#1 Google Rated Headshot Studio in NYC

Headshots & Portraits in NYC and the Surrounding Area
Ranked among the Best Portrait Studios in NYC (#1 on Google & Yelp)

Our Primary Manhattan Studio:
2 West 46 St. Suite 1500 (right next to Grand Central)

We also have a FiDi location open Mondays & Fridays:
139 Fulton St. Suite 715 (right next to Fulton Center)

212 706 1902
info@cityheadshots.com

A Strong, Custom-Branded Headshot is Crucial

Did you know?

9 out of 10 of people will research you on social media before deciding to hire or work with you. (The Muse)
1 in 5 people will ONLY look at your profile picture and nothing else on your LinkedIn page. (HSN Beauty)

You are 14x more likely to be taken seriously if you have a professional headshot on your social media profiles. (LinkedIn)

What is Your Headshot Saying?

Did you know there’s a big difference between a Custom-Branded Headshot and a simple professional portrait?

The background and lighting, angle of your face, subtle squint of your eyes, and authenticity of your smile are all aspects that add up to a final photo that either communicates what you want it to... or doesn't.

As an independent business consultant, our founder Martin Bentsen combined his marketing and branding knowledge with the headshot process to create something we now call a Custom-Branded Headshot, which is an image specifically tailored to fit within your target industry and highlight your personal strengths.

Not only will we help find and capture your brand, but we'll also help you feel confident and look more photogenic on-camera.

And if you're thinking, "Yeah right, not me - I'm NEVER photogenic," don't worry - we promise to make it fun and easy!

We have almost two decades' combined experience shooting clients from all walks of life and we've developed a unique process that virtually guarantees everyone we work with loves their shots and is able to use them towards moving their career forward (business professionals and actors alike).

We'll help find your best angles, mask/minimize things you don’t like about your face, and guarantee you walk away with a shot you love (or we'll fully refund you).

Our Seven-Minute Headshot Branding Process:

Here is our unique process that helps us ensure you not only look your best, but that your headshot communicates exactly what you need it to:

We'll first ask you some questions such as: What are you using the photos for? What industry are you in? What do you hope to achieve with the shoot? What level of comfort do you have in front of the camera? These will help us establish a baseline so we can make sure you get what you need and ensure you feel comfortable and relaxed during your shoot.
Next, we'll discuss general details to figure out how we want to start the session. We’ll talk a bit about your clothing, skin tone, hair, and eye color so we can ensure the background and lighting style we use makes you look your best. We'll also ensure the background and lighting we choose works for your industry and the image you want to project.
Once we’ve determined all that, we’ll then do some test shots as we focus on specific things with your body. Things like your height, shoulder width, neck length, hairline and style, and how your clothing fits (among other things) all help us determine body positions and angles that help you look as photogenic as possible.
Finally, we’ll hone in on the subtle but extremely important details. At this stage, we'll focus on details like whether your eyes are slightly different sizes or shapes (most people's are, so don't worry!), the angle of your nose, the prominence of your eyebrows, and what level of mouth tension you naturally have. These are just a few of the things that help us determine what type of expressions will work best during the shoot, and from what angle the light should be hitting your face for it to be the most flattering.

After about 3-5 minutes worth of test shots and setting everything up, we'll let you see the way things are looking. Here you can feel free to mention anything you want adjusted or aren't liking, and we'll be happy to make whatever changes are possible (a few things might need to wait for digital retouching afterwards).

Generally, no matter what your request is (i.e. "my jawline looks too angular" or "my eyes look too small"), we’re always happy to help.

Our goal with The Seven Minute Headshot Branding Process is to ensure you love the way you look on-camera so that the rest of your shoot is easy, painless, and quick (even if you don't enjoy having your picture taken).

Our Promises:

You'll love your photos or we'll fully refund you. Our number one priority is making sure you have a positive and memorable experience and leave with a set of headshots you're proud of. If a rare occasion arises where you're unhappy and we can't fix it, we promise to offer you a reshoot or fully refund everything you paid, including the makeup fee. We want you to get photos you love - no matter who you shoot with.

You'll get your photos same-day. Some photographers say it takes them a few weeks to send the images over. We put our clients first and make getting your images to you our number one priority.

We will guide you and make it easy. Because Martin and Samantha have collectively worked with over 25,000 people in all different walks of life, they know exactly what to say and how specific to be to ensure you're never feeling confused and uncomfortable. We'll guide you through everything from what clothing to wear to which backdrop and lighting setup will work best and even to testing your photos to see which one performs best in the marketplace.

You'll laugh and have fun. "I couldn’t believe the highway department called my dad a thief. But when I got home, all the signs were there." Yeah, we're super funny... or at least we'll pretend to be with our abundance of dad jokes. Sure... you probably don't like having your picture taken... but as soon as you start laughing, you'll relax on camera and start enjoying the process!

You'll get to see the pictures as we shoot. Why? Because we believe headshots are a collaborative process. The goal is to combine our knowledge of lighting, photography, and coaching with how you best like to see yourself on-camera. It's impossible to take a perfect headshot without getting a sense of what you like or dislike about your appearance, so the more picky you are, the more we can do to ensure you love your pictures.

You'll learn something new about yourself. Whether it's why one side of your face looks better than another, or why you subconsciously have always smiled with your mouth closed, you'll definitely find out something new.

Watch a Shoot

Check out the short video below of how our shoots work.

Our shoots are collaborative and fun, with the end goal being to capture a Custom-Branded Headshot that you absolutely love!

Who Are We NOT a Good Fit For?

We're not right for everyone, so here is a short list of some people who might not get the best bang for their buck by hiring us:

If your kid needs a headshot, and they're under the age of seven. We work best with people around eight and up. When it comes to young children, we don't have a ton of experience and recommend going to a specialized kids' photographer instead.
If you're looking for glamour shots instead of headshots. Although we always ensure our clients love their shots and we'll completely customize lighting to make you look your best, we don't recommend hiring us if you're wanting glamour-style shooting and retouching. Our goal is to capture photos that lead to professional opportunities, and certain steep angles or extreme lighting setups that might hide minor flaws can actually hinder your chances of capturing a photo that creates opportunities.
Anyone needing something significantly different than the images in our portfolio (without asking us first). The images in our portfolio are a good example of what we're comfortable shooting. If you need something different, feel free to reach out and ask if we can do it before booking. We'll let you know if it's outside our capabilities.

Some of Our Corporate Clients:

Shoot Headshots that Pop! - Book for Photographers

Are you a photographer looking to up your headshot photography game? Check out this great, in-depth book that will teach you all the ins and outs of the headshot business.

Just click the image of the book to learn more!

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​​A Strong, Custom-Branded Headshot is Crucial