Headshot Guide

Have you been thinking of getting a headshot? Well, as a photographer who does several headshot sessions every week there are some things that I have found that most people don’t know about headshots. So before you decide on a photographer or show up to a shoot with some seriously uncomfortable shoes, read this quick guide to help you through the process.

What is a headshot? 

Well its a photograph that encompasses everything from your look and brand, to your occupation and personality. Its a lot to expect from a photo, and thats why you need to make sure that its done right. Your headshot sells you! Make sure that you look your best, but its also important that your personality shines through. After all, when people work with you they are working with your personality more than your appearance.

Which photographer should I hire to take my headshot? 

Deciding on a photographer is hard! We are a dime a dozen, but not all of us are created equal. When you are searching for your headshot photographer here are some questions that you can ask that will help the decision making a little easier.

• Do you have a portfolio of your past work?
• What are your rates?
• What is included in your rate?
• Do you shoot on location or in studio?
• How many looks does your session include?
• How long is a session?

Where should I take my headshot?

When deciding on a photographer you can ask if they have a studio in which you be taking your headshots. If not thats okay. An on location shoot can provide an environment or background that helps to showcase your incredible personality. For example, if you have your photo taken in front of large bookcases, the viewer of your headshot might assume that you are well read and educated. When it comes to taking your photo indoors or outside that is completely up to your personal preferences. Just remember not all outside headshots are taken in a field somewhere. An urban background might be just what you need. 

What should I wear?

Well, I will tell you one thing you should always wear, comfortable shoes! Don't wear heals that hurt when you walk or those new sneakers that rub. Your feet will never show in a headshot so put those flats on! Also depending on the agreement that you made with your photographer two or three outfits are suggested. Bring shirts with different necklines. We don't want all of your photos to be the same and some necklines will frame your face better than others. Also, I typically recommend that you wear solid clothing. Some prints can take away from the photos and that includes taking attention away from you.

When do I need to retake my headshot?

Generally it is recommended that you need to get a new headshot every two years, but it can be more frequent than that. You need new headshot if you change your look, whether that be a hair color or style change, or if you gain or lose a significant amount of weight. 

Everyone needs a headshot, make sure that your experience is a good one! Whether you book with me or another photographer, make sure that you are comfortable with who you are working with. It makes the biggest difference!

Adventures in the Yukon

For those of you who don’t know me or how aren’t familiar with my work I have two passions; travel and photography. I have the best job in the world. It allows me to explore both of those things. In this blog I want to share with you a few of my favorite places that I have traveled to recently and maybe you just might want to check them out for yourself. 

Travelers to the Yukon are often surprised at how much Canada’s smallest territory has to offer. Over the years the Yukon has become a more fashionable place to visit and to cement its popularity the royal family including Will and Kate visited in 2016 during Canada’s royal tour. In addition to the drawl of the royals there is also a ton to do in Canada’s western most territory. 

For the adventurers of the world the Yukon like a big playground. It is able to offer a lot of different outdoor activities due to its beautiful and varied landscape. The Yukon is covered in mountains, rivers and a few lakes so activities like skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, canoeing, hiking, and camping are popular in the territory. Visitors also often make their way up to hot springs in hopes of some relaxation as they wait to take in the beauty of the northern lights. In addition to many different outdoor activities the Yukon is home to some incredible wildlife that is commonly spotted throughout the day.

Hidden among the beautiful mountains and water ways of the Yukon, is the world's smallest desert. Covering an area of only one square mile Carcross Desert is an interesting anomaly in the territory. Carcross was said to have formed during the earth’s last glacial period. There is nothing but a small sign that welcomes visitors and lets you know that the desert is even there. Although it is right off a highway, Carcross Desert is very easy to miss due to its size. 

An attraction that many visit in the Yukon is the Caribou Crossing Trading Post. This fun little center is centrally located within the Yukon, this makes for an easy day trip for most travelers and it offers an array of fun activities. From the Wildlife Museum to an old fashioned ice cream parlor there is a little something for everyone. The biggest hit though is the dog sledding. People travel there just to see the husky pups and their larger counterparts that pull the sleds. Once you get in to sled, usually accompanied by a few other people, the dogs set off. The ride is both fun and exhilarating, making it something that the riders won’t soon forget. Once you get back from the sled ride many travelers spend their time with the puppies. It helps to socialize them so that once it is their turn to pull the sled they will be used to visitors. Plus, they are absolutely adorable.  

No matter when you visit the Yukon, whether it be in the summer when the sun never goes down or during the winter when the sun never comes up, there is a ton to do and so much to see. Make sure to check it out when you can!

Thank you for spending your time to read this blog! Please come back to explore another amazing location!

Going Back in Time in Ketchikan, Alaska

For those of you who don’t know me or how aren’t familiar with my work I have two passions; travel and photography. I have the best job in the world. It allows me to explore both of those things. In this blog I want to share with you a few of my favorite places that I have traveled to recently and maybe you just might want to check them out for yourself. 

The southeastern most city in Alaska, Ketchikan is a small town with a rich history. With a population of just over eight thousand the residents typically work in one of two industries, tourism or fishing. Tourism is a huge part of the economy in Ketchikan, and the many attractions will let you know that. 

Many tourists come to Ketchikan to see its famous totem poles. The small town boasts the largest number of them in Alaska. Chief Johnson’s Totem Pole sits at the center of town, while the others are spread thought Ketchikan. Some of the posts are more than 100 years old. Ketchikan loves to boast its native heritage along with some of the other parts of the town’s history.

