Featured Photos - January 2022

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From professionals starting anew to fun photos of some longtime favorites, we’ve enjoyed a wide variety of sessions in the month of January ‘22. Here are some of our favorite photos.

Susan, Starting Anew

After a career as a successful attorney, Susan wanted new pictures for her social and professional profiles, images that reflect a new chapter in her life. “I really like how natural these pictures are, wrinkles and all,” she told us ivia email. “These images do just what I hoped for -- they portray me as a more polished, but definitely older (yet still vibrant) version of myself.” Case closed!

Harley and Casey, Polished

Did someone say January was Handsome Guy Headshot Month? It was at our studio. Harley, on the left, is a longtime friend who came to the studio to refresh his portfolio. Casey, who’s a professional nurse, is reviving his love of musical theater, starting with a wonderful set of new headshots.

Piper, In Living Color

Taking pictures of Piper is less like doing work than going to a show. Something WILL happen and it’ll be fun. These images, taken for ZTA are some of our favorite kids portfolio pix of all time.

Jamie, Naturally

It’s no secret Jamie Mack is one of our favorite people to photograph. Her creativity, professionalism and free spirit show in each and every frame. And, in case you didn’t know it, she’s a singer along with being a model, actor and dancer. Dig it.

Lila and Ella, Rockstars

Our kids sing and dance and act and swim and make music. Even when they’re not making music, they look like rockstars, which is what our yearly Rockstar Sessions are all about.

Featured Photos - December 2021

We wrapped 2021 with an eclectic mix of sessions, from jazz swingers to opera singers, kids to adults, at home in our studio and away in LA with friends old and new. Here’s a sample of what we made.

Lizzie, Happily

This Texas transplant, who recently signed with The Option Agency, is a talented signer, dancer, actor and all-around sweetheart. All the charm you see here is what she brought to every minute of her session.

Antone, The Renaissance Man

Every session we do with Antone shows us a different side of his personality. This session, to update his modeling portfolio and promote his newest musical release, combines the ring-a-ding-ding romance of the Rat Pack with the class of Mel Torme and Bobby Darin.

Kyra, Stunningly

One of our most cherished friends, Kyra has been a client since we started this adventure almost a decade ago. Though it’s been a minute since we last worked together, it was like we’d just seen each other yesterday. This gorgeous image was created in downtown Los Angeles.

Emory, Bringing the Love

Charmer. Gem. Sweetheart. What else can we say?

Shawnte, Handsomely

This handsome actor, model and entrepreneur happens to be Emory’s dad. Wonderful kids seem to come from wonderful parents, don’t they?

Laura, Professionally

Personal branding is essential to professional success and a great headshot is a key element in telling your story and selling your services. This headshot of vocal coach and singer Laura Thoreson is the perfect blend of openness and professionalism, exactly what she needed for her new website. PS: We know from experience — our daughter studies with her — there isn’t a better voice teach in the PNW.

Michael Verity is a Portland-based photographer specializing in professional headshots, modeling portfolios and fashion editorial photography. The husband of an acting coach and father of two young adult actors, he’s been photographing successful actors, creatives and business professionals for more than a decade.

See our Top 21 of 2021

6 Favorite Records of 2021

Before I was a photographer I was a freelance music journalist who covered every kind of music on the planet. When I started doing photography full-time seven years ago, it was cool to retire from my music writing career. Do you know how nice it was to listen to an album and not have to come up with an opinion about it?

Years later, I’m still a music junkie and, because I spend a whole lot of time in front of a computer, editing pictures, I get to listen to a lot of albums. A LOT of albums. Like 2 or 3 a day, on average.

Though I no longer have to come up with an opinion as my job, like anyone, my opinions still happen naturally and I have my favorites. So here are my 6 favorite records of 2021, along with the brief notes I might have made as I listened.

Strawberry Mansion - Langhorne Slim

My highest rated album of the year (4.5 on a scale of 5) oddly has no notes attached to it. I was probably busy listening and not thinking, which is the best way to go. For certain, there’s a hopeful spirit about this record that transcends the words and music. (If you’d like to read an interview I did with Slim — aka Sean Scolnick — you can check one out here.)

Todd Snider - First Agnostic Church of Hope and Wonder

The time I first listened, all I said was “I love it,” probably because it’s all soul and funk and acoustic guitars. If I understand correctly, this was inspired by a series of Sunday morning online concerts that Snider did during lockdown (and the spirit shows).

