Headshots vs. Portraits

Have you ever asked what’s the difference between a headshot and a portrait and why portraits cost more? I mean in the end, they’re both just pictures of you aren’t they? 

A stylized headshot. March 2023

Well yes, but no. 

The difference lies in the purpose of the picture, the length of time it takes to capture it, and the time your photographer needs to invest in post processing.

Let’s break it down. 

The purpose of a headshot is to get you an interview or a meeting or a pitch session - whatever you’re working towards in your business. If you want to know more about my headshot approach, check out My Take On Headshots. 

The purpose of a portrait is a lot deeper. It’s about showcasing your personality, the essence, or some aspect of your being that you want to freeze in that very moment in time. Check out my post A Portrait is a Gift that talks specifically about what I love about portraits and how I approach them. 

Side profile portrait. August 2023

The general style of headshots are often very standard and often simpler to achieve, which means they take much less time to produce. Whereas portrait sessions are very fluid. It takes longer for people to relax, for me to pose them, light them and finesse the shot to really bring out a personality. We take the time to capture different styles and there is often an outfit change midway through. Headshot sessions are typically 20-30 mins of shooting time while portraits are normally 1-1.5 hours. 

So the capture time of headshots and portraits are vastly different, and the delivery of those images is also very different. 

Headshot sessions end with the client selecting the final images included in the package they purchased, and those images then undergo simple retouching like white balancing, basic blemish reduction, and skin smoothing. 

Portrait retouching is much more lengthy and happens in two stages. The first stage of retouching is applied to an extensive gallery that the client gets to choose their final images from. Their final chosen images then go through stage two of removing flyaways, contouring shadows and highlights, smoothing clothing, and other things that might be needed depending on the photograph. The post processing on portraits often takes 3-4x the time of the initial session. 

I hope this helps to clarify the difference between these two kinds of sessions. But what happens if you need both? 

Well the great news is that it’s simple to combine these shoots. So I offer a headshot add on package to my clients when they purchase a portrait session. So when everything is finished you are able to walk out with images for your professional work and beautiful, timeless images of yourself that you and your family can love and cherish for decades.