Professional Headshots
Our Approach, Pricing & Process
Santa Barbara Headshot Photographer | Actor, LinkedIn & Business Headshots
Professional actor headshots, LinkedIn photos and corporate headshots from Malibu to San Luis Obispo. 316+ five-star reviews.
When searching for business photographers or a professional headshot photographer near Goleta, Montecito or Santa Barbara, please consider Doug Ellis Photography. We are one of the pre-eminent Santa Barbara photographers offering professional branding and business portrait photoshoots on location and in a photo studio for individuals, groups and teams. Based on our Thumbtack, Google and Yelp reviews of the best Santa Barbara headshot photographers we can assure you we make the process easy, joyful and dare we say..fun
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How Much Are Headshots?
Business headshots and branding photos in Santa Barbara generally range from $40 for AI on the low-end at JC Penney portraits and other discount photo studios or Craigslist photographers all the way up into five and six figures for high-end commercial celebrity and fine art photographers.
Actor headshot pricing and business headshot pricing is based on the time involved and the number of “looks” or outfits/scenarios you would like to depict. Junior level headshot photographers within Santa Barbara charge between $300-$450 for a session. Higher-end more experienced photographers charge more, both because their experience saves you lots of time and the aggravation of being practiced on and unpleasantly surprised by the process. Higher-end photographers also generally have better equipment, assistants, stylists and other staff and more subtle retouching techniques.
My two look business headshot session starts at $495, including an online gallery of approximately 75 selects and retouching of your top three favorites. This is the professional headshot scheduling link to schedule your one look session and I also offer a free zoom consult link to chat things through. Additional looks/outfits beyond the first are $150 and I also have a professional hair and makeup person available to be with us as well.
For the cost conscious, I offer discounts to students, both academic students and acting students, as well as a $100 discount for bringing a friend, discounts for military personnel, and volume-based discounts for teams and groups of three or more.
What Is a Headshot Anyway?
Traditionally, a headshot is essentially a head and shoulders photo taken with a portrait length lens, cropped at about the jacket lapel or third button. For LinkedIN and other social media profiles it is cropped in tighter as a square and is truly a head shot in a box. Actor headshots are a subspecialty of headshots and historically are cropped at an 8×10 glossy ratio in homage to the days when actors had to distribute 8×10 glossies of their headshots.
We create bespoke business and personal portrait headshots either on location or in our downtown portrait studio to match current company website or LinkedIN photos using a marketing firm or PR lighting and posing spec sheet, using green screen for compositing, and/or specific office or architectural backgrounds to match specific Pantone colors. We also offer tiered volume headshot pricing for business teams of three or more and discounts for military personnel, nonprofits, and students.
All professional headshot sessions receive multiple high resolution files, in depth retouching, and a style guide and and branding discovery form and tutorial video to help you look and feel your best.
For brand makeovers or image assets for a brand new website it is often helpful to consider a branding photographer or branding image collection to tell your brand story with the most authenticity and alignment. We worth with pr and marketing agencies all the time and can help you with that.
What Makes Me One of the Best Headshot Photographers in Santa Barbara?
The difference is in the preparation and care we take to get to know you and what you are up to and really studying your face and signature gestures. We include a complimentary Zoom discovery call, pre-discovery form and style guide and audit of your current headshots and/or socials to make sure what we co-create is aligned with your current reality and branding aspirations and your best side and best foot forward. We confirm your taste and intended outcome for your headshots both before the session and after by photographing tethered to a large monitor so you can see the results. You also gain the benefit of almost 20 years of experience and the use of professional lighting and diffusion equipment (including portrait studio space as needed). We take a team approach that includes an assistant/sherpa to carry any extra gear, clothes, bags, etc smooth out distractions, and hair and makeup and fashion and prop styling as needed.We take the time to make sure your professional headshots exceed your expectations and that they will be retouched sized, cropped to the exact dimensions you need them. We pride ourselves on imagery that gets used, on the web, in advertising, for editorial or publishing use, and product packaging and external marketing collateral like annual report photography.
Where do I find an Actor Headshots Photographer and Modeling Digitals Photographer in Santa Barbara?
Here at our photo studio in downtown SB! You can read and see more examples on my actor and model headshot page here. There are several acting schools (both at colleges and privately) and local theatre companies in Santa Barbara and we do the actor headshots for most of them. We work with some of the top acting and modeling casting agencies in LA for child actor headshots and adult acting headshots both, including some celebrity actor headshots. We offer competitive actor headshot rates on a sliding scale particularly for students or members of the acting schools here in Santa Barbara. We offer a variety of styles of acting headshot, from candid/SoCal lifestyle type imagery near our offices in downtown Santa Barbara to full on in portrait studio headshots with seamless backgrounds and professional lighting as needed. Click here to see some more examples.
Headshot Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much do professional headshots cost in Santa Barbara?
Professional headshot sessions in Santa Barbara typically range from $250 to $800+ depending on the photographer’s experience, session length, and what’s included (# of outfit changes, locations, poses, etc. My sessions start at $395 and include studio or outdoor options, wardrobe guidance, and high-resolution final images delivered within 10 business days. Volume pricing is also available for teams of three or more — ideal for law firms, real estate agencies, financial services companies, and corporate retreats.
Can you come to our office for corporate headshots?
Yes. On-location corporate headshots are a core part of what I do. I bring professional lighting, contemporary (not fuddy) backdrops, and a previewing monitor to your office, conference room, or event space — anywhere in Santa Barbara, Montecito, Goleta, or along Central Coast. I’ve photographed teams ranging from 5 to 75+ people in a single day and sometimes hundreds of employees over multiple days. I can also coordinate hair and makeup artists on-site and photograph your company event or retreat concurrently while the event attendees are getting their headshots.
Can we do headshots during our company retreat or offsite?
Absolutely! It is common for companies to come to Santa Barbara and Goleta for their company retreats because the weather is almost always glorious and the light and surroundings are world class. There is a reason they call it the American Riviera. That said, we can do headshots indoors or out year-round and coordinate it with your HR, culture management and event management teams to make sure the headshots are polished and professional but still efficient and allow the employees to attend the event and not miss any important keynote speakers or other motivational content. Adding a day or two to incorporate professional headshots into your event while your team is already together saves your company time and coordination overhead. While one of us does the headshots, another photographer can photograph or video the event itself — keynotes, workshops, team activities, etc. Your team leaves with updated headshots and your company leaves with event content and sometimes slideshows and other multimedia for promotion later as well.
Do you photograph executive headshots for LinkedIn?
Do you offer headshots for therapists and Psychology Today profiles?
Yes — therapist and counselor headshots are one of my most requested sessions. A Psychology Today profile photo or video needs to communicate warmth, trust, and approachability in a single frame. I work with therapists, psychologists, marriage and family counselors, and life and executive coaches throughout Santa Barbara and Carpinteria. Sessions are relaxed and conversational — most clients who describe themselves as camera-shy leave with images they’re genuinely proud of.
How long does a corporate headshot session take per person?
For a standard a one look/outfit corporate session, I allow about 30 minutes for a private session. That’s enough time to really connect, relax, get a feel for the process and adjust a few variables with posing and clothing and general comportment. Subsequent looks go faster and allow for about 15-20 minutes for those. For founders or influencers or online daters who want more options — multiple backgrounds, indoor and outdoor — I recommend 60-90 minutes. For large volume days (30+ people), I work with your HR or office manager in advance to create a sign-up schedule that keeps the sessions moving in a way that gives everyone equal time and privacy.