FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How does it work?
When you come in for a session, we sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and have a little chat about what you are looking for in a headshot. You can bring your old headshots with you if you like, to show me what you liked or didn't like about them, though that isn't compulsory. If the weather is good enough, we take a short walk up the road to shoot outdoors. My preference is always to shoot outdoors, the light is soft and flattering and the headshot always has a more natural look. The photoshoot will last in the region of an hour and I will take around 150-250 pictures. Afterwards, I crop and tweak the photos slightly and weed out the unusable ones (where you are blinking or there is too much hair in your face) and put a contact sheet online for you (as well as email you a contact sheet as a pdf). The contact sheet will contain 75-150 photos (depending on how many I need to cull) and usually goes up within a day. Then you choose your favourite images (a maximum of 6 is included) and I will retouch the images and email you both large, high-resolution files (that you can have printed) and smaller, compressed files that you can attach to a casting email. You can also download these final images from your online contact sheet.

How much does it all cost?
Please see the pricing section for the most up-to-date information, or sign up to our Special Offers mailing list for discounts and promotions. For repro pricing see www.pelinorrepros.com

What should I bring?
You can bring a selection of tops if you like, though note that we'll probably be outside during the shoot. Think about the neckline that will be visible in the headshot. Darker colours are often better, especially if you have pale skin and not too stripey or with busy patterns. Girls should bring some makeup (or apply before you come), but keep it natural looking and bring a compact and powder just in case. If it's cold I will probably have some gloves in my bag, but it's safer to bring your own.

What is my motivation?
During the shoot you should think of the emotions you are trying to convey. I will give you gentle direction for your positioning (if necessary), but the headshot is really about you and I won't tell you what to think or say to get a certain image; I want you to be yourself. If there's anything you want to try, don't be afraid to pipe up!

Can you retouch my headshots?
I'm very happy to retouch your chosen shots, to a point. I will remove spots and minimise bags under your eyes (from a heavy night), but a headshot does need to look like you so I won't make any drastic changes. Many of the headshots I see are obviously airbrushed or retouched and I think they look unappealing. I'm much more interested in a natural look.

What if it's raining?
Raining? In England? Okay, that's pretty likely. A few days before your session I'll check the weather forecast and if it looks like it will be raining I'll offer you the opportunity to reschedule. If you don't mind a shoot at my home studio or if the weather turns at the last minute then the session will take place indoors and I'll use studio flash to complement the natural light.

Do you use film or digital?
Digital. It just makes sense on so many levels. For example, with film, if you wanted to change the sensitivity of the shot (to match the available light) you would have to change the roll of film (in complete darkness). With digital you simply change a setting. The images can go straight onto a computer for retouching, instead of processing and scanning in the negative roll and the workflow is much faster and more efficient and if anything, the quality of the digital shots is higher in the long run.

Do you shoot in black and white or colour?
I shoot in a camera mode called RAW, which records all of the sensor data from the camera and is the highest quality setting available. There is no image compression when shooting. This also means that all images are available to me as colour, so if you need a headshot for the States or for presenting work, you have the option of a colour headshot. Since all shots are archived, you can call me in the future and ask for a colour version of your favourite headshot.

Can I share a session?
No. The best images during a shoot are usually taken near the end, when you've had some time to relax and get used to a camera in your face. If you (or I) are distracted by someone else, or we don't have the time to get you relaxed enough for a natural-looking headshot, the session would be a waste of your money.

Can I order other shots in the future?
All of the images on the contact sheet are archived so you can order any of them in the future, even in colour.