolutely open to that too, and we can talk through all the options on our call.
Headshot Collections
The Branding Session
$1,350
- 2 hours of session time
- Studio + 1 outdoor location
- 30 final retouched photos (color + black and white)
- Online proofing gallery to choose your favorites
- Perfect for websites, brand kits, LinkedIn, press, and social media
The Branding Session is designed for entrepreneurs, authors, speakers, executives, and anyone building a personal brand who needs a rich library of images across multiple contexts. We’ll start in the studio for clean, polished hero shots, then move to an outdoor location to get warmer, lifestyle-feel images. Two hours gives us time to really explore your personality, try multiple outfit looks, and get a variety of moods, from serious and professional to playful and approachable. This is my most comprehensive headshot experience and the one I’d recommend if you’re updating your entire brand presence at once.
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The Portrait Session
$950
- 90 minutes of session time
- Studio or 1 outdoor location
- 20 final retouched photos (color + black and white)
- Online proofing gallery to choose your favorites
- Most popular option
The Portrait Session is my most popular headshot package and the right fit for most people. An hour and a half gives us time to get comfortable, explore multiple outfit changes, and try different moods and backgrounds within one location. You’ll end up with a diverse set of images that can take you from LinkedIn to press to social, without feeling rushed. Choose the studio for polished, clean portraits, or choose an outdoor location for something warmer and more personal.
The Studio Session
$700
- 45 minutes of session time
- Studio location
- 10 final retouched photos (color + black and white)
- Online proofing gallery to choose your favorites
- Studio fee included
The Studio Session is my entry-level headshot experience, but don’t let the word “entry-level” fool you. 45 minutes in the studio is enough time to get a variety of poses and expressions, change into a second outfit, and walk away with a strong set of clean, professional images. It’s perfect for people who need a polished update and don’t need a huge image library. The studio fee is included, so there are no hidden extras.
Team Studio Day
$300 per person (4-person minimum)
- ~25 minutes per person
- Studio location
- 5 final retouched photos per person
- Each person receives their own private online gallery
- Studio fee included · Ideal for company headshot days
Need updated headshots for your whole team? I’ll sequence everyone through the studio efficiently, giving each person individual attention and real direction so no one is just standing stiff in front of a backdrop. Minimum booking is 4 people ($1,200), and ideal groups are 4-8 people. Everyone walks away with a clean, consistent look and their own personal gallery. Perfect for team pages, LinkedIn updates, and press materials.
Add-Ons
- Additional edited photo: $65 per image
- Additional shoot time: $500 per hour
- All unedited JPEGs from the session: $300
- All unedited RAW files from the session: $500
Every package includes digital downloads of all final images.
My Process
Here’s exactly how working with me goes, from inquiry to delivery:
- Email me! I’ll send over my full pricing guide (you’re reading it!) and you can schedule a video call with me here. I want to hear about you, your goals, and your story. That conversation shapes everything about the shoot.
- Choose your session and I’ll send an online contract and invoice to lock in your date.
- I’ll send you prep resources covering what to wear, what to bring, and how to prepare. You’ll feel completely ready before we even meet.
- Day of the shoot: We meet at the studio (or location) and start shooting right away. The first 10-15 minutes are always a warm-up, and everyone needs a few minutes to settle in and stop feeling like they’re “being photographed.” I keep things moving fast to get lots of variety, and you can change outfits whenever you want.
- Within one week of the shoot: I’ll deliver a private online proofing gallery with everything that’s sharp, well-exposed, and worth reviewing, straight from camera before editing. You’ll go through and select your favorites. Each session includes a specific number of final images.
- After you select your favorites: It takes up to 3 weeks for me to fully edit and retouch your chosen images. You can also add extra images at $65 each at this stage.
- Final delivery: I’ll send everything in a second private online gallery where you can download your images directly or order prints.
Posing and Direction
If the thought of being photographed makes you go completely stiff, you’re totally normal. Everyone, literally everyone, feels that way at first. My job is to make sure you never have to stand there wondering what to do with yourself. I give constant, clear, often funny direction throughout the entire shoot. I’ll move you through poses and micro-expressions so that you always have something to do and something to think about. You won’t feel stiff. You won’t feel posed. You’ll feel like yourself, because that’s exactly what I’m pulling out of you.
My biggest tip: keep moving. The best headshots almost never come from someone frozen in place. When you move, you loosen up. When you loosen up, your personality shows. The most interesting, unique, and genuinely you images come from those in-between moments of motion.
Editing Style and Retouching
My editing style is clean, timeless, and natural. I don’t do heavy retouching that makes you look like a different person. I refine and enhance without erasing the character from your face. Think: smooth, even skin tone; balanced exposure; flattering color grading. The kind of edit where people say “wow, you look great” rather than “wow, that doesn’t look like you.”
Every final image is delivered in both color and black and white at no extra charge.