Dave Alvin - From An Old Guitar (Rare and Unreleased Tracks)

“Rare and unreleased” can mean true gems or pure garbage (hence the reason why they were unreleased). In this case, it’s the former that happens here. And you gotta love the guy’s voice.

Tom Jones - Surrounded By Time

Yes, Tom Jones is still alive (he’s 81 years old) and he’s still recording (this is his 41st album) and it went to #1 in the UK, making him the oldest legitimate pop star on the planet. And, to be honest, he sounds AMAZING. My original notes summed it up": “Tom’s a dude.”

Amethyst Kiah - Wary + Strange

I came to this album late in the game — just a few weeks ago, in fact — and though I didn’t rate it as numerically high as others, it probably deserves a 5 out of 5. It’s that good. Or, as I said at the time: “Wow.”

Allison Russell - Outside Child

Pure magic. ‘Nuf said.

Runner’s Up

(aka albums released in 2020 that I just go to this year)

Waylon Payne - Blue Eyes, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pusher and Me

Herman Dune - Notes from Vinegar Hill

Bonny Light Horsemen - Bonny Light Horsemen (probably the best album I’ve heard in the past 4 years)

Justen Farren - Pretty Free

John Craigie - Asterisk The Universe

Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways

Here’s a little sampler playlist

5 Books That Inspired Us in 2021

I’m a massive reader — non-fiction, please — and an addictive collector of books about art and photography. There are always a few that rise to the top and rank among the most inspiring books I’ve read over the previous 12 months. Here they are.

Natasja in Colares

Lachlan Bailey

If I have the story straight, world-renowned photographer Lachlan Bailey and model Natasja Madsen found themselves simultaneously quarantined in the (not-so-horrible) confines of Colares, Portugal.

With the help of Erik Torstensson, co-founder of FRAME clothing, the pair spent a few days at a rented villa, creating the remarkable photos that inhabit this book. While shooting the stars for Vanity Fair and Vogue may be out of my reach, the work in this book reminds me great pictures are always attainable. They don’t require a team of 20 stylists, just the right people, the right place and the right attitude.

The original print run of 2000 — with proceeds to benefit Wildlife Victoria — sold out almost immediately but it looks like a second run is available at the FRAME website.

It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be

Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite

Paul Arden

I discovered “It’s Not How Good You Want to Be …” at Chelsea Books in NYC but, as I was trying to travel light, I didn’t buy it until I got home. Thanks to Amazon, I found “Whatever You Think …” and it’s turned out to be my favorite of the two. No matter though: you can read both in the span of an hour and return for nuggets of wisdom here and there.

My favorite part is page 81 of Whatever You Think …”, wherein Arden talks about reviewing the portfolios of photographers seeking commissions. He said 99% of the work was of a high standard but 98% seemed like something he’d seen before. The two percent that stood out, he said, did so because they had a point of view that was uniquely their own. “These were often difficult people,” he writes, “almost unemployable because you couldn’t tell them what to do. Sometimes it went wrong.” he added, “Sometimes it didn’t. When it didn’t go wrong it more than made for the times it did.”

A great book for anybody who lives a creative life, which is all of us.

Erwin Olaf

I’d never heard of Erwin Olaf before I set about spending my life’s savings this past fall at The Strand bookstore in New York. This is a case where the book was definitely sold by its cover. I’m fascinated that an ordinary (albeit beautiful) girl doing something as simple as sitting with a glass of milk can have such otherworldly qualities. (She looks like an insect, her wings the sofa and her dress.)

ONE + ONE = THREE

Dave Trott

Obviously one plus one equals two. What else could it be? Well, that’s what this book is all about.

Creating Photographs

Albert Watson

This book is actually a condensed transcript of key points from Watson’s Masters of Photography class. The video is better, of course, but it’s also 10X the cost of this book, which is just $14.95. It’s also nice to have the words in front of you, especially when there isn’t a device on which to watch a video (like when you’re on holiday at the North Pole, the only place left without wi-fi). The site also has classes by Steve McCurry and Joel Meyerowitz, a couple other guys who knew what they were doing.

Runners’ Up

Nadav Kander - The Meeting

Craig McDean - Amber, Guinevere and Kate

The last several of Homme Girls magazine

21 for 21: Our Favorite Photos of the Year

Thank you for an amazing year. Here are our favorite images from 2021.

