Client Experiences
Seattle Headshots
Why Risk Looking Like Everyone Else?
-
Why Do I Need A Professional Headshot?A professional headshot tells others that your professional image matters to you! The way you present yourself has impact. First impressions matter, whether good or bad. What does your current headshot say about you?
-
What Is The Difference Between A Headshot And A Portrait?The main difference between a headshot and a portrait is the crop and use of the image. Essentially, headshots are todays business cards and they put a face with a name. Headshots typically take up the whole frame and are cropped tight from the shoulders up to the top of a subjects head. Sometimes the crop is above the head or cropped into the top of the hairline, allowing the eyes to take up more space and give the subject more presence. Portraits are typically 3/4 length in crop or full body. They contain more environmental information that gives you a bit more insight about the subject and tend to be more creative.
-
What Should I Wear For My Headshot?Simple is better. Consider the industry that you are working in to help you make your clothing selections, but in general it's important that you feel comfortable in the clothing you select. I ask clients to bring 3 to 4 different looks or shirts. It's very important that your clothes look pill free, wrinkle free and ironed for the shoot. Do not bring cotton shirts that are overly worn and faded as they will photograph as so. Make sure your clothing fits you proportionally. Avoid clothing that is to big or too tight. No LOGOS! Colors - Choose neutral and jewel toned colors. Avoid overly bright, large striped, big patterned, low cut or shiny shirts. Whites, grays, blues and blacks work well. Men Bring a suit jacket as well as 2 to 3 button down dress shirts in different tones. Make sure that the collars are extra starched from the dry cleaners. We can then roll up the sleeves for a casual look or wear it under a suit or blazer for a dressier look. Make sure you nose, eyebrows, neck and ear hairs have been trimmed. Women Bring a suit jacket as well as 3 to 4 tops that have a variety of color and necklines as this is key in helping to frame your face. Jewelry - Simple earings.
-
Why Do You Recommend A Professiona Hair And Makeup Artist? (HMUA)The goal of a headshot is to capture you looking your best. If you are going to invest in having a professional headshot or portrait, then consider hiring a professional hmua to ensure you do look your best! Professional makeup application will also minimize any retouching that needs to be done in post production. A professional hair and makeup artist will come to the studio to make sure yours skin looks flawless,your eyes look radiant and your hair perfect. Whether you are going with a clean look or a full coverage look, the makeup is applied specifically for the lighting we use. To achieve a natural flawless look in your photos, it may require more makeup than you normally wear on a daily basis. The lighting will change how your makeup translates on camera. Be assured that the end result will be natural flawless looking makeup. We shoot tethered to a computer so that you can see exactly what you look like on the monitor before your session starts. Hair and makeup adjustments can be made until you feel that your look is perfect.
-
Why Do We Have To Pay A Deposit?Deposits ensure that clients value our time the same way that we do. Clients are less likely to cancel or forget an appointment if they have already paid a retainer fee.
-
Do You Offer Refunds Or Returns?Due to the custom nature of the products, no refunds will be issued.
-
What is your cancellation policy?Cancellations with less than 36 hours notice or for no-shows, will not have their payment reapplied and refunds will not be issued. With more than 36 hours advance notice, your session may be rescheduled within 30 days of the orignally scheduled session. Last-minute, weekend, or holiday bookings will be considered a firm booking and not subject to cancellation.
-
When Do I Make My Image Selections And Receive The Final Images?Headshot clients have the option to choose their image selections during or immediately after their session. Otherwise, 3 to 4 days after your your session, a link to your private online proofing gallery will be available for viewing. The gallery is available for up to 4 days. Orders should be placed within that time frame. A fee of $50 will be charged to re-opening the proofing gallery. Once selections are ordered and any additional payment has been received, the final retouched images will be available via a Dropbox link. For client’s that are in need of a tighter deadline, a rush fee of $150 will secure the time to meet the need for a tighter deadline and help offset the likelihood of losing out on other business because the editing time is set in stone, rather than flexible. Rush turnaround is subject to availability and must be requested at the time of booking.
-
Where are you located?The studio is located inside the ActivSpace-Ballard which is located just one block west of NW Leary Way on NW 42nd St.
-
What Is The Difference Between Editing And Retouching?As a photographer, for every hour we spend on the shoot we generally spend two hours at the computer. After a session, we then start the editing process. Editing consists of downloading your shoot, culling or editing out the rejects, organizing, cataloging and creating a proofing gallery for clients. After client selections are made, we then start basic retouching of an image by making raw image adjustments, color corrections, skin smoothing, removal of skin blemishes, softening of facial lines, adjustments to shadows, eyes, and teeth, as well as minor hair and makeup adjustments. Advanced retouching consists of body contouring, advanced compositing, color changes to hair or backgrounds, excessive wrinkles to garments, head swaps, removal or addition of objects, etc... Advanced retouching can be requested for an additional fee of $50 per image.
