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Does your headshot portray who you really are?

A headshot is more than just a portrait or a selfie. A headshot is an introduction to your future employer. It’s a casting director’s first glimpse of their new leading actor. It’s your client’s reassurance that you’re the right person for the job.

That’s a lot to portray in a single photo. But that’s where I come in.

Whether you’re a business professional or in the entertainment industry, I will capture your unique personality in a headshot that will stand out from your competition.

Philadelphia Headshot Photography Erin Businesswoman by Jason Ranalli
Philadelphia Headshot Photography John Blackwell Corporate by Jason Ranalli
Jason Ranalli Philadelphia Pennsylvania Acting Corporate Business Headshots Photography
CLICK TO CONTACT ME!

So, you’ve never been in front of a camera before. It’s no big deal!
You don’t need modeling experience. Maybe you think you’re not photogenic. It’s not true!


Everyone has the ability to take gorgeous photos, so let me prove that to you. I use a different approach when taking headshots of my clients.

Philadelphia Headshot Photography Man Entrepreneur Robert by Jason Ranalli
Philadelphia Headshot Photography Woman Actress Linda by Jason Ranalli
Philadelphia Headshot Photography Businesswoman Samira by Jason Ranalli
Philadelphia Headshot Photography Erin Businesswoman by Jason Ranalli
Philadelphia Headshot Photography John Blackwell Corporate by Jason Ranalli
Jason Ranalli Philadelphia Pennsylvania Acting Corporate Business Headshots Photography

 

So, you’ve never been in front of a camera before. It’s no big deal!

You don’t need modeling experience. Maybe you think you’re not photogenic. It’s not true!


Everyone has the ability to take gorgeous photos, so let me prove that to you. I use a different approach when taking headshots of my clients.

Philadelphia Headshot Photography Man Entrepreneur Robert by Jason Ranalli
Philadelphia Headshot Photography Woman Actress Linda by Jason Ranalli
Philadelphia Headshot Photography Businesswoman Samira by Jason Ranalli

Collaboration is key:

I take the time to get to know you and understand your needs. What starts out as some simple photos, ends up capturing the best version of yourself.

I’m your headshot coach:

Instead of merely snapping a button, I’m coaching you into looking your very best.

Be expressive:

I specialize in expressions, so I will direct you to try various poses or subtle changes in your facial muscles to capture you best angle. It’s these nuances that make a headshot go from mediocre to spectacular.

What my clients say

Jason Ranalli Headshots Philadelphia Pennsylvania Acting Corporate Photography Headshot Nina Lotfi

NINA

” Jason is passionate about his business and clients. He cares about the end product and does quality work! From the initial conversation to the final conversation, I found Jason to be easy to work with. I would not hesitate to recommend him to family and friends or to reuse his services.. “

NINA

Jason Ranalli Headshots Philadelphia Pennsylvania Acting Corporate Photography Headshot Mary Delozier

MARY

” Jason is excellent at his craft, I cannot recommend him enough if you are looking to take your headshot to the next level. Every detail was thought of, from who you’re portraying in your headshot to the slightest shoulder angle. Jason made what is normally a daunting process easy. “

MARY

Jason Ranalli Headshots Philadelphia Pennsylvania Acting Corporate Photography Headshot Dev Chanchani

DEV

” I have had several headshots taken over the course of my career. Jason was the best – hands down. He is great to work with providing guidance and humor which leads to and outcome far better than your typical headshot photographer. “

DEV

Who the heck is this guy?

I am a Philadelphia native who has been a photographer for over 10 years. While I love taking pictures, I get the most enjoyment from making my clients look confident and poised, while still coming across as friendly and approachable. I specialize in expressions, and those expressions are the heart of my work.

When I’m not giving my clients the best headshot they’ve ever had, I’m a husband to a lovely wife and a father of two wonderful kids, a son, and a daughter. I root for the Eagles, and you will never see me turn down a cheesesteak. I also do my own landscaping around the house, and it looks terrible. Thankfully, my camera skills are much better than my green thumb shrubbery skills.

LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR SESSION

What else is there to know about headshots?

Well, lots really.

I would love to shoot as many folks as possible but I realize that styles and needs differ. Across the vast landscape of photographers out there I recommend finding the one that

A) has work that appeals to you the most and

B) is someone you feel comfortable working with.

If my work is in line with your own vision then I would love to hear from you. It is also important that you feel comfortable with how we’re working because getting a great picture is a true collaboration.

Ultimately, I want you to be happy with how you look in your headshot at the end of the day.

Every photographer has their own style but what really separates my style from most others is:

I’m Interested in Your Expressions If you don’t have a compelling expression/pose no outdoor setting with a nice sunset, elaborate makeup, or unique clothing is going to make the shot work. I don’t rely on those things to create headshots that draw interest. Our focus is nearly always on the expression.