21. Chloe and Kate helped us launch our newest event, Classic Portraits, this past November.

20. When we launched our new Retro Session event, beautiful Miss Mallorie was the first person we wanted to photograph.

19. Dancer and all around talented guy John A. Mays relaxes on set during his recent portfolio session.

18. One of our favorite places is the coast and one of our favorite kids is Piper. So that’s easy math.

17. We were at a transit stop in Phoenix but we felt like we were with Makena at a Paris train station for the wonderful portfolio image.

16. We liked this picture of Ja’Bryce so much we put it on our home page (and we’re planning to keep it that way).

15. One of several dozen pictures we could have included of Hannah, this homage to Marilyn Monroe is certainly among our favorites.

14. A perennial pair of favorites at our annual Rockstar Sessions, these kids have just the right amount of rock and roll attitude.

13. When kids are in front of the camera, we’re in our wheelhouse. Milo’s portfolio session this past summer was our first of what we hope will be many together.

11. Ella’s a big fan of our studio sessions and we’re a big fan of how she rocked this classic pose in a classic black sweater.

10. Avery’s a really cool kid who doesn’t think about how cool he is which makes him even cooler. We did this shot at our debut Retro Session.

9. We couldn’t decide which of these beach images of Eva we like best so ….

8. Same two girls, two different moods, both equally beautiful.

7. What can we say? One of the most beautiful faces we’ve ever seen, owned by one of the most humble people we’ve ever met. You can see more of Claire on our teen modeling page.

6. This picture of Kyra was actually taken just a few days ago and immediately jumped into our Top 10. Kyra was one of our very first clients way back when I was a baby photographer (and she was just a kid) so every time I work with her it’s a moment to be cherished.

5. These two images of Kloe, taken at the Arch Cape beach over the summer, could have easily been our top 2 images of the year.

5. This wonderful image of Jamie, created in collaboration with Alisa Powell Tetreault at Most Everything Vintage helped us launch our Vintage Hollywood series.

3. This wonderful portfolio image of LA-based singer Samantha Gangal and LA-based model Madi Hazelhurst was captured at an amusement park in Newport Beach and never fails to make us smile.

  1. One of our favorites faces at one of our favorite places.

Credits

When Mother Nature wasn’t doing her thing, hair and makeup (for most everyone on this page) was done by my bestie, Karina Talaro. Hair and makeup for Makena by James Matthew. Hair and makeup for Samantha and Madi by Christine Hazelhurst. Hannah did her own makeup for the Marilyn Monroe session. Clothing styled by various combinations of Carson Verity, Claire Verity and Michael Verity

Our Senior Session with Sidney, Music Lover and Kiss Fan

 

Though I don’t advertise myself as a senior portrait photographer, I do the occasional senior session by request (more so lately as many of my earliest child model clients turn into high school seniors). My session this past weekend with my new friend, Sidney, has me thinking I might like to do more.

We started by dancing in between the raindrops of the PNW, November-style, to capture some shots of Sidney cozied-up in her favorite sweater. You wouldn’t know it from her smile but, in the first picture, we actually wedged ourselves between some industrial sized air conditioners to escape the wind and rain. 

It was Sidney’s idea to shoot in a record shop and my idea to do it at 1709Records in downtown Vancouver, WA where Mikki, the owner was totally welcoming, supportive and enthusiastic.

I learned that Sidney is a major Kiss fan (Paul Stanley, preferred) and she learned (from me, a fountain of music trivia) that Peter Criss was laying flat on his back when he recorded vocals for “Beth.”

Big surprise: I also learned I can’t walk out of a record store empty handed — even though I have, literally, thousands of vinyls in my studio. Sunday’s haul was Stephen Stills classic ’76 long player, Illegal Stills; Duo-Glide, the 1978 follow-up to Sanford Townshend Band’s “Smoke From A Distant Fire;” and a repackaged version of the first album by The Raspberries. Check below for a little sampler and hit me up if you need some senior pix.

The Studio Sessions, Season 6

 
 
 

Classic Portraits

Season 6 of The Studio Sessions opens this Saturday with Classic Portraits. Inspired by Rembrandt and Vermeer and updated for today, our Classic Portrait sessions capture the soul of our subject in a timeless fashion.

 
 
 

Fun & Fashion

Speaking of fashion, our longest running studio session, Fun & Fashion, returns in 2022 with all new looks but the same abundance of smiles. Contemporary and colorful, Fun & Fashion is great for kids (and teens and fun-loving adults, too) looking for a quick portfolio update or just to have a good time in front of the camera.

