We all have questions – let me try to answer as many as I can
- All
- Clothing
- Digital Files
- Discounts
- Lighting
- Our Process
- Purchasing
- Session: After
- Session: Before
- Session: During
Yes, RAW (Canon CR2 or CR3) files and the associated full copyright assignments are available for $1,000 per file.
To open/edit RAW files you will need a copy of Lightroom, Photoshop, Bridge, Capture One or a similar application and the necessary skills to edit and work on these files.
Yes, with a caveat. We cull the images which essentially means removing the bad and duplicate images, our aim is to not overwhelming you.
As such, we get rid of the following types of images:
- duplicates
- ‘bad’ images, i.e. where:
- your eyes are closed
- you’re blinking
- an unflattering expression
- the image is blurry
- under or over exposed and unrecoverable
What’s left is a collection of the absolute best images, with plenty of options to choose from. This is usually 15-30 images per outfit/background combination. (See the What is an Outfit? FAQ for more info.)
Yes indeed.
If you refer someone before your session, you’ll be offered:
- $100 off your session
- or 5 additional edits
- or $50 off and 2 edits
If you refer someone after, you’ll get the same options, however, the discount will apply to your next session.
Yes, there are 2 options:
- Same day bookings: come with your friend on the same day and you’ll both get a 20% discount.
We’ll run the sessions back to back so that while one of you is getting changed or in makeup, I’ll be photographing the other to maximize your time.
If 3 people book on the same day, you’ll all receive a 25% discount. - Different day bookings:
The discount starts at 15% and goes up to 30%… each.
2 people book within 30 days and you’ll get both get 15% off.
Add 5% to the discount for each additional person paying their deposit within 30 days of the first person paying.
If 5 people pay their deposits within 30 days of the first person, and quote their name, you’ll all get 30% off.- 2 people – 15% off
- 3 people – 20% off
- 4 people – 25% off
- 5 people – 30% off
Please note: if the 2nd person does not book in either scenario, the 1st person will have to pay full price.
Yes. We travel all over the country, offering group headshot sessions for schools, events and conferences.
Since these are group sessions, we discount our standard rate by 30% for each student. We do, however, only offer a 45 min and 1-hour session with the option to upgrade to 2-hours closer to the day if spaces are still available on a first come first serve basis.
How does it work?
We will come to your site with a full studios worth of equipment to give your students the full experience. Once onsite we will photograph everyone over 1 to, say 5 days, it’s up to you how long and the number of students. We can effectively accommodate up to 8 in a single day with 2 breaks.
There are 2 options for covering our travel and accommodation costs:
- The organizers pay at cost
- The students pay at cost and it is split equally between the total number of students
This is NOT an exhaustive list, if you’re unsure, just ask, almost anything is possible. Some options may be chargable.
- Different colour grading
- Enhance or lessen iris eye colour
- Remove more stray hairs (outside hairline/head)
- Remove more Criss-cross hairs (within hair)
- Remove hairs across face or clothing
- Lighten or darken hair
- Remove pimples
- Smooth background or remove something from the background
- Smooth wrinkles in clothing – basic
- Close a gap between 2 buttons
- Clean or remove something from your clothing
- Put back a mole or birthmark – the retoucher is seeing your face for the first time in a static image so might not be able to tell what is a pimple or temporary mark vs permanent
- or, if you don’t like the edit at all, completely undo edits (no one has asked for this, but know that you can)
- for an additional fee we can:
- Convert a headshot (portrait orientation) to a landscape website style photo
- a 3/4 or full-body photo is easier to convert than a tight crop
- Smooth wrinkles in clothing – advanced or very wrinkled
- Combine face from one photo with the body from another
- Convert a headshot (portrait orientation) to a landscape website style photo
The easiest way is to email me stating the total number of images you wish to purchase. I will then pro-rata the difference between what you’ve bought and the total that would be owing.
Alternatively, when you’re in the proofing gallery, top right is a cart icon where you can purchase additional sets of images, 1, 2, 4 or 9 at a time. Although a few people have stated that they’ve been unable to buy more than 1 at a time, this has been reported to the developers.
