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What makes a great headshot? | Houston Headshot Photographer

Tara Flannery is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP)  and Craftsman based in Houston, TX.  Tara Flannery Photography specializes in corporate head shots.  See more headshots in the gallery.  Contact me to book your professional headshot today!

What makes a great headshot?

A successful session takes just a little bit of planning.  Before meeting a client for the first time, I like to discuss a few things in preparation for the session.

  1. Location: do you want a studio session, environmental, or outdoor location?  Take a look at some headshot examples and consider your company, role, and brand.  The studio headshot can be formal or casual, traditional or modern.  Environmental headshots give a sense of place and ground you in your space.  Outdoor headshots are more casual and friendly.
  2. Wardrobe: do you want a more formal look with a suit jacket or more casual yet still professional.  Talk to your photographer about options.  Always stick to the general rules of solid colors, well-fitting items, and no bold statement pieces.
  3. Variety: consider all of the places and uses for your new headshots.  Perhaps your website pages (about, products/services, contact), flyers, publications, business cards, proposals, and internal communications.  Think about the different types of images that you might need.  Talk to your photographer about these images so that you have a variety of poses and looks.  Your photographer can vary backgrounds, lighting, posing, and location to create a portfolio of images to satisfy those needs.

In summary, plan for all aspects of the headshot session.  From there, execution on the plan leads to a success and a great headshot!

Examples

Here are some recent headshot examples from my studio.  Most of my headshot session are business or corporate sessions.  Sometimes, the company already has a certain look and a new employee needs to have a headshot that matches that look.  Other times, we can create an entirely new look for the headshots or several looks so that you have a variety of images to pull from for websites and social media.  Either way, we can accomplish your goals in the headshot session.

Professional headshot man in dark suit

what makes a great headshotprofessional headshot of a man on white backgroundlawyer headshotsmodern headshotscontemporary headshotprofessional current headshot man

Tara Flannery is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP)  and Craftsman based in Houston, TX.  Tara Flannery Photography specializes in corporate headshots.  See more headshots in the gallery.  Contact me to book your professional headshot today!

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@taraflanneryphotography

🎓 Planning senior photos? Start with my Senior Session Guide!

I put it together to help you plan your session—from what to wear and what to bring to all the little details that make your photos feel like you. Grab it through the link in my bio!

And one thing I always encourage seniors to think about? Don’t document just one moment of senior year.

So much changes between the beginning of the school year and graduation.

Fall is about who you are right now—your personality, interests, style, sports, hobbies, and everything that made these last four years yours.

By spring, the focus starts shifting toward what’s next—college decisions, future plans, and all the excitement that comes with finishing senior year.

And then comes the cap and gown. 🎓 The final milestone before one chapter officially closes and another begins.

Senior year goes FAST. Take the photos. 🤍

📸 Class of 2027: Grab my Senior Session Guide through the link in my bio and start planning your senior photos!

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Open post by taraflanneryphotography with ID 18127290313793441
🎓 Planning senior photos? Start with my Senior Session Guide! I put it together to help you plan your session—from what to wear and what to bring to all the little details that make your photos feel like you. Grab it through the link in my bio! And one thing I always encourage seniors to think about? Don’t document just one moment of senior year. So much changes between the beginning of the school year and graduation. Fall is about who you are right now—your personality, interests, style, sports, hobbies, and everything that made these last four years yours. By spring, the focus starts shifting toward what’s next—college decisions, future plans, and all the excitement that comes with finishing senior year. And then comes the cap and gown. 🎓 The final milestone before one chapter officially closes and another begins. Senior year goes FAST. Take the photos. 🤍 📸 Class of 2027: Grab my Senior Session Guide through the link in my bio and start planning your senior photos!

Great headshot lighting doesn’t need to be complicated—it needs to be intentional. 📸

Where you place your light, how you position your reflector, and understanding what each one is actually doing can be the difference between a headshot that feels fine and one that looks clean, crisp, and polished.

And once you find setups that work? You don’t need to reinvent the wheel at every session.

That consistency is especially important when you’re photographing corporate teams and need every headshot to look cohesive—even when people are photographed at different times.