 
 
 

The Retro Sessions

Launched in 2021 and continuing in the spring of 2022, The Retro Sessions pays homage to the classic photography of the 60s, 70s and 80s, styled with a modern twist. Like all our sessions, Retro works for kids of all ages.

 
 
 

The Rockstar Sessions

Our second-longest running and, by far, most popular studio event, The Rockstar Sessions, is about everything we love: music, fashion, beauty and, sometimes, guitars.

 
 
 

Vintage Hollywood

Inspired by vintage Hollywood promotional photos from the 30s and 40s, our Vintage Hollywood Sessions, created in collaboration with Most Everything Vintage in Vancouver, are a truly special event.

 

Credits

Models (top to bottom): Mya Jett, Olivia Heinrichs, Grace Leasure, Kylie Kimball and Jamie Mack

Hair and Makeup (Mya, Grace, Kylie and Jamie): Karina Talaro

Hair and Makeup (Olivia): Becca Olmstead

Wardrobe Design: Carson Verity

Vintage Hollywood wardrobe provided by Most Everything Vintage

Michael Verity is a Portland-based photographer specializing in professional headshots, modeling portfolios and fashion editorial photography. The husband of an acting coach and father of two young adult actors, he’s been photographing successful actors, creatives and business professionals for more than a decade.

Featured Photos - October 2021

Some of our favorite photographs from the month of October.

Boris, The Return

Boris was one of our very first clients. We worked together for many years and in many different ways, including a session with his sister, Bela, in the Alberta neighborhood of Portland, still among my favorite shoots. Boris has grown from really cute kid to handsome young man; as always, it was a privilege to create some new images for his portfolio.

Kerry, Fresh Faced

Though not new to being photographed, Kerry arrived at our studio new to us and new to the process of doing headshots. It took a few minutes but, like a true professional, she locked into the session with ease and charm and delivered some fabulous shots.

Michaela, Ready For The Next

Michaela is another longtime friend who has worked with us off and on for many years. This time around it was a portfolio session that combined headshots, for her acting and singing career, and senior pictures, just for fun. I love this picture; it captures perfectly the wit and intelligence of this talented young performer.

John, Magically

Speaking of talented performers, this guy — dancer, actor, YouTube content dude — John A. Mays just oozes talent. This picture, one of a few thousand frames we snapped of this kinetic young performer, beautifully embodies the life of a dancer, at rest but always in motion.

Cortney, Beautifully

This stunning young actress, who came to us thought Studio Northwest, was so relaxed in front of the camera you’d think she’d done a thousand headshot sessions when, in fact, this was her first time. And as I recall, this is one of the first frames we shot.

Mya, Colorfully

What can we say about Miss Mya V? Every time we work with her, which has been many times over the last 5 years, we are stunned by her beauty and amazed by her growth as a model. Truly one of the sweetest people we know, she is a gem through and through.

Hair and makeup (Kerry, Michaela, Cortney and Mya) by Karina Talaro

Mya’s wardrobe by Carson Verity

Michael Verity is a Portland-based photographer specializing in professional headshots, modeling portfolios and fashion editorial photography. The husband of an acting coach and father of two young adult actors, he’s been photographing successful actors, creatives and business professionals for more than a decade.

See last months Featured Photos

Shooting Stars: Kloe Armstrong

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Beach Kloe Armstrong black and white

Shoot Title: Kloe Armstrong

Inspiration: This editorial story was inspired by the famous fashion photographer, Peter Lindbergh. It’s based on a behind-the-scenes video called Ault that was filmed for Vogue magazine in 2014 and features the beautiful models Mariacarla Boscono and Sharon Cohendy.

We traveled to one of Kloe’s favorite places, Arch Cape, OR, with the idea of capturing the same cloudy, misty feeling of Lindbergh’s video. Mother Nature, however, had other ideas. By the time we arrived, the sun was out in full force and the cove was full of surfers.

So our dark and desolate editorial story (originally titled Andata, Italian for “gone”) became a brighter and shinier story named Kloe Armstrong, a simple document of a beautiful person in her favorite place.

How many shoots we’ve done together: at least 10, with two more scheduled for this winter.

Time of year: Fall

Location: Arch Cape, Oregon

Shoot music: The ocean

Shoot munchies: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Most unexpected turn: The sunny weather. (It’s the Pacific Northwest. We expect gloom.)

