Everything you need to know before booking your headshot.

How much does a professional headshot session cost in Austin?

A professional headshot session at ATX Headshots in Austin costs $295 for the Studio Headshot Session (20 minutes), $395 for the Professional Session (up to one hour), or $595 for the Executive Portrait Session (two hours). Retouched images are priced separately at $125 each, or $95 each at three or more.

Most clients spend $420 to $780 in total once one to three retouched images are added to the session fee. Every price is published on the site, so there is no quote form or discovery call required to find out what a session costs.

What does each session length include?

Studio Headshot Session, $295, 20 minutes. One outfit and one background, with posing and expression coaching throughout and image review on screen during the session. Built for a single current headshot for LinkedIn or a company directory.

Professional Session, $395, up to one hour. Multiple outfits and backgrounds, optional three-quarter length frames, coaching and on-screen review throughout. This is the most common individual booking.

Executive Portrait Session, $595, two hours. Unlimited wardrobe changes, standard headshots plus seated, three-quarter, and full-length portraits, and a longer creative window. Built for founders, partners, and senior leadership who need images for board materials, press, and firm websites.

Is a deposit required to book a headshot session?

Yes. A $50 deposit secures the session date. The deposit is applied in full toward the final image purchase, so it is not an added fee on top of the session price.

The remaining session fee is paid at the session itself, and retouched images are purchased after image selection at the end of the shoot.

What does the session fee include?

The session fee covers studio time at the studio, posing and expression coaching throughout the session, and image review on a screen during the session, so a client leaves knowing exactly which frames they are getting.

Retouched images are selected and purchased separately after the session at $125 each, or $95 each at three or more.

How much does headshot retouching cost?

Retouching at ATX Headshots is $125 per image, or $95 each at three or more. There is no minimum purchase and no package to buy into. Most clients select one to three images, which covers the contexts a professional headshot is usually needed for.

Why are retouched images priced separately from the session fee?

The session fee covers studio time, lighting, and direction, the same for every client. A retouched image is a separate, finished file with full usage rights: $125 each, or $95 each at three or more. Some professionals need one image for LinkedIn. Others need a set covering a company page, a speaker bio, and press. Pricing them apart means everyone chooses after the shoot, once they can see the frames, instead of committing to a package before a single photo exists.

Where is the ATX Headshots studio located?

The ATX Headshots studio is at 600 S. Bell Blvd, Suite 7, Cedar Park, TX 78613, twenty minutes north of downtown Austin. Parking is free and on-site, and there is no shared lobby.

The studio is reachable from Leander, Round Rock, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Hutto, Lakeway, Bee Cave, and the broader Austin metro. Sessions are by appointment only.

How do I book a headshot session?

Sessions are booked online with instant confirmation, six days a week. Choose a session type, pick a date and time, pay the $50 deposit, and the booking is confirmed. A preparation email follows covering wardrobe, parking, and what to expect on the day.

Book a session online, or call the studio directly at (512) 790-8298.

How far in advance do I need to book a headshot?

Most clients book three to five days out, and there is usually availability within the same week. Windows around quarterly reviews, board meetings, and conference season fill faster. For an Executive Portrait Session, plan one to two weeks ahead.

For urgent same-week bookings, call the studio at (512) 790-8298 to check availability directly.

Who photographs my session?

Ryan Dunbar photographs every individual session at ATX Headshots. He has been a professional photographer for twenty-one years and a headshot specialist for eleven. The person in the studio is the person in the reviews.

What does a typical headshot session look like?

A session starts with wardrobe options and choosing a background that suits what the images are for. From there the session is directed frame by frame: posture, angle, and expression are coached one cue at a time, so no prior experience in front of a camera is needed.

Images come up on screen partway through so they can be reviewed together and adjusted. At the end of the session, all images are reviewed and the client selects the frames they want retouched and delivered.

What is the cancellation policy?

Cancelling with at least 48 hours notice refunds the $50 deposit in full. There are no refunds for missed appointments or cancellations inside 48 hours.

Rescheduling is accommodated with reasonable notice, and there is no penalty for rescheduling due to medical or health reasons.

What happens if I am late for my session?

