CREATIVE.
CONSISTENT.
COMPELLING.

CK Headshots Atlanta offers portrait and headshot photography on location and in studio.

CREATIVE
CONSISTENT
COMPELLING

CK Headshots Atlanta offers portrait and headshot photography on location and in studio.

The following features are included with every package:

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY IS DONE BY THE OWNER

All of our headshot and portrait photography is done by our owner, a professional headshot and portrait photographer with over 20 years of professional experience.

PERSONAL CONSULTATION

If you think you need it, please take advantage of the personal consultation that comes with each package. This is a short conversation to help us get on the same page before the shoot. Let me know what you’re trying to achieve.

ONLINE PROOF GALLERY

An online, password protected, proof gallery for sharing and choosing proofs comes with every package.

CUSTOM RETOUCHING

Every package includes in-house professional retouching—acne or annoying blemishes, extra weight added by the lights or camera, are all taken care of after the shoot.

ABOUT

CK HEADSHOTS ATLANTA
A PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOT AND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER BASED IN ATLANTA, USA

CK Headshots Atlanta is a niche business owned and operated by me, Carlisle, a professional photographer and filmmaker based in Atlanta, Georgia. CK Headshots offers professional headshots and portraits on location or in studio at a competitive rate. Considered “one of the best Atlanta headshot photographers” we service Atlanta and beyond with more than 20 years of experience creating thoughtfully crafted professional headshots and portraits. Specialities include professional corporate headshots, on location group headshots, actor headshots, businesses headshots, personal branding headshots and portrait and editorial photography. If you’re looking for a professional Atlanta headshot photographer, an editorial portrait, or an update to your brand, please contact us.

CK Headshots is made up of one dedicated owner and photographer who handles all photography and retouching. What you see here is what you get! Whether it be group shots of multiple subjects or a personal session, each individual is guided through the process and photographed with full attention to detail.

No smug, judgy photographers here. Knowing how unnerving a trip in front of the camera can be, every client is respectfully guided through the process from pre-shoot through post processing.

Whatever the use, a corporate or business headshot, acting headshot, an executive portrait or editorial shoot for a publication, we understand the power of a great image and how important it is to capture each client in their best light. Whether it be a simple headshot, a large group headshot session on location, or a complex editorial portrait—at a competitive, affordable rate—ck headshots creates artistic, well crafted professional headshots and portraits designed specifically to your needs. We strive to make all our headshots and portraits great headshots and portraits—not just good headshots and portraits. Because in this content saturated world, good is often not good enough.

Do I need to pose for my headshot?

Yes and no. How to pose for a headshot is a headshot photography related phrase often searched on google. And the answer is really not all that complicated. Simply because most of what you’ll be required to do, other than stand or sit naturally, is up to me to walk you through. And even then not all that much needs to be done. A few tweaks here and there to your natural posture is often all it takes. A good photographer is in part almost always thinking in terms of composition. It’s up to the photographer to establish the group of angles necessary to serve the end goal. So yes you have to do a little bit of what one may call posing, but no you don’t have to figure any of it out yourself. If you’re more interested in this I have a whole article about it in my blog.

What’s the difference between a headshot and a portrait?

Headshot vs portrait, what’s the difference? Sometimes not much to be honest. In fact I often find myself letting the one bleed into the other. However the term headshot usually suggests a certain utilitarian kind of end use. Along with this comes a certain standard or set of criteria that needs to be met to fit within a particular business or industry mold. Fort example an industry standard actors headshot needs to meet the expectations of a casting director, agent or other professional in the entertainment industry. This typically means mostly head and very little body, a gaze right into the camera, no hands on the face or excess when it comes to wardrobe and styling. Business headshots often require specifications that match existing content or other headshots. A portrait on the other hand, at least to me, suggest capturing an essence. Aristotle said “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance”. I think that quote succinctly sums up what a good portrait is all about.

What makes a good headshot? What makes a good portrait?

The easy short answer to this is a good photographer makes a good headshot or portrait. That might sound a little flippant but the point is true — you pay me to make a photo, all you really need to do is cooperate with what it takes to achieve that end goal. And honestly, it doesn’t take all that much on your part. There are a few things you can do leading up to the session that can help, e.g., try and get good sleep, etc., but I wouldn’t stress about these things too much. There’s very little that can’t be coached or corrected. You can view my tips on how to prepare to learn more about this. Outside of the collaborative process between photographer and client there are certainly a few aesthetic qualities that make a headshot or portrait most effective. Although there are differences between headshots and portraits the following applies to both. A good headshot or portrait is dynamic. Just like any other art form, a powerful photograph almost always has a dynamic quality. In headshot terms that might mean the head turned subtly one way while the shoulders are angled another. It might mean creating negative space between an arm and the body or something as simple as shifting the head one way and the eyes another. Lighting can also provide a dynamic quality. Sometimes I’ll shoot subjects straight on, almost perfectly symmetrical and let the lighting and design add in the dynamics. A good headshot or portrait is honest. There’s something I call the honest gaze. This is a feeling of genuineness portrayed by the look or gaze of the subject being photographed. This does not mean intense, or confident or anything else. It means genuine. If your look is genuine, it’s going to by nature also be confident and powerful. A genuine or honest look is usually simply you un impeded by the present circumstances of being in front of a camera. Does that mean you can’t be nervous, well no. It means you need a good photographer to read between the lines, determine your baseline and do what’s necessary to capture it.

How do I prepare for a headshot?

The first and most important thing is to remember that I’m here to guide you through the whole process. Most people tell me they don’t like having their photos taken. Including myself! I expect that, and do everything I can to make it an easy, fully guided process. Second: Communication is key. Let me know what it is you’re trying to achieve. If you see photos on-line that inspire you, send them over. If there’s a particular mood you’re going for, let me know. If you’re undecided about wardrobe, etc., run it by me. Third, try to be at your best. That may mean a good nights sleep, or the right kind of meal, or particular kind of inspiration. But don’t over do it. Worrying about being prepared is often the worst thing you can do to prepare. With exception to extreme cases, you don’t need to cancel if you don’t achieve these things—most of the signs of a poor nights sleep can be edited out, fly away hair can be fixed. There are techniques we can use to help you engage. With respect to hair and make-up: some clients like to have their hair styled before the shoot. If this makes you feel more confident, I’d say do it. However most tend to take care of this themselves. The same is true for make-up. The vast majority of my clients choose to do their own. If you’d like to have an artist do it for you on site, you can arrange it yourself or, we can help you arrange it at an additional fee. If you’re looking for some make-up basics, check out this article.