We have 2 ways to do this:
1: Please use this option if you can easily narrow your selection down to number of edits you wish to have
- I create you a proofing gallery, with say 150 images in 7 folders
- You select your favourites from the proofing gallery
- You submit your favourites back to me
- If the number you submit matches the number you’ve paid for I’ll assume you want them edited
- If the number exceeds the number you’ve paid for I’ll contact you – as you may be using option 2 below
2: Please use this option if you have 10+ favourites and can’t narrow your selection
- I create you a proofing gallery, with say 150 images in 7 folders
- You select your favourites from the proofing gallery
- You submit your favourites back to me (you MUST email or text me so I know to create the second gallery)
- I create you a second proofing gallery just your favourites
- You select your images for editing
- You submit your favourites back to me for editing
You can also use option 2 and ask us for advice on the best ones.
In 1 hour I can comfortably create 2-4 full lighting setups, however, I’ve found that 2 or 3 is the optimum number with multiple outfit changes per lighting setup.
If, however, you wanted the same lighting setup for all images, we can create slight variations, heavy or lighter shadows, or perhaps even gels in our longer 3 hour+ sessions.
Please note, and this is really important, we will never rush to try and get 4 lighting changes, if this happens organically then that’s great but it should not be assumed that it will definitely happen.
We suggest that in 1 hour we can comfortably photograph 2-3 full outfit changes with lighting changes.
If, however, you wanted the same lighting setup for all images, which has been requested, then 5, 6 or even 7 could be possible.
Please note, and this is really important, we will never rush to photography 6 outfits just because you brought 6 outfits, they will be prioritized, we will always have time for 3.
Yes, we love it when our clients return to us for more headshots. We feel so honoured that you’re trusting us again, as such, we offer a 20% discount off any package for life.
Photo proofs are lightly edited or only colour corrected images uploaded to a gallery. They are not the final creative product and may require further editing. Photo proofs simply provide you a good sense of what the images look like before final retouching.
Proofs are typically uploaded and delivered to the client within a week of the session. Once you choose your favorite images from the proofs, I will finish colour grading and my retoucher will edit them. Retouching is where the true magic happens!
Portrait or Branding looks are anything that isn’t a traditional headshot. This could be non-headshot portraits, dance, editorial, modeling, fitness, workout, etc.
Anything that helps you market yourself for your website, instagram, facebook, IMDB or Actors Access.
Maybe it’s that outfit you’ve always wanted to be photographed, or you with balloons or glitter.
We have a 2,000lb rated hard point your lyra, or our cream silks and a competition standard pole. Downstairs there is a pool table and a full gym that we can shoot in to get some fitness / workout shots.
Savage offer 54 different colours of paper backgrounds. On any given day we have 20-30 available.
Should you need a specific colour, given 48 hours notice we can get almost any colour in for $90 per roll.
When purchasing an image for editing the following options are included in the price:
-
Removal of facial shine
-
Stray hairs
-
Skin blemishes
- Braces removal
-
Whitening of teeth and eyes
-
Glass glare removal
-
Extend solid background (includes gradients)
-
Solid background replacement
The following cost extra:
- Head swap (between photos)
-
Open / close eyes ( swap eyes between photos)
- Change colour of item
- Complex background replacement (i.e. not a solid single colour)
- Add / remove people
- Remove buildings, cars, etc.
- Lens flare
- Hot spots
- Take off 10 years, 20 lbs, etc.
This might seem like a simple question, however, because we don’t restrict the number of outfits you can wear, even during a mini session*, and if you’re layering we can create a huge number of outfits from only 6 or 8 items, so it’s worth clarifying.