Time missed by arriving late comes off the session, because the studio cannot extend into the next client's appointment. There are no refunds for time lost to a late arrival.

Austin traffic is generally light, but allowing buffer during weekday rush windows is worth doing.

Is there a change room at the studio?

Yes. The studio has a dedicated client change room with clothing storage and private restrooms. A steamer is on-site for a quick refresh on a wrinkled shirt or blazer.

Do you photograph headshots on location instead of in the studio?

Individual sessions are studio-only, at the studio location. On-location sessions are available for corporate teams and groups, with full mobile lighting, backdrop, and posing setup brought to an office or venue anywhere in the Austin metro.

For team work, see the headshot sessions page or request a group quote.

What should I wear for a professional headshot?

Solid colors photograph better than busy patterns for a professional headshot. Reliable choices are navy, charcoal, white, cream, deep red, forest green, and muted jewel tones. Avoid bright florals, very thin stripes, small checks, and anything with a logo across the chest.

Fit matters more than how formal the clothing is. A well-fitted shirt or blazer in a basic color outperforms an expensive piece that is loose or tight. Layers such as blazers and jackets add depth and create variety within one session.

For a Studio Headshot Session, two outfit options is enough. For Professional and Executive Portrait sessions, three to four works well. A blazer over a different shirt counts as a second look.

What colors photograph best for a headshot?

Medium to dark solid colors are the most reliable across skin tones for a headshot. Navy, charcoal, slate gray, deep burgundy, forest green, and rich jewel tones all read clean against a neutral backdrop.

Pure white can wash out lighter skin tones and reflect heavily under studio lighting. Pure black can read flat and lose dimension. Cream, ivory, and charcoal are the closest working equivalents.

Neon and high-saturation colors are worth avoiding entirely. The eye goes to the brightest thing in the frame, and in a headshot that needs to be the face.

What should I avoid wearing for a headshot?

A few things consistently underperform on camera regardless of personal style:

• Busy patterns. Thin stripes, small checks, and tight repeating patterns can create moiré, a visual interference effect, under studio lighting.
• Loud logos or branding. They pull attention off the face and date the image.
• Anything baggy or ill-fitting. Loose fabric reads larger on camera than in person, and tight clothing reads as uncomfortable.
• Heavily wrinkled fabric. A steamer is available at the studio.
• Statement jewelry. Subtle accents work. Large pieces compete with the face.

Should I bring more than one outfit to my session?

Yes. Bringing a few options allows the best choice for skin tone, backdrop, and professional context to be made on the day. Some fabrics and patterns create visual interference under studio lighting that is difficult to predict from a closet.

Two options is enough for a Studio Headshot Session. Three to four works well for Professional and Executive Portrait sessions. A blazer over a different shirt counts as a separate look.

Is hair and makeup included with a headshot session?

Hair and makeup are not included in the session fee at ATX Headshots. Most working professionals arrive with hair and makeup done as they would for an important meeting and photograph well.

For Executive Portrait sessions and images that will be used at scale, a professional hair and makeup artist can be arranged in advance at additional cost. Clients are also welcome to bring their own makeup for touch-ups or their own stylist.

How should I prepare for a headshot session?

A few things make a visible difference in the final images:

• Sleep well the night before. It shows in skin and eyes more than most people expect.
• Drink water in the days leading up. Hydrated skin photographs noticeably better.
• Try outfits on a day or two ahead to check fit and whether anything needs pressing.
• Go easy on heavy meals and alcohol the night before. Both can show as puffiness.
• Bring reference images if there is a specific look in mind, so lighting and posing can be set up to match.

What if I hate having my photo taken?

Most clients say exactly that before their session, and it is the photographer's problem to solve rather than the client's. Every session is directed throughout: posture, angle, and expression are coached one cue at a time, so nobody is left standing there guessing what to do with their hands.

Images come up on screen during the session so progress is visible in real time rather than taken on faith. Coaching is the difference between a headshot and a snapshot.

Will my glasses cause glare in a headshot?

Glasses glare is a common concern and a solvable one. Lighting angles and frame positioning are adjusted during the session to minimize reflections, and any minor glare that remains is corrected during retouching at no extra charge.

Anti-reflective coated lenses help. Transition or tinted lenses are worth avoiding, since they darken under studio lighting.