-
Can I have all of the RAW unedited images?Short answer no. It is our policy not to give clients an unfinished product. A photographers editing and post processing is what makes us distinctive as photographers. That's what gives us our style and that's why people book us. Giving away our RAW files, opens the window for people to manipulate and edit our images without our consent. Every professional photographer shoots RAW photos because having all that information is better than having less (like in a JPEG). The catch: RAW photos that come out of the camera generally look sub-par. They’re flat with bad contrast with dull colors. Until the photo is edited, the image is not finished, and that’s by design. A RAW photo is like a carpenter having a wood shop full of tools and materials to build a table, and the ability to create whatever he wants. A JPEG is buying a table at the store, you either like it as is, or you don’t, but there’s nothing you can do about it. Editing of the images is just as much a part of our identity as artists as the method we used to capture the image in-camera.
Client Experiences
"I put off having my picture taken for my website as long as I could.
It seems so silly now after spending a fun morning with Rachel Alves!
Not having done this before, I didn't know what to expect. Rachel
immediately put me at ease. Guiding me through the experience, our
time flew by. The photos are natural, relaxed and reflect my personality.
Thanks Rachel!"
- Jody
"I had a great time working with Rachel! It was my first
time taking headshots and I was sure I would have hated the
experience. But Rachel really knows how to make her clients
feel comfortable and capture beautiful photos! I would
definitely recommend her to anyone who's is in the
market for a new headshot!"
- Khin
"I had a great experience with Rachel.
The final product of our shoot was exactly what I was looking for.
Thank you Rachel! I highly recommend
her professional photography service."
- Chris
"Rachel was great to work with and I'm thrilled with the photos. She met
my tight timeline for new business photos, had great input, and it was like
spending the afternoon with a friend. I would recommend her in a minute!"
- Cathy
"Rachel was amazing to work with! I enjoyed the entire experience and she helped me feel 100% comfortable. She shared pictures throughout the shoot and took the time to explain exactly what makes for a quality head shot. She is prompt, professional and an extremely talented photographer. The final photos exceeded all expectations. I would highly recommend Rachel’s services to anyone looking for professional photos."
- Jason
.jpg)
" I can't recommend Rachel enough. She captured me in unexpected ways that were still authentic to my personality. She put me right at ease and made a potentially stressful experience actually fun. She exceeded my expectations from the moment I first reached out to her to the finished product."
- Tiffany
" This was my first experience getting a professional headshot, and Rachel did an outstanding job. Not only did she capture top-notch
photos, but she was very collaborative and informative throughout the process. And to top it off, she managed to edit and deliver
the final product the same day!"
- Bryan H
" I'd seen Rachel's work around the city from various contacts
within my network and had wanted to use her for some headshots for a long time.
But I'm one of those people who hates being in front of the camera.
Knowing that she excels in making her studio sessions comfortable and enjoyable,
I went ahead and made my appointment. I just had the headshots done this
past weekend and WOW; I was so not disappointed. I pointed to some examples she
had on the wall - some high-profile model photos - and she totally incorporated
those looks in our shoot. I started out feeling super awkward and inhibited.
But by the time we were finished, I actually loved some of the shots she got,
even before editing. And I honestly enjoyed the shoot.
Her work speaks for itself. She is cutting edge and impeccable.
She is kind and engaging. She possesses that gift that artists have to get the key
moment and amplify it beautifully. I am so very glad I took the time and
investment to get these photos done and plan to return for some family
photos soon. In my opinion, she's too good and too cheap for the quality
and type of work she produces. I highly recommend using her now.
She won't be undiscovered for very much longer."
- Victoria
" Rachel did an AMAZING job! I don't really care to have my photo taken.
I went to Rachel to get professional photos and she helped me feel comfortable
and confident, which clearly came through in my photos. All of my photos
came out beautifully and I had many photos to choose from.
Rachel recommended that I get my makeup done professionally, and
I am VERY glad I did. I scheduled a "Custom Makeover" at Sephora for professional photo makeup which was free with a $50 purchase. I brought different clothing options and Rachel helped me choose outfits that photographed wonderfully. She truly has much creative vision and talent.
I highly recommend Rachel for your photography needs.
She is kind, genuine and wonderful to work with.
I'm looking forward to working with her again in the future!"
- Kayla
" Rachel was wonderful. She went above and beyond to make sure
my shoot was what I wanted. I am pleased with the photos
and her dedication to quality. !"
- Jeffrey O
READ MORE Client Experiences