Kloe’s favorite part of the day: “The atmosphere that we created was absolutely inspiring, especially when it came to really being in that role. I loved the creativity and fun that we were able to incorporate!”

My favorite part of the day: “About 30 minutes before we finished, I watched Kloe’s approach to the camera elevated to a whole new level. Beautiful pictures are great. Seeing greater confidence in the young people with whom I work is even better.”

Camera: Sony A7rIII

Lens: Sigma 105mm f1.4

Propers: Carson Verity, who helped design the initial wardrobe direction; Danielle Armstrong, who made the wardrobe happen (along with providing the peanut butter cups :) and Claire Verity, my always supportive sidekick.

Michael Verity is a Portland-based photographer specializing in professional headshots, modeling portfolios and fashion editorial photography. The husband of an acting coach and father of two young adult actors, he’s been photographing successful actors, creatives and business professionals for more than a decade.

Featured Photos - September 2021

Some of our favorite photographs from the month of September.

Max, Stoically

Even though we spent some time on vacation in September, we still managed to take a whole bunch of pictures. This young man, for whom we did a first portfolio, is quite the charmer: intelligent, inquisitive, talkative and, as you can see, stunningly photogenic.

Nicolette, Enthusiastically

If they gave out Oscars for positive energy and good vibrations, this woman would be a perennial winner. This image, from her second headshot session with us, pretty much tells her story to a “T” (which is what we want from a headshot, isn’t it?)

Carson, Just Like That

This picture was taken in about 10 minutes, in an alley behind a restaurant in Great Neck, NY, about 6 hours after Hurricane Ida came through and dumped 8” of rain on the city in about 4 hours. So great images really aren’t about the 10 minutes spent pushing the button; they’re about the 10,000 hours spent learning how to push the button.

Evie, Perfectly

There’s nothing better than working with a kid who’s a true pro and Evie’s a professional in every sense of the word. Herein I reminded her that portfolio work is about the clothing and she created a picture worthy of a hundred catalogs and a thousand sweaters.

Irie, Collegially

In the super competitive world of college applications, a great essay and stellar grades aren’t enough. Every application benefits from having a top quality professional headshot attached to your docket. Enough said.

Irie’s hair and makeup by Karina Talaro

Michael Verity is a Portland-based photographer specializing in professional headshots, modeling portfolios and fashion editorial photography. The husband of an acting coach and father of two young adult actors, he’s been photographing successful actors, creatives and business professionals for more than a decade.

See last months Featured Photos

Shooting Stars: American Beauty

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_DSC5634-Edit - Jamie - (c) 2021 Michael Verity Photography. All Rights Reserved.jpg


Shoot Title: American Beauty

Inspiration: It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of Ralph Lauren, from the rugged style of his designs to the beautiful photography that appears in his advertisements. I’m also a huge fan of Jamie Mack, with whom I’ve worked several times. It’s been a year, at least, since I had the vision of shooting her in the RL style and, finally, this fall we made it happen.

Model: Jamie Mack

How many shoots we’ve done together: 8, dating back to our first headshot session in February 2019

Time of year: Fall

Location: Jamie’s family property (along with the lovely barn at their down-the road-neighbors) in rural Oregon.

Purpose of the shoot: To fulfill my vision and make some amazing pictures of one of my favorite models.

Shoot music: Just the quiet of nature, actually, and the sound of laughter and conversation.

Shoot munchies: Bananas and Bubly, ‘cuz energy and hydration.

Most unexpected turn: After shooting the first two looks at Jamie’s property we drove down the road and finished the last three outfits at their neighbors farm. I had no idea the space was so beautiful or that they would be so accommodating. 

Jamie’s favorite part of the day: The team manages to find pieces and locations that are unique in and of themselves, and once everything comes together the vision combines perfectly. It is always jovial to surround your self with people who are passionate about the art form while complimenting each person’s contribution.

My favorite part of the day: I can’t really narrow it down, to be honest. My wife and sidekick and fashion editor, Claire Verity, did an amazing job of putting together the wardrobe. Alysa Powell-Tetreault of Most Everything Vintage in Vancouver contributed some wonderful vintage items and, as usual, Karina Talaro rocked the hair and makeup looks. And it goes without saying — just look at the pictures — that Jamie is beyond beautiful.

Camera: Sony A7rIII

Lens: Sigma 105mm f1.4 and Canon 85mm f1.8.