Should I get a haircut before my headshot session?

If a haircut is due, schedule it five to seven days before the session. That gives a fresh cut time to settle and look natural rather than freshly trimmed. A cut the day before can read too sharp on camera.

The same applies to color treatments and styling. A few days lets everything settle into a normal look.

What does headshot retouching include?

Retouching at ATX Headshots covers blemish removal, stray hair cleanup, glasses glare reduction, subtle teeth whitening, natural wrinkle reduction, lint and clothing adjustments, and color and exposure correction. Retouched images are $125 each, or $95 each at three or more.

The approach is deliberately natural. No skin smoothed into plastic, no AI sheen, no version of a person they would not put their name to. Work beyond standard scope, such as background replacement or composite work, is quoted separately.

How long does it take to receive retouched headshots?

Retouched final images are delivered within two to three business days of image selection. Rush retouching, same-day or next-day, is available for an additional fee on most session types.

Deadlines mentioned at booking are worked around wherever possible.

How are final headshot images delivered?

Retouched images are delivered through a private online gallery, downloadable from any device. Each retouched image is provided in both a web-optimized and a print-ready size.

The gallery stays accessible for a limited period after delivery, so downloading and backing up files promptly is worth doing.

What file formats are headshots delivered in?

Standard delivery is high-resolution JPG in the sRGB color space, a minimum of 5000 pixels on the long edge. That format covers LinkedIn, company websites, business cards, press materials, and speaker bios.

TIF and PNG are available on request at no extra charge for print workflows or specialty applications that need them.

Do I have to select images at the session?

Yes. Image selection happens on screen at the end of the session, while options can be compared side by side with the photographer's input. Clients approve their frames before leaving the studio rather than paying first and finding out later.

There is no minimum purchase. Most clients select one to three images, and more can always be added afterward from the gallery.

Can I get the RAW files from my session?

No. RAW files are unfinished working files carrying color, exposure, and focus data that has not been processed, and they are not part of what ATX Headshots delivers.

Purchased images are delivered as fully retouched, color-corrected, high-resolution JPG files ready for professional use, with TIF or PNG available on request.

Can you match a set of headshots we already have?

Yes. Sending a sample at booking allows the background color, lighting style, and crop to be matched so new images sit alongside existing ones without looking shot separately.

This is common for firms keeping leadership headshots consistent as people join, and for professionals adding an image to an existing company page.

How much do corporate team headshots cost in Austin?

Corporate team headshots are quoted per project rather than sold at a fixed list price, because the total depends on team size, location, and session length. The per-person rate scales down automatically as headcount grows.

On larger sessions both a per-person total and a flat day-rate total are calculated, and the lower of the two is applied. On-location sessions across the Austin metro include equipment transport, setup, and teardown. Most quotes are returned the same business day. Request a team quote with team size, location, and target date.

Do you photograph at our office or do we come to the studio?

Both work. On-location sessions at an Austin office are typical for teams of eight or more, and smaller teams sometimes prefer the studio.

On-location sessions bring full professional lighting, backdrops, and tethered review. The footprint needed is roughly ten by fifteen feet of clear floor space with one outlet. A boardroom, lobby corner, or unused office works.

How long does a corporate team headshot session take?

Once setup is complete, corporate sessions run roughly three to five minutes per person. A team of twenty is typically photographed in under two hours including setup, and a team of fifty generally takes a half day.

Setup itself takes about forty-five minutes and happens before the first scheduled slot, so it does not come out of the team's time.

How are images delivered for a corporate team session?

Each team member receives their own private gallery with their session images, selects their frame for retouching, and receives the retouched final directly. No single coordinator has to distribute fifty separate file deliveries.

File renaming with participant names, custom naming conventions, and central delivery for HR or marketing are available and quoted with the project.

Can you match our existing team headshot style?

Yes. Background color, lighting, crop, and retouching style are matched for companies adding new hires to an existing team page or refreshing part of a roster. Sending sample images at quote stage is what makes this possible.

Background color is recorded by hex value and lighting setup is documented per project, which is what allows a session six months later to match one shot today.

Do you photograph new hires on an ongoing basis?

