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Booked a Headshot photo session? Now What?

Oct 4 2026 | By: Colleen Neel Photography

What Happens in a Headshot Branding Photo Session

Discovery Call

It all starts with a call- usually. Sometimes it's an email but I like to talk in person if we can. This is to get to know you a bit, address concerns and to determine where your new photos will live- what you will be using them for and if needed by any deadlines. We also will book your photo shoot date. Hopefully by the end, you are excited for your photoshoot!

Wardrobe Consult

After you book, I send out a prep guide that includes wardrobe tips, skin, hair and  makeup guidelines and other tips for great photos. 

Additionally, I offer a wardrobe zoom call where we go through your closet and I help you figure out what to bring to your shoot. Several women have told me this helps with photoshoot nerves; one problem solved: what to wear. 

Fun fact:  All women take me up on this, but the men rarely do. 

 Shoot Day

Shoot day is here! Upon arrival at my studio in Green Hills, we'll hang up your clothes and have a quick chat going over what's going to happen so you feel prepared. 

Get your playlist or favorite music going.

I acknowledge up front that is an uncomfortable situation. It is for everyone, myself included. We have a conversation about that and how we can make it less stressful.

Next for women, is camera ready makeup applied by a professional makeup artist to look natural and like you but also great on camera. She'll touch up your hair too.

Kalpana said this about her experience:  " I was blown away by how much time Colleen took with me including  the makeup/hair by her {professional makeup artist}. I was worried about how I would look and I was SO HAPPY when I looked in the mirror!!!"

The Photoshoot

This is the part everyone is nervous about the most. We've figured out what to wear, you've found the studio, maybe had hair and makeup done, and now suddenly you've forgotten how to stand like a human and your hands feel like they don't belong to you. I get it!! We all feel like this. Myself included. 

But I've got you! I won't leave you standing awkwardly in front of a camera.  We start how you might naturally stand or sit and I just tweak it to show you at your best. You don't have to do anything at all, not even smile, just be open to guidance and I'll do the rest. It's like having a conversation and I adjust you as we go along so you look like yourself but at your best. 

 You might even start to feel a bit more comfortable and have fun.

"When I transitioned from 20 years in the Army to the corporate world, imposter syndrome hit. Colleen's professionalism, encouragement, and expertise helped me feel confident in this next chapter. She didn't just take headshots—she talked me through the process, helped me present my best self, and delivered outstanding photos I'm proud to use. While the uniform may be gone, the leadership, experience, and value I bring remain the same." Nic

After

After your photo session, we sometimes choose your images immediately, but most often, you come back for a photo viewing session I call a reveal. This gives me a chance to cull all your images so it's less overwhelming and to lightly  retouch them so you're not distracted by the background or glass glare and the like.

At your reveal session,  we look through your photos  together and I help you with the selection. You pick what you love, and I help guide you through which ones work best for different uses and will help meet the photo goals we talked about at the beginning. 

And that's a wrap! You now own new headshot and brand photos you love.

I would, as always, love to take your headshots, branding photos or your whole teams' headshots.

A good professional headshot isn't an accident. It's the result of lighting expertise, genuine direction, variety in what you capture, and brand alignment.

If you're ready to get headshots that actually work for you, I'm here to help.

I'm located in Nashville, TN. 

Fill out the contact me form, call or email!  I would be honored to be your photographer. 

Contact Me

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