Favorite shoot hack: With the exception of the plaid dress, everything in this session was shot at ISO 800 to get that softer, granier feel that comes with a more sensitive film (sensor) setting. There was a time when ISO 800 was to be avoided — there was just too much digital noise — but most cameras these days shoot beautifully at that setting. We also debuted an 8’ x 8’ scrim by Glide Gear which, while a little unwieldy at times, provided a big, bright and gorgeous soft light. The picture at the very bottom of this article was shot with the scrim, camera right.

_DSC7240-Edit - Jamie - (c) 2021 Michael Verity Photography. All Rights Reserved.jpg

Michael Verity is a Portland-based photographer specializing in professional headshots, modeling portfolios and fashion editorial photography. The husband of an acting coach and father of two young adult actors, he’s been photographing successful actors, creatives and business professionals for more than a decade.

3 Great Kids Headshot Looks

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_DSC7239-Edit - Chloe Lee - (c) 2021 Michael Verity Photography. All Rights Reserved.jpg

Pretty In Pink

For those who’ve talked with us about our clothing preferences for kids headshots, the fact we’re headlining this article with a look that’s decidedly pink might come as a surprise. Never fear: we’ve not suddenly become purveyors of all portraits pink. It’s usually too bright, too loud and too overwhelming for most complexions. “Pink as accent color;” that’s our mantra.

But sometimes pink is the perfect color, as you can see from this marvelous headshot we did last week for beautiful Miss Chloe. Why does it work? Because pink enhances her beautiful warm skin tone. Add a very subtle bit of makeup, an absolutely trending hairstyle (both by our bestie, Karina Talaro) and take away any background distractions and you have a great kids headshot. 

(For those who are wondering: we don’t typically include hands in headshots, either, but sometimes you just go with the flow.)

_DSC8163-Edit - Greta Van Eck - (c) 2021 Michael Verity Photography. All Rights Reserved.jpg

Classic Denim

We’re first to say a denim jacket in a kids headshot can go one of two ways: it can look completely cliched or it can look clean and classic.

In this image of lovely Miss Greta, denim over a T-shirt works perfectly. It’s a wonderfully subtle canvas that doesn’t distract us from Greta’s bright shining eyes and slightly mischievous smile. 

Karina’s less-is-more approach to hair and makeup frames her eyes smashingly and gives us a perfect snapshot of who the casting director will be booking for that new role (which is the whole point right?)

_DSC9114-Edit - Jimmy Roberts - (c) 2021 Michael Verity Photography. All Rights Reserved.jpg

Always Earth Tones

If pink’s not your style and denim is just a little too classic, you can’t go wrong with earth tones. 

The color palette we call earth tones is so broad you’ll always find a color that compliments your complexion, from a light azure (which works nicely with lighter skin tones) to evergreen (perfect for darker complexions) to this great combination of olive and maroon on Mr. Jimmy. It’s the perfect compliment to his blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair.

When All Else Fails

Still not sure what’s right for your kid? When they put on an outfit and stand in front of you, do you think: “Wow, that color looks great with her complexion” or “That shirt really makes his eyes pop?” If you do, then you’ve found your kid’s perfect headshot look.

Michael Verity is a Portland-based photographer specializing in professional headshots, modeling portfolios and fashion editorial photography. The husband of an acting coach and father of two young adult actors, he’s been photographing successful actors, creatives and business professionals for more than a decade.

Top Photo: Chloe Lee (Instagram)
Middle Photo: Greta Van Eck
Bottom Photo: Jimmy Roberts
Hair and Makeup for Chloe and Greta: Karina Talaro (Instagram)

10 Tips For Great Professional Headshots

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Whether you’re an actor trying to book a role, a business person elevating your profile or a student seeking college admission, a world-class headshot is essential to your success. Here are 10 tips you can follow to insure you get a great headshot for your business, professional or acting needs.

Jordyn Acting Headshot

Hire A Professional

Hire a trained professional who takes headshots for a living not a friend who happens to have a camera and ‘knows a little about photography.’ More simply stated: you wouldn’t ask your dentist to fix your car so don’t ask your barista to do your headshots.

Look At Lots of Pictures

Every good photographer has an online portfolio for you to review. Look at a lot of pictures from a lot of photographers and pay attention to how you feel. When you see pictures that move you, you’ve probably found your perfect photographer.

Talk On The Phone

Talking to your potential photographer on the phone will tell you a lot about the person you’ll be working with. Is the photographer happy to talk with you and answer your questions? Does he understand your business? Is he willing to give you guidance on how to get the best pictures? A short phone call will tell you a lot.

