Headshot photographer in Houston | Motiva

Tara Flannery is a Houston headshot photographer based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX.  See more headshots in the gallery.  Contact me to book an individual headshot session or a corporate session for the entire company.

The Perfect Profile Picture?

An article by Photofeeler on social media profile pictures analyzed certain attributes of a profile image.  Pictures are rated on competence, likability, and influence.  The findings may surprise you!  To see the full article, click here.  By the way, you can upload your profile photo to this website and get feedback on it.

A profile photo is your representative in the digital world.

“We look to it every time we interact with you online, and even imagine it speaking the words you type.  Profile photos are so essential to modern communication that a good one’s become a basic necessity. And that couldn’t be truer than for those of us whose professional lives are tied to social media profiles.  That’s why we at Photofeeler decided to set our first major study on the goal of targeting just a few, over-arching guidelines.  That is, we asked ourselves— if we set aside characteristics like gender, age, and physical traits, to focus only on what we can easily control— what elements reliably produce a better professional headshot photo (for use on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)?”

The results are as follows:

  • eyes: squinching (as in a smile) increases competency, likability, and influence
  • face: smiling with teeth increases competency, likability, and influence
  • body: formal dress increases competency and influence
  • setting: the background has essentially no effect on competency, likability, or influence
  • editing: over-processing an image (high saturation or dark photos) has a negative effect on the image while a black and white image has no effect

This analysis shows the importance of certain elements in your profile image.  Hiring a professional photographer will ensure that you get the best image for your website, social media, and marketing materials.

Motiva

This is my third corporate session for Motiva at its downtown Houston offices.  Different groups within the company have hired me for their professional headshots.  This time the legal group needed headshots.  This was a super efficient group!

Motiva strives to become the safest and most profitable downstream business in the United States.  Reaching our goal depends on 2,300 dedicated US employees working together across our operating territory, bringing the country the energy it needs and giving back to the communities where we operate. Our legacy of delivering quality products dates back over 100 years with our Port Arthur refinery. Now, it’s North America’s largest, with a crude capacity of 600,000 barrels a day. And today, our network of 24 distribution terminals has extended our reach, supplying gasoline and diesel to thousands of retail outlets under the iconic Shell and 76® brands.

 

 

Houston headshot photographerHouston headshot photographerheadshot photographer in Houston

Tara Flannery is a Houston headshot photographer based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX.  See more headshots in the gallery.  Contact me to book an individual headshot session or a corporate session for the entire company.

- INSTAGRAM -

@taraflanneryphotography

I’m gonna let you in on my secret… 👀

These are the camera settings I use as my starting point when I’m shooting during golden hour:

☀️ APERTURE
For one person: f/2.8–f/3.2
For families or groups: f/5.6

A wider aperture gives you that beautiful separation and soft background when you’re photographing one person. With a group, I stop down to help keep everyone in focus.

☀️ SHUTTER SPEED
I start around 1/160 sec—but if I have kids running, a couple moving around, or anything else with more movement, I’ll increase my shutter speed to keep everything sharp.

☀️ ISO
ISO 400 is my starting point, and then I adjust up or down depending on how much light I have.

The biggest thing to remember? These aren’t magic numbers you have to use every time.

Golden hour changes quickly, and your settings should change with it. Use these as a starting point, watch your light, and adjust for the people and movement in front of your camera.

And if you’re building your photography kit and wondering what gear is actually worth investing in, I put together my Photographer’s Gear Guide with the cameras, lenses, lighting, and equipment I use in my own business.

Grab your free copy through the link in my bio! 📸
Class of 2027, the clock is ticking! 🎓📸

Yearbook deadlines are getting closer, which means there’s not much time left to get those fall senior portraits on the calendar.

Senior photos are about so much more than checking a yearbook photo off the list. This is your chance to capture their personality, style, interests, and who they are during one of the biggest years of their life.

If senior portraits are still sitting on your fall to-do list, this is your sign to get them booked!

🎓 Now booking fall senior sessions. Head to the link in my bio to get started.
Come spend a headshot + branding day with me! 📸

One of my favorite things about on-location sessions is getting to step into a client’s space and create images that actually feel connected to their business.

We can capture updated headshots, team photos, working shots, office details, and plenty of branding content—all without your team having to leave the office.

A lot goes into a shoot day, but this is the fun part: turning an ordinary workday into a whole new library of images for your brand.

Need updated photos for your business or team? Let’s plan your session! Click the link in my bio to get started! 🔗
If your kids are still living under your roof, take the photos. 🤍

You hear people say you only get 18 summers with your kids, and now that mine are grown, I understand just how quickly those years really go. Once college, work, relationships, and their own schedules enter the picture, getting everyone together at the same time gets a whole lot harder.

So don’t wait for the “perfect” year for family portraits. Document the family you have right now—the missing teeth, growth spurts, changing personalities, and even the little bit of chaos that comes with it.

Because one day, getting everyone in the same place for a family photo might be the hardest part.

🍂 Fall Family Portrait Weekend Availability:

September 20
October 3, 10, & 17
November 7 & 15

If family portraits have been on your list, grab one of my remaining fall dates before they’re gone.

📸 Book your session through the link in my bio.
Fall family portrait season is officially here! 🍂

I keep a limited number of weekend dates open specifically for family sessions each fall—and once they’re booked, they’re booked!

Whether you’re thinking ahead to holiday cards, finally updating the family photos on your walls, or simply wanting to document this season before the kids grow another inch, now is the time to get your session on the calendar.

My current weekend availability is listed above. Save your date before someone else grabs it! 🤍

📸 Ready to book? Head to the link in my bio to get started.

- STAY IN TOUCH -

Serving the Greater Houston, Texas Area

tara@taraflannery.com

713-412-5437

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FloDesk FREE STYLE GUIDE

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.