I hate having my photo taken

Most people say this. It is the single most common sentence in the studio, and it is why the sessions are built the way they are: we talk first, nothing is rushed, and you will see images as we go rather than waiting nervously until the end. Your name, your pronouns, your body and your boundaries are part of the brief, not something to be worked around.

Do I need to know how to pose?

No. You will be directed the whole way through. Where to put your weight, what to do with your hands, which way to angle your shoulders, when to breathe out. Most of what looks like a natural pose in a good portrait is a small physical instruction given a second earlier. If something feels strange, say so. Nothing here depends on you performing confidence you do not feel that morning.

I am autistic, ADHD or anxious about the day. What do you actually do about it?

Send you the running order before the day, so you know what happens and in what sequence. Keep the studio to one room, one photographer, no waiting area and no audience, and keep it quiet. Give direction out loud and specifically, with no “just be natural”. Break whenever you want, and bring one person if that helps. If flash is a problem, say so when you book and the session is lit without it. Anything else that would help goes in the booking email, no reason needed.

Do you work with trans and non-binary clients?

Constantly, and the UNiTE series on the About page is part of why the studio exists. The name and pronouns you give me are the ones on the booking, the gallery and the files. How you want to be seen is the brief; there is no house idea of what anyone should look like in a portrait.

Headshots · Clapton, East London

headshots with personality.

Whether you’re an actor, a creative professional or a business leader, your headshot should look like you on a good day. Not like a stock photo of someone with your job title.

Check availability See packages

Packages & pricing

Three ways to do this.

Every session is at our studio at Cell Studios in Clapton, East London. Prices are fixed. What you see is what you pay.

Essential

£275
What’s included
- 45 minutes
- 1 outfit
- 2 fully retouched images
A simple, clean background and soft light.

A clean and polished look, perfect for professional profiles, corporate use and casting headshots.
Signature

£350
Most booked
What’s included
- 90 minutes
- Up to 3 outfits
- 4 fully retouched images
More colour, and a bit more playful.

Perfect for creatives, performers and professionals who want a more dynamic and engaging portrait.
Headshot Plus

£475
What’s included
- 2 hours
- Up to 4 outfits
- 6 fully retouched images
Colourful and playful, with cinematic lighting on top.

Ideal for actors, models and anyone wanting a more dramatic and expressive portrait.

Prices are what you pay. We are not VAT registered, so there is nothing to add.

Extra retouched images are £45 each.

Every package includes a private online gallery to choose from within five working days, high-resolution and web-ready files, and the final retouched images within two weeks.

Want coloured light, projection or smoke? That's a creative portrait session, from £475.

Who it’s for

One session, three audiences.

The lighting changes, the direction changes, the brief changes. What stays the same is that you should recognise yourself in the result.

Actors

Casting-ready frames with real range, not one look repeated four times. For Spotlight, IMDb and the shortlist your agent is building.
Creatives & performers

Bolder colour, stronger light and a portrait that looks like you make things. For press, bios and the photo you actually like.
Business & founders

Polished without being stiff, warm without being cold. For the company page, the pitch deck and the client you have not met.

Trans and non-binary clients are photographed here as a matter of course. The studio is one quiet room with no audience, the running order goes out before the day, you can bring one person, and the session can be lit without flash if you ask.

Before you book

Everything you might want to ask.

What should I wear?

Bring more than you think you need. Solid colours photograph better than busy patterns, and necklines matter more than you would expect: a crew neck, a collar and something with a V will all read differently.

If you are an actor, bring what you would realistically be cast in. If it is for business, bring the jacket you actually wear. We will hang everything up and work through it together.

What actually happens in the session?

We talk first, before anything is photographed: what the images are for, what you have brought, and anything you would rather we avoided. Then we set up the first look, which is always the straightforward one. You do not need to know how to pose: you are directed the whole way through.

You see the images on screen as we go, so nothing is a surprise at the end. We change the lighting or the clothing between looks, you choose your favourites from a private gallery afterwards, and the retouched files come back within two weeks.

What licensing is included?

All rates include usage for personal, professional and casting platforms: Spotlight, IMDb, your website, LinkedIn and social media.

For commercial or press use, extended licensing applies and is quoted separately. For fully bespoke creative direction, concept development or production-heavy sessions, we will have a proper conversation first.

Can you arrange hair & make-up?

A hair and make-up artist is available on request at an additional rate. Tell us when you enquire and we will arrange it and quote it up front.

When do I get the images?

Your private gallery is ready within five working days, and the final retouched images arrive within two weeks. You choose your finals from the gallery, and you get both high-resolution files and web-ready versions with standard crops for social and print.

Where is the studio?

Cell Studios, Unit 0.9, Grosvenor Way, London E5 9NE, five minutes from Clapton Overground in East London.

Ask about access when you enquire and we will tell you exactly what to expect before you travel.

In the journal

Worth reading before you book.

Check availability

Tell us your dates and what the images are for. You will hear back with a straight answer, usually within one working day.

headshots with personality.

Three ways to do this.

Essential

Signature

Headshot Plus

One session, three audiences.

Actors

Creatives & performers

Business & founders