Be Open To Spending Some Money

Mind your budget but don’t cheat yourself. Remember you’re not only investing your money, you’re also investing your time and energy and that’s valuable, too. Get the best you can afford because you’re worth it.

Payton Youth Actor Headshots

Map Your Location and Plan Ahead

If you’re running late you’ll be stressed and it will show in your pictures. So map and plan.

Prepare Your Hair, Makeup and Wardrobe

If you’re doing your own styling, communicate your plans to your photographer. Even better: do your hair and makeup and wardrobe and send some  snaps so he can see your plan and offer feedback. Communication is the key.

Drink Water, Get Sleep

You need to look fresh and rested for the best results. Treat yourself like a star that you are and get plenty of rest the night before your session.

Breathe

Remember why you’re getting pictures done: to capture an authentic image of your true self that introduces you to casting directors (or potential business partners) and prompts them to think: “I’d like to meet this person.” This isn’t surgery; it’s photography. Breathe, relax and enjoy.

Communicate Where You’re At

If you’re feeling nervous, tell your photographer. You’re a team so keep the lines of communication open.

Trust The Process and Take Direction

If you’ve followed these tips, you should walk in the door trusting your photographer has a working process that will deliver great photos. Trust the process and take direction. Oh, yeah: and have fun.

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This article is based on our three-part series: How To Rock Your Headshots. You can find the full articles below:

Michael Verity is a Portland-based photographer specializing in acting and business headshots, modeling portfolios and fashion editorial photography. The husband of an acting coach and father of two young adult actors, he’s been photographing successful actors, creatives and business professionals for more than a decade.

Why do I need a great commercial headshot?

Ask this question of any agent, acting coach or casting director in the Pacific Northwest and they’ll generally say the same thing:

“You need a great commercial headshot because 90% of the work in the PNW is commercial business.”

Neal Commercial headshot - (c) 2021 Michael Verity Photography. All Rights Reserved.jpg

In other words: if you want to book jobs where the business is happening, you need to craft your marketing materials (your headshots) to fit the opportunities that are available. 

If you ask an actor if doing public service videos for government agencies was their goal when they started acting, you’ll likely hear a resounding “no.” Most actors do what they do because they were bitten by the acting bug as children, because they were attracted to the acting community as teenagers or they find acting fulfilling as adults. Seldom was the idea of doing commercials high on their list of acting goals.

Tracey Commercial headshot - (c) 2021 Michael Verity Photography. All Rights Reserved.jpg

But the plain and simple truth is that doing commercial work is often the path to scoring those dramatic roles actors dream about. Why? Because commercial work is how your team — your agent, the local casting community, the producers and directors who work on commercial and industrial projects — make their living.

If you do good commercial work (i.e., make money), your agent is more likely to go to bat for you on a theatrical project. Casting directors who know and trust you and the quality of your work will be in your corner. Producers and directors (who almost always have theatrical projects happening on the side) will keep you in mind for a role in their next film.

In other words, when you take care of your team — you kill it work doing commercial work that helps them support their families — your team will take care of you.

The moral of the story: approach every audition — especially the commercial ones — like they’re a lead in the next Marvel movie. And when you submit, make sure you have an awesome commercial headshot in your package.

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Michael Verity is a Portland-based photographer specializing in acting and business headshots, modeling portfolios and fashion editorial photography. The husband of an acting coach and father of two young adult actors, he’s been photographing successful actors for more than a decade.

Sand Castles

As you may know from last month’s Beauties at the Beach post, every year we spend a week shooting at the Oregon Coast.

This past year, we photographed 12 different kids over the course of eight days. During that time, we shot over 60,000 frames covering about 65 different outfits (and we’re still catching our breath).

Among those 12 kids was my daughter, Carson, and two of her best friends, Hannah and Amelia, who were participating in our yearly Fabulous Blondies session. We thought it would be fun to share a couple of images from Outfit #1, featuring Carson and Amelia, which we call Sand Castles.

Amelia Carson Sand Castles
Amelia Sand Castles
SandCastles Pair

Featured Photos - August 2021

Some of our favorite photographs from the month of August.

Josh, Professionally

Josh is a massage therapist who came to us for new business headshots to help grow his already thriving practice. He wanted images that looked bright and happy while maintaining an air of professionalism. So we made it happen.

