preparing for your headshot
Your personal brand is more important than ever before. Every person in every business can benefit from a dynamic headshot.
Does your current headshot represent the best you?
Trained by one of the industry’s top headshot photographers and backed by years of experience, the Mercy Street Studio photography team has the vision, skill, and experience to create winning headshots for you. Over the last twelve years our photographers have posed and photographed tens of thousands of individuals, making Mercy Street Studio the largest, most successful modern portrait studio on the Seacoast.
Uniquely you
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Headshots, like people, come in all shapes and sizes. There are many options in terms of lighting, backgrounds, and orientation.
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Traditional headshots are taken from the chest up in a portrait orientation. Modern headshots are often more tightly cropped and can be landscape orientation. Backdrops can be solid, dynamic, or environmental.
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If you aren't sure what you want or need, your photographer can help guide these choices.
Preparing for your headshot
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Be kind to yourself (always, but especially) on the day of your session. Have your hair and makeup done (or do it yourself). Get roots touched up prior to your session. Get good rest, hydrate well...we know...very idealistic. How about this: just do your best and we'll take it from there ;-)
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What to wear: wear what you feel good in, wear what you like, use color (if you are representing a brand, bring something in your brand color palette), make sure your clothing is ironed and fits well, and double check your face/teeth/lipstick prior to your session.
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Glasses: if your glasses have a purple, green, or blue film, commonly used to block harmful rays - we will see them when we look at you and we will see them through our camera lenses and in your photos. If your glasses are not anti-reflective, they will reflect the lighting in our studio. If you have an alternate pair of old frames that you can pluck the lenses out of, that is your best option (In my personal headshot, I'm using a pair of cheap readers that I took the lenses out of).
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Avoid: too much sun exposure, self-tanners, sleeveless or low cut tops, very bright or all-white clothing, logos, very teeny tiny check patterns. Please don't rely on us to "photoshop" things that can be corrected (ie: wrinkles, roots, etc). We are happy to make cosmetic edits upon request.
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Hot tip: The Crown in South Berwick offers discounted hair & makeup services to our clients.
​The session
Most of our headshot sessions start with "I'm unphotogenic, I don't want to do this" and 100% of those session end with "that was actually kind of fun". Sessions typically take 10-30 minutes.
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We will pose you, we'll find your best angle and bring out your best self. We'll take several photos and you'll choose from an online gallery of our unedited proofs.​
Once you make your selection(s), we'll edit them, invoice you, and send them over to you to download. You should have your new headshot in less than one week (rush service is available).
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Galleries stay open for five days. Once a gallery expires there is a $25 administrative fee to reload.
Does the whole team need an update?
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We also come onsite to photograph teams. Invite us to your next company offsite! Group rates available!