Portland Headshots
There is a good chance your headshots are outdated. Let me help you with that!
But first, let’s talk about headshots as a whole. Here’s a hard truth I’ve learned as a photographer: being photographed can feel inherently vulnerable and nerve-wracking. You are on display with all your beauty AND flaws. Even if you are just being photographed for work, it still feels personal the moment someone points a camera at you.
Booking new headshots for yourself (or for your job) can bring up all your insecurities in a way that feels uncomfortable. I get that. Life is constantly changing, and so are we. Aligning our inner perception with our outer image can feel impossible at times. Scary, even.
That’s why I don’t take headshots lightly. I put my heart and soul into every portrait session I do, because I know that good photography has the power to build you up, and bad photography can bring you down.
My portraits feel vibrant, genuine, real, bold, honest, fun, playful and artistic.
My headshot sessions are perfect for people who want an experience that goes beyond a 5-minute portrait in front of a blank wall. I’m not a surface-level photographer and I don’t take surface-level portraits. Your personality is SO much bigger than that. I work with everyone individually to pick a location, plan wardrobe ideas, and create images that serve you both professionally and personally. You can combine multiple looks into one shoot, and we can really customize the experience for your unique needs.
At the end of it all, I want you to walk away feeling more beautiful, handsome, and SEEN, than you ever have in your life. I want you to have images that you feel deeply proud of. And hopefully you’ll feel like you made a new friend in the process too.
“We LOVE our business photoshoot photos from our session with Katy. She gave clear instructions before the shoot, incorporated our photo ideas into the session, and gave quick / thorough responses to our questions after the shoot. It was a great experience and I would recommend her as a photographer!”
Headshot Portfolio
Want to see more examples of my headshot, branding, and portrait photography work? Check out my headshot portfolio here to see a wide variety of headshots I’ve taken for people in Portland and beyond.
My work is a mixture of studio headshots, outdoor portraits, and environmental portraits that tell a story about who you are and what you do. I love to incorporate movement, texture, and natural light into my headshots whenever possible, because I think it makes for the most dynamic and interesting images.
I understand and value the importance of a clean, professional headshot for your career, but I also believe that portraits should be fun and expressive and I like to give you a mixture of options when we do a photoshoot.
Posing and Direction
Do you feel awkward the second anyone points a camera at you? If the answer is yes, that’s totally normal. Literally everyone feels that way at first, even me! So don’t worry. I give a ton direction when I’m taking headshots, so you’ll never have to ask “what do I do with my hands?!” or feel nervous. I’ll give you cues and directions that will get you moving and laughing and feeling exactly like yourself. My best advice? Keep moving! The most unique and personalized images come from movement! When you move, you feel less stiff and more like yourself. More movement = more personality = better headshots.
“Katy was an absolute joy to work with. She made me feel relaxed, positive, beautiful, and completely like myself and created photographs that are authentic and lovely. She’s intuitive, warm, and brilliant.”
My Process
Interested in working with me? Here’s a little insight into how my process works.
- Email me! From there I’ll send over pricing details and we can schedule a video call! I want to hear all about you and your story, so I can take the best possible photos of you.
- Choose one of my collections and I’ll send you an online contract and invoice reserve the date.
- I’ll send you resources to help you figure out outfits and prepare for the shoot.
- On the day of the shoot, we’ll meet up at the first location and start shooting right away so you can warm up in the first 10 minutes or so. Everyone takes a little time to feel comfortable in front of a camera, so don’t worry if you are a little nervous at first! We’ll keep things moving fast to get a lot of variety in backgrounds and poses, and you’ll be free to change your outfit anytime you want.
- After the shoot, I’ll upload the photos and get rid of anything awkward, out of focus, or a duplicate, and then I will put the rest in a private online gallery and send them to you as proofs within one week. They will be straight out of my camera at this stage, but you will able to look through them all and choose your favorites for me to edit and retouch. Each of my collections has a specific number of final images, so depending on which one you select, you’ll be able to choose 20-40 images. You can also order extras for $15 each.
- Once you finish selecting your favorites and email me, it will take up to 3 weeks for me to edit them and get them back to you!
- I’ll edit and retouch the photos and deliver them in a second online gallery where you can download them directly or order any prints you might want!
“If you want portraits, this is the person. I considered several professional photographers in the Portland area to create an author’s portrait, and went with Katy Weaver. Really an excellent choice. First, her photos are super high quality and capture a wide range of moods and lighting. I chose outdoors primarily. She was a lot of fun to work with, which adds to the mood of the photos. She also did a pretty extensive screening and prep to determine the best outcomes and provided constant prompts to keep the expressions and postures moving, often humorously. Her range of lenses were constantly being exchanged in a fluid manner that never interrupted the flow. She’s also an excellent communicator and punctual, which adds to her professionalism.”
Headshot Pricing
My headshot collections start at $850 for a full session, which includes at least 1 hour of photoshoot time, online proofing to choose images you love, and 20 final retouched images in an online gallery in both color and black and white.
If you want to do a 20-30 minute, mini portrait session, those start at $450 and I offer them on specific dates, or at Mt Tabor Park year-round. You can sign up to get notified when I release new dates and time slots on my mini session email list here. My mini sessions also include online proofing to select favorites, and 10 final edited photos.
Email me and we can go over all the details together!