Macy, Creatively

We first met Macy several years ago when she tagged along for a portfolio shoot we did with her younger brother. This past month, she stopped in front of the camera again for her senior pictures. Business school is on the horizon for Macy so she can turn her creative love for painting and dogs (we hear that!) into a successful business.

Mallorie, Magically

There’s a whole lot of love going on in this picture. We love the lights and the stripes and the shadows of the picture, we love the style of the clothes (created by the ever awesome Carson Verity) and we love the girl in the picture, who’s been a bestie since we started this whole deal so many years ago.

Weston, Spontaneously

This kid reminds me of my boy when he was this age: cheerful, polite, energetic and, as I understand it, booking some solid professional gigs. The secret behind this picture is me saying: “Hey, Weston, look over here.”

Carson, Collegially

Spoiler alert: I might get a little sentimental here. We took this picture a few days ago in what will be, for the moment, the last photo session we do for awhile. It’s a bittersweet thing, for sure. She and her brother, who started acting 15 years, are the reason why I have this career and, while I’m excited for her future adventures as a college student, I’m sad that she won’t be around for the spontaneous photo shoots that have always been one of my favorite things.

Beauties At The Beach

A sneak peek at some of the beautiful imagery we captured during our annual photo trip to the beach

Carson

Carson

Hannah

Hannah

Amelia

Amelia

Amelia and Carson

Amelia and Carson

Piper

Piper

Kyra

Kyra

Heather

Heather

Lilian

Lilian

Mya

Mya

Kloe

Kloe

Amara

Amara

Eva

Eva

Featured Photos - July 2021

Some of our favorite photographs from the month of July.

Nancy, Kindly

With businesses getting back to business, more and more professionals are reaching out for business headshots for their LinkedIn profiles, company website or personal marketing materials. Nancy came to our studio in July for this headshot, which she used as part of her campaign to become secretary of a 100,000+ member professional fraternity.

Amelia, Stunningly

July means a week at the beach and a week at the beach means a few days shooting with “The Fabulous Blondies.” While some of the original Blondies are still with us, we also invite new friends to join us for what is now a 10-year tradition. And so it was that we captured this beautiful image of Amelia.

Hannah, Always

An original “Blondie,” who’s been at the beach every summer since we started, Hannah has seen it all: hot and cold, sun and rain and all the fun that comes with it. Always the consummate professional, she’s a good friend and, as this pictures attests, a lovely person to photograph.

Avery, Powerfully

Summer isn’t just about fun and games at the beach. Sometimes it’s about fun and games in downtown Portland, where awesome athletes like Avery run about in the streets creating active sports images.

Nathan, Creatively

Not all business imagery has to be standard headshots. Nathan wants his business profile to show a little bit about him outside the office which, in this case, is the warehouse part of Portland’s Pearl District.

How To Rock Your Headshot Session, Part III

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In part one of this three part series, we talked about how to choose a headshot photographer. In part two, we discussed how to prepare for your headshot session. In this article, we talk about what to do when you arrive at your session to insure you have the most enjoyable experience and get the best results.

Kaleigh - Portland Headshots

Arrive Early

Treat your headshot session the same as you would an important audition (or, if you’re getting business headshots, an important meeting). Get there early. Better to be sitting in the parking lot reading or meditating or playing Among Us than to be dashing in the door at the last minute. GPS is your friend but sometimes friends make mistakes. Whatever GPS says, add a half hour. As my Mom used to say: “You can’t be too early but you can always be too late.”

Take A Breath

Because you’ve shown up early, you have time to take a breath and remember why you’re there: to capture an authentic image of your true self that introduces you to casting directors (or potential business partners) and prompts them to think: “I’d like to meet this person.” Getting headshots is really that simple so take a minute to center yourself and remember that.

Communicate Where You’re At

Neil Portland Headshots

If you’re nervous or stressed or otherwise distracted, say so. Then you and your photographer have a baseline from which to work. If you’re not present in the moment and you try to hide it, your pictures will tell that story. 

Trust The Process and Take Direction

If you’ve followed the advice we gave in parts one and two of this series, you should walk in the door trusting your photographer has a working process that will deliver great photos. Trust that process and be willing to take direction. You’re hiring him for his experience and expertise so get your money’s worth.

Have Fun

Remember that you’re getting headshots not having surgery. Have fun and enjoy the experience.

Michael Verity is a Portland-based photographer specializing in acting and business headshots, modeling portfolios and fashion editorial photography. The husband of an acting coach and father of two young adult actors, he’s been photographing successful actors for more than a decade.