A head shot or headshot is a modern (usually digital) portrait whose focus is on the person. The term is applied usually to professional profile images on social media. These images are also used on online dating profiles, about us pages, or corporate websites. Promotional pictures of actors, models, and authors are also commonplace online.
We offer both Natural light and studio lit commercial and theatrical headshots from our Liverpool Studio. This is ideal for actors, actresses, presenters, and all types of performers & business professionals.
Our efficient and flexible studio setup allows us to have numerous backdrops set up simultaneously. This means we can work pretty quickly and without pausing during your session. Sessions can run from 45 minutes to 2 hours, and within that time, we can usually offer images from a choice of over 100 shots.
When it comes to producing a high-quality headshot that stands out from the crowd, you need the help of a professional photographer, experienced in working with people both in-studio and on location. We take the time to understand the reason for your headshot session and what you are looking to achieve. More importantly, what you want your images to say on your behalf.
If you are looking to get noticed with your professional images or corporate photography and are based in Liverpool, Manchester, Cheshire and the North-west - we can help.
"I had a wonderful photography experience with Leon. Very professional and I would highly recommend for anyone who needs beautiful head shots.." - Jennifer Hayashi Danns, Author
Not at all, we don’t just provide professional headshots for business and commercial customers. On a daily basis we are the photographer for headshots provided to actors, authors, singers, entertainers, youtubers, lecturers, academics and doctors. We also provide many pictures that get used by our clients on their social media and dating profile pages. So next time you are searching for a “photographer for headshots near me” remember they are not exclusively for professionals. We aim to provide you with a selection of top-quality professional headshots that will give you confidence. They will also help you get the foot in the door, in front of a casting director or for your agent to use to represent you. A good headshot can open doors, create an expectation and tell a story. If you don’t have an image, you may be missing out on work and opportunities. You may never get the break you feel you deserve, no matter how good you are.
We aim to help you capture the emotion, set the mood and have some fun along the way. Your headshot needs to look like you, maybe several versions of you. As mentioned before, we take plenty of shots, quite possibly more than enough, and we check them as we go along to make sure you are happy.
We often get asked if our headshots can be used on actors websites, such as Spotlight. Simply put – Yes. Headshots for an actor are pretty much all you’ve got, especially if you have not met the casting director before. Often, casting directors to get to see 48-96 thumbnail images per page, so the headshots need to stand out, and more importantly – look like the individual and be current.
Usually, it works better to have several images, but not too many – each showing a slight change in brightness or personality without coming across as too staged. Its often thought more than ten is too many, but less than 2 is too few – with the average being 4-6 in total.
At our headshot sessions, we’re often asked if we can retouch images to make them look better. The answer is always YES! Depending on the subject and purpose of the image, we can fix anything from stray hairs to skin blemishes.
We also offer minor skin retouching, natural tone adjustment and colour correction services for all images. Usually, if a imperfection is not visible in six months’ time, we will “fix it” during the editing process.
However, we only provide edited work because handing out unretouched images could mean that they are later edited in a style inconsistent or inferior to our own process.
"There is no strict rule that dictates the ideal colour in a headshot, sometimes we end up shooting with a few different options and see what works" - Leon Britton
Studio backgrounds are the most typical headshot background you’ll see online. These backgrounds are usually white, grey, or black. Headshots with solid coloured backgrounds are perfect for your most professional aspects of work and online presence.
However, there is now a trend increasing in popularity where clients are choosing to break away traditions and bring elements of their personality or brand to the shoot by choosing different styles or colours of backgrounds.
Generally though for a headshot a simple or plain background works well as it allows the subject to remain the primary focus of the image.
See the Backdrop Page for full examples
The simple answer is YES.
We offer professional business and corporate headshot sessions. We will discuss your needs and work together to get the results you are looking for. We may schedule a visit to check there is sufficient space to set up a session at your location and discuss the appropriate colours for backdrops.
Similarly to our studio sessions, we price in two halves, a setup fee followed by a session fee. Our prices allow for up to 10 or 25 subjects respectively. We will capture several images of each subject, which will be uploaded to a private client gallery for final selection. We professionally edit selected pictures before sending them digitally via secure file transfer service. For more information on pricing, please see our pricing page on the website
Make the right choice for your actor's headshots with our inventive, professional, relaxed sessions, creating the best in Actors, Performers, and Corporate Business Headshot Photography.
For some actors and professionals, having their headshot captured has the potential to be an extremely nerve-racking experience. Most actors, performers, and professionals move on stage and screen before a camera or an audience. Sometimes though, being in front of a stills camera is a whole new experience.