“After signing a book deal, I hired Katy to take my author photos and she did a phenomenal job! From initial consult call to the gorgeous completed photos, Katy was professional, courteous, organized, considerate, compassionate, and helpful throughout. She has well-considered guides and suggestions prepared for locations as well as how/what to prepare. And she answered the additional questions I had. She also provided me with a contract clearly detailing allowed usages for the photos based on what we discussed that I needed. (Since they’re professional photos, I plan to use them for branding, to print in my books, etc.) I couldn’t be happier with the finished product. My only dilemma now is which one to use as my primary photo, since there are so many spectacular ones to choose from! I highly, highly recommend Katy Weaver’s photography, especially for Portland-area professionals looking for branding photos.”
Headshot Locations in Portland
Many people prefer to book one of my studio headshot sessions so we can have a controlled environment with beautiful lighting. I typically rent Cream Creative Space or Daylight Creative Space for my headshot and portrait sessions. But I am always open to other studios if you have a different look or space in mind!
Alternatively, I also love to take headshots outdoors or on location. When we chat over the phone, we can brainstorm a bit more about a location that makes sense to you! I’ve been photographing people in Portland for 15 years now and I have a large list of places to recommend. You can see more ideas on my photo location google map here, or at the link below!
“It doesn’t take a detective to look across Katy’s reviews and quickly understand that she is a world-class photographer with a gift for bringing out a truly special degree of authenticity and light from those she photographs. I could reiterate all of this again and mean it from the bottom of my heart, but instead I’ll give a quick glimpse of my perhaps unique personal vignette. I was in a sporting accident a couple of years ago and am now permanently paralyzed and a wheelchair user. As someone who has gone through a traumatic and life-altering experience, I can say without hesitation that to see yourself through Katy’s lens is to see yourself anew. She captured my disability not as something to be highlighted or underscored, but as another dimension of me.”
What to wear for headshots
My full headshot collection includes a consult with a professional wardrobe stylist to help you answer this question on a deeply personal level. But here are my top tips:
- Wear clothing that fits. Make sure your blazer really fits your shoulders. That your pants are the correct length. That your button up shirt isn’t bulging. Fit is number one.
- Solids are best. Patterns will detract from your face and your features. If you love pattern, we can sometimes make it work, but your photos are supposed to be about you, not your clothing.
- Neutral colors usually look best. Again - the focus is on you, not your outfit. Soft neutrals look great. Nudes, browns, olive greens, tan, cream, grey, black, white, navy, soft blues.
- Play up your eye color.
- Structured clothing and layers look more professional. Think blazers, structured jackets, etc.
- Thicker fabrics look better. Thin, stretchy fabric can be unflattering, and it looks cheap.
- Wear what you love! You won’t feel like yourself in an outfit you don’t like. Keep the above tips in mind, but ultimately wear something that makes you feel happy, like yourself, and confident in your skin.
“I was looking for someone to take some photos of me for my website and found Katy Weaver’s beautiful photos online. It was great to talk with her on the phone before booking anything as I could feel that Katy is super responsible, hard-working and cares for her clients. I had some questions before the shoot and Katy was so helpful and responsive in making me feel ready and providing her own knowledge and guidance as to what she thought was best. The day of, Katy was so kind, easy going, supportive and encouraging. Even though I was initially nervous, we ended up having fun and I felt really comfortable with her guidance. Katy was also super generous with her time and made sure I was getting as many photos as I needed. I feel like she goes above and beyond to make her clients happy. In the end I’m so happy with the photos she took and edited for me, and am so grateful for her expertise and talent. If you are looking for beautiful photos taken in an atmosphere of support and light-hearted fun, I would only recommend Katy!”
Weather and Light
Locations and backgrounds are very important, but the number one thing that shapes the way a photo looks is the lighting.
I almost always use natural light (not flash) because it tells the story more accurately and give my photos a beautiful authentic look. I often work in natural light studios with huge windows for my indoor portraits. For outdoor locations, I always request to do the shoot at a specific time of day. Why? Because not all natural light is created equal.
Bright sunlight in the middle of the day can be harsh but edgy. Open shade is flattering and soft, while dappled shade with sunlight can be difficult and contrasty, but also artistic. Soft backlighting in the evening looks flattering, romantic and happy with sun flares. Cloudy weather makes for photos with a beautiful even cast and more mood. It’s important to know that all these types of lighting create a different look, and for the most part, that look is up to the weather.
I love to take portraits year-round in any type of weather, BUT I always prefer to do outdoor sessions around sunrise or sunset so we can get the most flattering light of the day! Want to avoid that stress, or prefer to do a shoot midday? Choose a studio session!
While I can’t guarantee a specific type of weather, you can book an outdoor photoshoot around a particular time of year when you are most likely to get the look you want! If you love my foggy, moody, Pacific-Northwest imagery, those photos are most likely taken between October and April. If you want brilliant sunshine, harsh shadows, or soft backlighting, you may want to plan a session in peak summer.
“Katy did a self-love photo shoot with me that included some professional headshots as well as photos to make me feel my best as I enter a new stage of my life. She is so much fun to work with and brings a ton of energy, experience, and professionalism to each photo shoot. She makes scheduling super easy and is awesome at making sure you get exactly what you want out of the session. I also appreciate her attentiveness to details beforehand so you know exactly how to prepare. Katy is phenomenal at coaching you to make you feel comfortable and confident in front of the lens. Every time I get to work with Katy she creates magic and goes above and beyond to capture memories! She makes your time in the session so enjoyable and fun.”
More Information
Recent Portraits on the Blog