If you brought: (and I’m purposefully selecting clothing items that can be layered in this example)
- 2 x shirts
- 2 x sweaters
- 2 x jackets
There are 18 combinations, so, potentially 18 outfits:
- 2 shots with just the shirt
- 4 shots with the shirts and sweaters
- 4 shots with the shirts and jackets
- 8 shots with the shirts, sweaters and jackets
If you also brought 2 scarves, that number becomes a whopping 50 outfit combinations:
- 2 shots with just the shirt
- 4 shots with the shirts and scarves
- 4 shots with the shirts and sweaters
- 4 shots with the shirts and jackets
- 8 shots with shirts, sweaters and scarves
- 8 shots with shirts, scarves and jackets
- 8 shots with the shirts, sweaters and jackets
- 16 shots with the shirts, sweaters, scarves and jackets
* the number of outfits we have time for is based on keeping the session relaxed, the hair and makeup you have on and the time it takes you to comfortably get changed without rushing
After you select 1 or more images for editing, these are the notes my retoucher uses:
- SETS OF IMAGES – (i.e. set = same outfit AND same background)
- Even skin and background tones across all images in the set
- SKIN (face and body)
- Add very slight saturation
- Light natural skin smoothing – retain pores, wrinkles, texture & contrast – NO plastic or doll skin
- Even out skin tones
- Reduce glare
- Remove all blemishes (leave birthmarks and permanent skin marks, ask if unsure)
- Remove / lessen bags under eyes
- EYES / TEETH / LIPS
- Enhance eyes (iris – colour, brightness, texture)
- Whiten eyes only slightly – NO glowing whites of the eyes
- Whiten teeth slightly – NO Hollywood pure white, natural, i.e. less yellow
- Enhance lip colour, slightly (match to the overall image)
- HAIR
- Remove stray hairs outside the head
- Maintain sharpness between hair and background – NO blurring to remove stray hairs
- Clean hairs within hairline, criss-cross hairs
- Remove stray hairs on face and skin
- Remove stray hairs outside the head
- PREGNANT WOMEN
- Remove blemishes to the body, arms and legs as per face above
- Remove tiny hairs on belly / tummy to create smooth skin
- Do NOT remove the vertical stomach line
- BACKGROUNDS
- WHITE : Make white backgrounds brighter
- SOLID or TEXTURED BACKGROUNDS: Make brighter and more vibrant
- make them even across all images with same background colour
NYC Headshots
- Tone: Headshots photographed in NYC are often darker and more serious
- Range: The vast majority of agents in NYC that I work with tend to request a “general theatrical” and then a “general commercial” headshot
- Intention: In NYC agents look for headshots that make their clients stand out and get noticed by casting directors
- Market: In general NYC & LA industry professionals looking at your headshots are used to different standards and styles of photograph
This refers to the relationship between what you are wearing and the background / set.
Neutral
Black, grey, biege, brown background with any outfit
Contrasting
Yellow Top with a Blue background
Red Top with a Green background
– contrasting pinterest examples
Cohesive
Yellow Top with a Yellow background
Red Top with a Red background
LA Headshots
- Tone: L.A. the land of natural light, headshots are going to be lit as such and have a warmer tone
- Range: The L.A. market is much more specific, and agents and managers are constantly requesting that their clients get a variety of theatrical looks to satisfy their various casting breakdowns
- Intention: LA where it visually personifies a role, to let casting and representation know how a given actor is most castable
- Market: In general NYC & LA industry professionals looking at your headshots are used to different standards and styles of photograph
At the end of your session – all of your images are backed up to 3 locations (the good, the silly and the closed eyes)
We will:
- Cull your images
- (cull means to remove)
- Removing ‘bad’ images – closed eyes, blurry
- Keeping – silly & fun ones – if that is what you want
- Crop your images
- (crop means to remove unwanted areas from the image)
- Colour Grade all of the selects
- (Grading means to improve the overall appearance of the image)
- Upload your images to a ‘proofing’ gallery
- (Proofing is a process that allows you to select your favourite images for editing)
- There are 3 types of proofing galleries, ALL galleries allow favourites to be selected and submitted
- Proof only – no download available
- Proof + Download – these images are for personal use only
- Download – you have purchased the full rights to all images
Once you send your favourite images back to us for editing, we will:
- Remove the crop & send the full resolution file to our retoucher
- Removing the crop allows for different crops after retouching
- In-house quality control – send back if needed
- Mistakes happen, and it’s usually something very minor like stray hairs that were missed
- Upload to our Sign-off system (called “Design Proofs”)
- You will be sent the UNCROPPED version for sign off, I can reupload the cropped version if requested
- Within this system, you can EITHER
- Sign-off on all images OR
- Request additional edits
- If you request an edit we will repeat steps 1-3
- Once you have signed off, we will upload the full resolution JPG @ 5,120px, 300dpi, 100% quality to another ‘proofing’ download gallery on their own, often in various different crops
- please ask if you’d like a different crop
- please ask if you’d like a full-resolution TIFF
- (only available for edited images and full gallery purchases)