What I retouch as standard:
- Temporary blemishes and minor skin concerns
- Any stray hairs that are genuinely distracting
- Teeth, to reduce coffee stains and brighten naturally
- Exposure and color balance per image
- Lint and minor clothing distractions
What I generally avoid: heavy skin smoothing, facial restructuring, aggressive amounts of body slimming, or anything that starts to misrepresent who you are. My goal is for your headshots to look like the best version of you, not a filtered version of someone else.
That said, retouching is deeply personal and everyone has different tastes. I think of it as a dial I can turn up or down depending on what you want. Some people want a very light touch and want to keep things real. Others have specific things they feel self-conscious about and want more help with. Either way is completely valid, and I’m always open to a conversation about what would make you feel the most confident in your images. You can tell me what you love, what you’d like softened, and what you want left exactly as-is.
What to Wear
Choosing what to wear is one of the most stressful parts of booking headshots for most people. Here’s my honest advice:
The golden rules:
- Fit is everything. A well-fitting outfit in a boring color beats a beautiful outfit that doesn’t fit. Check that your blazer hits your shoulders right, your pants are the correct length, and nothing is pulling or bunching.
- Solid colors almost always win. Patterns pull attention away from your face. If you love pattern, we can talk, but when in doubt, go solid.
- Neutrals are your best friend. Soft tones - cream, grey, navy, olive, tan, blush, brown, black, white - keep the focus on you.
- Structured layers look more polished. Blazers, structured jackets, and fitted layers photograph better than thin, stretchy fabrics.
- Bring complete outfits, not just tops. Even if you’re only getting headshots, wearing a full outfit with shoes makes you feel more like yourself and gives us more flexibility with how we frame shots.
- Bring at least 2-3 looks. Variety is great, and longer sessions can often accommodate even more.
- Most importantly: wear something you love. The above tips matter, but confidence is the X factor. Wear something that makes you feel good.
What to bring:
- At least 2-3 full outfit options, including shoes
- Any jewelry or accessories that are part of your personal brand
- Makeup and hair products for touch-ups
- A lint roller (blazers attract lint fast)
How to Prepare
A little preparation goes a long way toward getting incredible headshots.
Before the shoot:
- Get a good night’s sleep. It shows in your eyes more than anything else.
- Stay hydrated in the days before (seriously, it shows in your skin)
- Get any haircuts or color done 1-2 weeks before the shoot so everything settles naturally
- Steam or press your outfits the night before. Wrinkles are much harder to fix in post than people think.
- Avoid anything that will leave marks on your skin (tight waistbands, headbands, watch straps) for an hour before you arrive
- Skip the heavy workout right before. You don’t want to show up flushed or tight.
The day of:
- Arrive relaxed. Give yourself a buffer and don’t rush.
- Bring water and any snacks you need to feel good and energized
- Come ready to have fun and be yourself. My sessions are collaborative by nature. We’ll co-create together, follow what feels good, and make images that don’t just look like you, they feel like you. Some people leave feeling like they made a new friend and discovered something they love about themselves in the process. That’s the goal.
Do I need to wear makeup?
This is one of the most common questions I get, and I want to answer it honestly. If you love the experience of getting your makeup done, and you typically feel your best with a full face on, go for it! But if you rarely wear makeup and you’re worried you won’t feel like yourself, it is completely okay to come to your shoot with a bare face, mascara only, or whatever feels most natural to you. You are enough. The beauty industry has sold us a lot of myths about how much makeup we’re “supposed” to wear on camera, and I don’t believe any of them. I’d so much rather photograph the real you than a version of you that feels like a costume. That said, if you want help connecting with a local makeup artist, I’m happy to make some recommendations.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do you offer outdoor sessions? Yes! I love outdoor headshots. Outdoor sessions trade the controlled studio environment for a warmer, more personal feel. We can brainstorm locations together on our call. I’ve been photographing in Portland for 17 years and have a long list of favorites. See Portland photo location ideas here.
How long until I get my photos? Proofing gallery (unedited): within 1 week of the shoot. Final edited images: within 3 weeks of receiving your selections.
Can I bring someone with me? Absolutely. Many people find it helpful to bring a friend or partner for moral support. I just ask that any companions turn away while you’re actually being photographed. Having an audience can make people self-conscious, and I want you fully relaxed.
What if I hate being photographed? That’s honestly most of my clients. I specialize in working with people who feel awkward in front of cameras. My direction is constant, clear, and keeps things moving fast enough that you don’t have time to feel self-conscious. Trust the process.
Do you do hair and makeup? I don’t provide hair and makeup services directly. For the Branding Session, I can help connect you with local stylists I trust if you’d like to add that on. And if you’d like recommendations regardless of which session you book, just ask!
Do I need to wear makeup? Nope! See my note in the “How to Prepare” section above. Short answer: wear whatever makes you feel most like yourself.
Can I license my photos for commercial use? Yes. The images you receive are licensed for personal and professional use - LinkedIn, websites, press, speaking engagements, business materials, social media. If you need extended commercial licensing (national advertising campaigns, for example), let’s talk on our call.