Yes. A corporate-pay program exists for companies that onboard regularly. New hires book individually through a dedicated link, the company is invoiced directly, and each headshot is matched to the existing team style so it drops cleanly into a company directory or team page.

How do I get a quote for a team headshot session?

Send team size, location, and target date through the group quote form. Most quotes come back the same business day with a recommended session format, a throughput estimate, and a fixed total.

For urgent requests, call the studio directly at (512) 790-8298.

Should I take my own headshot at home or hire a photographer?

A phone camera in good window light can produce a usable image for a low-stakes profile. What it cannot reliably produce is the thing a professional headshot is actually bought for: controlled lighting that shapes a face rather than flattening it, a background that does not distract, a focal length that does not distort features, and someone directing expression from outside the frame.

The gap shows up most in the parts nobody thinks about in advance. Phone lenses are wide, and a wide lens close to a face enlarges whatever is nearest the camera. Overhead room light casts shadows under the eyes. And self-directing expression is genuinely hard, which is why most self-taken headshots read as either stiff or over-smiling.

The honest test is what the image has to do. For a personal social profile, a good phone photo is fine. For a role where the photo is the first thing a client, recruiter, or opposing counsel sees, the difference is visible immediately and to everyone.

What makes a good LinkedIn profile photo?

A LinkedIn profile photo works when the face is large in the frame, the eyes are sharp and looking at the camera, the lighting is even, and the background is simple enough to disappear. LinkedIn renders the photo as a small circle on most screens, so anything below the shoulders is cropped away and detail below the collar is wasted.

The practical specifications: a head-and-shoulders crop with the face taking up roughly sixty percent of the frame height, a neutral or softly blurred background, and an image at least 400 by 400 pixels. A genuine expression outperforms a formal one in nearly every industry, since the photo's job is to make a stranger comfortable clicking through.

The most common failures are a cropped group photo, a selfie shot from below, a photo more than five years old, and sunglasses or a hat. Each one costs credibility with a viewer who spends under two seconds deciding.

How often should I update my professional headshot?

The general guideline is every two years, with variation by field:

• Realtors, financial advisors, and attorneys: annually. Clients in trust-based fields choose partly on how current and credible someone looks.
• Corporate executives: every two years, or on any significant role change.
• Founders and personal-brand builders: every one to two years, sooner if positioning has shifted.
• Speakers and public-facing professionals: whenever the brand or message changes.

Update sooner than the guideline after a noticeable change in hair, glasses, or appearance, or when the current photo no longer looks like the person on a normal day.

Who owns the copyright on my headshot images?

ATX Headshots retains copyright ownership of all images. Purchasing retouched images grants a personal and professional usage license in perpetuity, covering:

• LinkedIn and other professional networking platforms
• Company websites and team pages
• Press materials and speaker bios
• Business cards and email signatures
• Any other platform used to promote yourself professionally

Uses outside personal and professional self-promotion, such as paid advertising campaigns, stock licensing, or third-party commercial use, require a separate commercial license. Most headshot clients never need one.

Can I use my headshot on Instagram and other social platforms?

Yes. The standard usage license covers personal and professional self-promotion across every platform, including Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube channel art, and podcast cover art for a personal show.

Paid advertising campaigns and licensing an image to a third party fall outside the standard license and are arranged separately.

Do I need different headshots for LinkedIn and my company website?

Not necessarily. One strong headshot works across LinkedIn, a company website, business cards, and most professional contexts. What matters is that it is current and looks like the person.

Some professionals prefer a slightly different look per platform, which is why Professional and Executive Portrait sessions allow multiple outfits. Selecting two to three retouched images covers a more formal look for a firm website and a more approachable one for LinkedIn.

Can my company pay for my headshot directly?

Yes. A corporate-pay option exists for new hires and individual employees whose company covers the cost. Booking happens through a dedicated link and the company is invoiced directly.

Where a company prefers reimbursement, booking a standard individual session and submitting the receipt works the same way.

Will I have to sign a photography contract?

A Terms of Service document is sent to every client after booking. It covers what to expect from the session and the policies on retouching, delivery, and usage rights.

It is a written record of how the session works rather than a negotiated contract, and it exists so nothing about the process is a surprise on the day.