If you’re a photographer working on your headshot lighting, I put together a FREE guide with 3 Lighting Setups for Flawless Headshots that you can reference when planning your next session.

💡 Grab the guide through the link in my bio and save this reel for the next time you’re setting up your lights!

46 3
Open post by taraflanneryphotography with ID 18124994476793619
Great headshot lighting doesn’t need to be complicated—it needs to be intentional. 📸 Where you place your light, how you position your reflector, and understanding what each one is actually doing can be the difference between a headshot that feels fine and one that looks clean, crisp, and polished. And once you find setups that work? You don’t need to reinvent the wheel at every session. That consistency is especially important when you’re photographing corporate teams and need every headshot to look cohesive—even when people are photographed at different times. If you’re a photographer working on your headshot lighting, I put together a FREE guide with 3 Lighting Setups for Flawless Headshots that you can reference when planning your next session. 💡 Grab the guide through the link in my bio and save this reel for the next time you’re setting up your lights!

Your business doesn’t need to be “more established” first.

You don’t need to lose the weight, finish the website, perfect your wardrobe, or wait until you feel 100% ready.

If your current photos no longer reflect the level of business you’re building, that’s reason enough to update them.

A branding session gives you more than a new headshot—it gives you a library of intentional, on-brand images you can actually use across your website, social media, marketing, speaking opportunities, and everything in between.

We’ll plan the looks, the location, the shots you need, and how you’ll use them.

You just have to finally put it on the calendar. 😉

📸 Ready for a refresh? Book your consultation with the link in my bio!

8 0
Open post by taraflanneryphotography with ID 18124473211701850
Your business doesn’t need to be “more established” first. You don’t need to lose the weight, finish the website, perfect your wardrobe, or wait until you feel 100% ready. If your current photos no longer reflect the level of business you’re building, that’s reason enough to update them. A branding session gives you more than a new headshot—it gives you a library of intentional, on-brand images you can actually use across your website, social media, marketing, speaking opportunities, and everything in between. We’ll plan the looks, the location, the shots you need, and how you’ll use them. You just have to finally put it on the calendar. 😉 📸 Ready for a refresh? Book your consultation with the link in my bio!

You’re not supposed to know what to do in front of the camera—that’s my job. 🙌🏼

I’ll tell you where to put your hands, how to angle your body, when to shift your weight, where to look, and yes… I’ll probably demonstrate it myself first. 😂

Good posing isn’t about memorizing a bunch of complicated positions. It’s about making small adjustments that help you look confident, approachable, and like yourself.

And if you want a little head start before your next headshot or branding session, I put together a free guide with 5 Power Poses Every Professional Should Know.

These are simple poses you can use for professional photos, speaking engagements, events, or anytime a camera gets pointed your way.

📸 Grab the free guide through the link in my bio—and save this reel as proof that you will never be left standing in front of my camera wondering what to do with your hands. 😂

39 1
Open post by taraflanneryphotography with ID 18352023592223405
You’re not supposed to know what to do in front of the camera—that’s my job. 🙌🏼 I’ll tell you where to put your hands, how to angle your body, when to shift your weight, where to look, and yes… I’ll probably demonstrate it myself first. 😂 Good posing isn’t about memorizing a bunch of complicated positions. It’s about making small adjustments that help you look confident, approachable, and like yourself. And if you want a little head start before your next headshot or branding session, I put together a free guide with 5 Power Poses Every Professional Should Know. These are simple poses you can use for professional photos, speaking engagements, events, or anytime a camera gets pointed your way. 📸 Grab the free guide through the link in my bio—and save this reel as proof that you will never be left standing in front of my camera wondering what to do with your hands. 😂

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Serving the Greater Houston, Texas Area

tara@taraflannery.com

713-412-5437

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Tara is a member of the Professional Photographers of America PPA.
Tara is a Certified Professional Photographer.
Tara is a member of TPPA Texas Professional Photographer's Association.
Tara has earned her Master of Photography degree.
Tara has earned her Photographic Craftsman certification.
Tara is a member of the Professional Photographers Guild of Houston PPGH.