As soon as you arrive for your headshot session at our Liverpool Studio, we will have an informal chat about what you're looking to achieve and the type of images you are looking for. After that, we allow plenty of time for us to work together on creating your headshots. After a few test shots, we start working with various backgrounds, lighting, and locations to give you multiple choices. This allows you to see how we work and what works best for you.
Clothing and hairstyles can be changed whenever you wish within your session. We will share some of the images as we go along to give an idea of what is going on during the shoot.
Throughout the shoot, we will aim to get as many different looks as we can, with extra clothes, different hairstyles, styles, characters and emotions.
How much are headshots?
Full details of all our pricing, including headshots, portraits and weddings can be found on our Pricing Page
Is a headshot the same as a portrait?
It is pretty understandable to ask the difference between a headshot and a portrait. Whilst the terms are used interchangeably, there are differences. In the easiest of words, a professional headshot is a type of portrait. A professional headshot is a tightly cropped photo of the face from the shoulders up. Usually, the subject is ‘camera aware’ and looking right into the lens. This type of picture aims to get you noticed. A portrait is essentially any image where the subject is aware of the camera even if they are not looking directly at it.
Are actors headshots the same as corporate headshots?
No. Headshots for actors, musical theatre cast and entertainers / performers are specifically tailored to ensure they show different aspects of an individuals personality. Corporate, business headshots and branded imaging tend to focus on a single message or core theme.
What are the options available?
Even though we can tailor all of our services, sometimes it’s easier to select an off-the-shelf option. We usually take between 100 and 400 images, with a quick review is available during the studio session as we go along.
These are then uploaded to a private online gallery allowing you to choose your final images then. These are then edited, ensuring we get the best from each image selected, according to the purpose of the photo. Your final shots are then emailed across via a secure download link. Packages available include black and white options, full colour, studio shoots or outside. In addition, we are able to amend or customise each of our services to ensure they are tailored to your needs wherever possible. We pride ourselves not only on being able to help you choose what to wear but also on how to pose to get the best results. They say that an image speaks a thousand words, and when it comes to giving that right first impression – a fantastic headshot speaks for itself.
We have a lot of other pages on this site full of useful information for your headshot and portrait sessions. If you can’t find an answer to your question, dont’t hesitate to send us a message
We understand there are many other Liverpool Photographers out there offering a professional headshot service. Many of them are fantastic at what they do, each offering exemplary images to their clients.
Here are a couple of reasons why we may be worth considering when looking at Leon Britton Photography to provide your professional headshots:
- Our spacious studio/shooting space is located within the Secret Warehouse, Liverpool L20.
- There is plenty of 'free' street parking available nearby.
- Local transport links and the nearest train station (Bank Hall) are only a few minutes away.
- For each headshot session, we set up a minimum of 5 different indoor background options simultaneously.
- Multiple and mobile lighting options in the studio mean we can go from scene to scene with no delay.
- The Studio shooting area is covered by CCTV, allowing peace of mind at all times for all parties.
You might be asking, what if I don't know how to pose for a headshot? Being honest - very few people actually do as it not something we tend to do every day. We will lead you every step of the way with helpful guides and prompts to ensure we get the best out of your headshot photography session.
By reading this, it’s already apparent that you are serious about updating or refreshing your professional images.
Please take a look at the images on this site and on my social media. This will give you an indication of the style of images i am able to achieve from a headshot photo session. I shoot in a variety of styles and have many different photographic backgrounds we can use. If you like what you see, or are keen to pursue a particular style of shot you have seen on my site, let me know. Making sure you get the Headshot photo you want is my number one priority, and I need to understand what you are looking to achieve prior to photo shoot day.
For individuals, our fully equipped Liverpool photo is able to offer a comprehensive head shots service with sessions running on average between 45 minutes and 2 hours. The studio is located within the wonderful Secret Warehouse with ample parking and close links to local transport.
For our business and commercial clients we are able to offer professional headshots on location subject to discussion. This allows us to offer a commercial headshot session for example to a company looking to update their staff headshots, but are logistically unable to release them off-site, or the volume of numbers renders it impractical. Our usual area of operation is Liverpool, Merseyside and the surrounding areas including Greater Manchester, however we are not limited to this area.
On this site I have put a headshot questions and answers page that can hopefully answer questions like:
and if there is anything i have missed, please drop me a line and let me know.
If you’re looking for workplace or on-location headshot sessions for you and your team, take a look at our Professional headshots and pricing page for more information
Getting in touch should always be easy, and we will always come back to you ASAP
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