Steven Paul Studio

10/08/2026

Your headshot session goes faster when you make decisions before you walk in. I wrote about what to bring and what to skip. Link in the comments.

10/06/2026

Leadership headshots, shot on site. I set up my background and lighting at the Building Industry Association and photographed several of their leadership members. One wasn't sure she wanted to show her teeth. She wanted to look confident and strong, not overly friendly. We talked, I quoted some stupid movie, and she gave me this grin. She saw it on screen right away and really liked it. When did your team last update its headshots?

09/29/2026

If you're updating headshots for your team or company website, you'll run into glasses. Clients should recognize your people when they finally meet them, so photograph them as they actually show up to work. The latest post explains why glasses belong in the photo and how we handle reflections on set.

This question usually comes up in the last few minutes before a session starts, almost as an afterthought. Sometimes it’s about glare. Sometimes it’s an assumption that glasses read as less polished. Underneath both concerns is a simpler question that actually deserves the first answer: if a cli...

09/24/2026

If your company is planning team headshots, wardrobe is worth discussing before shoot day. A leadership or team page works best when everyone looks like they belong to the same company while still looking like themselves, and that starts with what people wear. Solid colors, good fit, and clothing that reflects how your team actually shows up for work will do more for consistency than asking everyone to buy something new.

I put together a short guide on what photographs well and what to avoid, and it's worth sharing with your team before your next session.

This is almost always the first practical question a client asks, and it’s usually followed by an offer to go buy something new for the occasion. Before anyone shops, it’s worth answering a different question first: not what looks good on camera in the abstract, but what already looks like you.

09/22/2026

A stiff, over-posed photo reads as manufactured, and viewers pick up on that even when they can't say why. That's true for headshots, but the same principle applies to any portrait meant to build trust in a brand or business. I broke down what separates a natural-looking portrait from a posed one, and why that difference matters more than people think when a photo represents someone professionally.

Look at enough professional photos, and you start noticing the difference between two categories: photos where someone is clearly holding a pose, and photos where someone looks like they’re mid-conversation. The technical setup behind both can be nearly identical — same lighting, same camera, sa...

09/03/2026

New on the blog: how to plan a commercial photo shoot so the day delivers what your business actually needs. This post breaks down how to define your deliverables before booking a date, build a shot list that prioritizes what matters most, choose between a studio, your own space, or a rented location, coordinate wardrobe and crew, and make early decisions that protect your budget when the schedule is tight. If you're planning a business shoot, this is the groundwork worth doing first. Read the full post on the blog.

Plan it backward. Start with what you need when it’s finished, then work backward to what has to happen to create it—not the other way around.

08/27/2026

Have you ever wondered what a photo shoot actually costs?

I wrote a blog post breaking down what actually drives the price, from a simple single-location shoot all the way up to a multi-location production with video and models. If you’ve got a project in mind and want to understand what goes into the number, this should help:

Happy to answer questions if you’re thinking through a shoot for your business.

Ask three photographers what a shoot costs and you’ll get three different numbers. That’s not because one is overpriced — they’re usually pricing three different productions.

08/21/2026

Why a Smartphone Selfie Can’t Replace a Professional Headshot

The camera in your pocket is genuinely excellent. That's not really in question. What's in question is whether an "excellent camera" is what's standing between your current photo and a photo that makes someone want to work with you — and it isn't. The gap between a good phone photo and a professional headshot has almost nothing to do with resolution....

The camera in your pocket is genuinely excellent. That’s not really in question. What’s in question is whether an “excellent camera” is what’s standing between your cu…

08/20/2026

New blog post talking about confidence during a professional headshot session. Presenting yourself correctly changes how people interact with you, especially if they've met you online first. Take a moment to read this and learn a few things that will help you understand how the images you post affect you and your business brand.

Almost every client tells me the same thing before we’ve even scheduled a date: they’ll book once they feel ready. Once the promotion is official. Once they’ve lost the weight, fi…