I Will Direct and Guide You Most of the folks I shoot are not folks who can command every inch of their face when asked to. That is a skill that seasoned actors/models worked hard to achieve. My direction comes into play to help you break some of these pieces down, drill them in for a bit then layer them together. Some of the techniques you learn for a headshot work far beyond my studio – you keep them in your back pocket.

I Believe in Collaboration I realize the success of our shoot is hinged on our collaboration. Sure, I could have a client come in, not really talk to them, pose them real quick, say “smile” and have them on their way in ten minutes. However, that is going to limit you to the same type of expression you gave when you heard “say cheese” as a little kid. A simple two-way dialogue throughout the shoot opens the door to much more genuine expressions.

The short answer is as much or as little time as we need to capture what you want.

The biggest mistake I see other photographers making is not letting folks “warm-up” in front of the camera nor giving them any guidance on how to look. What you end up with is not how you naturally look every day but rather an apprehensive deer-in-headlights yearbook style photo that has zero energy.

Generally I’ll take as much time as you want to work through this, guide you with expressions and angles that show you as most compelling, work through different garments, etc.

I’m more concerned with getting you a top-tier headshot rather than something that looks rushed and cheap.

The short answer is “no”.

However, the best analogy I can give is that shooting a headshot without one of my makeup artists is sort of like buying a really nice sports car but putting regular all-weather consumer tires on it.

A high quality camera and lighting setup exposes every detail and imperfection in the skin. Even if you do your own makeup you most likely will not know ahead of time how to complement this setup so that your skin looks youthful and vibrant. The goal is give an extremely light and barely noticeable makeup look but with all the coverage needed to reduce spots, blemishes, etc.

Yes, I offer group rates for those organizations looking to get their executive staff or even their entire company set with new headshots.

Please use the contact form for inquiries, include as many details as possible and I will reach out to you as soon as I can.

Provided you have an appropriate space, I can shoot at your site when accommodating larger groups.

Please use the contact form for inquiries around a specific project you have in mind.

This is a stylized choice to maximize the marketability of your headshot.

Portraits have been done in vertical format long before the camera was even invented and it originally made sense that headshots would follow suit. Now, however, much of that has changed. Our TVs have gotten wider, our computer monitors look more like movie screens now, interviews are done in this format, commercials use this format and the list goes on and on. Nearly every time we see a face on an electronic medium these days it is set in a horizontal format.

It would be a waste to not embrace these same formats for your headshot.

Part of providing a great product for my clients includes a comfortable welcoming environment where we can consistently get the results we want day in and day out. Shooting out on some street or in a park offers us very little of either of those. If we’re not fighting the weather we’re dealing with constantly changing light situations all of which takes away from our focus in honing your appearance in front of the camera.

Nearly all my work is shot inside my comfortable studio.

I want to be able to give you a consistent quality shoot day or evening, rain or shine.

There are times where we use custom backgrounds for very specific corporate clients (i.e. pink/purple for a candy store staff). Generally speaking though, the best headshots have little to nothing to do with the color or type of background and everything to do with the energy you’re giving the camera.

White, grey and black do very little to distract from your face and everything to complement it.

We’ll be working with at least several different looks so bring at least 3-5 different tops. Make sure you are comfortable wearing them. If you’re not crazy about the top then don’t bring it – it will show in the photos.

A variety of colors is good but no bold prints or patterns or anything overly gaudy that will detract from you. In addition, whites, greys, and black always tend to photograph very well so I recommend bringing those if you have them.

Feel free to fill up my large garment rack and we can go through them once you get here. Generally we’ll start with the more casual looks then move towards the formal end. If we find something isn’t coming across as good as we hoped at least we have options right there to switch it up.

Ladies Bring a variety of sleeveless, crew necks, spaghetti straps, dresses(formal or casual), etc.

Guys Layers tend to work well so we can do sweaters, jackets, ties, ti-shirts, or even hoodies depending on the look you’re going for. It is certainly best if suits/jackets/shirts are well tailored so that they are not too loose or too tight. Ties should not be too bright or too busy.

The answer is little-to-none. It is better to keep jewelry to an absolute minimum or leave it out entirely. Earrings if they must be worn should be simple studs. Dangling earrings or hoops tend to distract from any expressions we’ve worked so hard to create.

Guys can come with their hair done as they would any day. Makeup is generally not recommended for males.

Women should come with their hair and makeup done; more or less camera ready. Makeup should be light, natural and fresh looking. No heavy eye shadows or liners – these tend to not translate as well into headshots as one might think. If you plan to use foundation try to stay away from powders which can give a caked look in the camera. A liquid foundation that leaves your skin dewy and refreshed looking is the way to go. Bring your makeup bag should you want to touch-up in between looks.

The theme overall with wardrobe, jewelry, hair, and makeup is that it should ALL be understated. We are here to photograph YOU!!!