One of the other parts of history that Ketchikan likes to preserve is Dolly’s House Museum. Long ago, Dolly’s House provided a certain kind of female companionship. After a long day at work the men of the town would make their way to Creek Street, also known as the heart of the red light district. The most famous of these brothels was located at 24 Creek Street, Dolly’s House. As visitors step inside the house they are transported in time. Visitors are still able see the house covered in its original wall paper and the hiding places for liquor during the prohibition era are opened for all to see. To make the tour more authentic, the women who give tours through the old brothel wear attire of those who worked there during the house’s heyday. 

Another attraction and one that is a little more family friendly is The Great Lumberjack Action Show. This show is action packed with things like tree climbing races, log running, and axe throwing. The men that are in the show are actually trained and experienced lumberjacks. The lumberjacks are also world champion athletes who go head to head in competition every day for the tourists of Ketchikan.

The other industry that is really big in the small town is fishing. Ketchikan is known as the salmon capital of the world and it does not disappoint. The fish is caught local so its fresh and it is prepared a million different ways: sautéed, broiled, battered, or baked. The towns restaurants also serve salmon burgers, salmon jerky, smoked salmon spread, cured salmon, salmon rolls, and salmon roe among many other salmon dishes. Hungry yet?

Thank you for spending your time to read this blog! Please come back next week as we explore another amazing location!

The Ghost Town of Jerome, Arizona

For those of you who don’t know me or how aren’t familiar with my work I have two passions; travel and photography. I have the best job in the world. It allows me to explore both of those things. In this blog I want to share with you a few of my favorite places that I have traveled to recently and maybe you just might want to check them out for yourself. 

Sitting along a mountain side, America’s most vertical city is a ghost town reclaimed by the living. Jerome, Arizona is a town that embraces its dark history with an even darker sense of humor. Filled with winding roads, old concrete steps, and a little bit of street art Jerome is a little town with a lot to offer. When driving along Arizona State Highway 89A town’s only identifier is the large white J on the side of a mountain. Jerome is the literal definition of a small town, it sits within one square mile. Once known as the wickedest town in the west Jerome lives up to the name. The town has burned down four times claiming the lives of many. It it also sits upon a copper mine that at one time produced around three million pounds of copper a month. Many tourists and residents alike believe that the copper, a known conductor of energy, is the reason for its more ghostly inhabitants. 

Jerome is as known as America’s largest ghost town and it most definitely lives up to its name. The living residents have embraced their ghostly neighbors. An example of this is the main restaurant in town, The Haunted Hamburger. All of the dishes served in the restaurant have names that go along with the theme and ghost stories are often told around the table. After eating a delicious meal paired with one of their spiked milkshakes, visitors can make their way through the town to visit many the small shops that line the street. Many of these stores have histories of their own. One of the eclectic boutiques has a basement that visitors are urged to go to and take a look at. Once they climb down the stairs the visitors are transported in time. The walls are brick with tunnels leading out of the basement and up to the main square. There are old glass bottles stored in random holes and fireplaces throughout the basement. The storekeeper then explains that the basement was one of the town’s speakeasies, during the prohibition era. Once the visitors to the small town have shopped until the sun goes down most of them go on one of the town’s ghost tours, where they are equipped with EMF readers. The tour takes about four hours on foot and there are many ghost stories to tell. Half way through the tour visitors find themselves in the Jerome Town Square. As the tour guide tells them about the Connor Hotel, and an unfortunate event that led to its hauntings, on the other of the side of a street is an amphitheater of sorts where some of the towns residents like to sit and watch the tourists, sometimes heckling them during a tour. Visitors climb their way up one of the many steep roads of Jerome to the Holy Family Catholic Church. This is the spot that many of the ghost tours end at. The church is said to be haunted, but get this, the ghost plays the old pipe organ. The tour goers listen in on the EMF readers to see if they can pick up on the ghosty music. Once everyone has had their fill of frights for the night many of them take the about half mile walk to their cars rather quickly, looking behind them every few paces.

Thank you for spending your time to read this blog! Please come back next week as we explore another amazing location!

Climbing the Xunantuich Ruins of Belize

For those of you who don’t know me or how aren’t familiar with my work I have two passions; travel and photography. I have the best job in the world. It allows me to explore both of those things. In this blog I want to share with you a few of my favorite places that I have traveled to recently and maybe you just might want to check them out for yourself. 

Tucked away in rural Belize stands a shrine to an ancient people, the Mayans. Boarding a bus in Belize City and traveling due west travelers are getting ready to spend their day with a little bit of history at the Xunantunich ruins. After passing through several small villages, visitors arrive at a market place along the bank of Mopan River. The travelers make their way through the stands of handmade goods to be greeted by a ferry. Its really a ten foot by ten foot square of wood that has been fastened into a raft. The makeshift transportation will then take them to the other bank of the river where they will complete their journey on foot. Walking the path up to the Xunantunich ruins, guides advise visitors to not touch the trees surrounding the path. Black sap pours from the trees and it gives off a slight oder. The sap itself is said to be so poisonous that if you ingest the smallest amount you would die if you don’t also take the antidote. That live saving antidote happens to grow on a tree that is intertwined with the black sap tree. After about thirty minutes on the trail and about a million run ins with all of the wild iguana visitors arrive at the entrance of the Xunantunich Ruins.

As you enter the ruins guides will pause at the entrance for an extended amount of time while giving visitors a little backstory of the area. While taking in a little of the history many of the visitors use this time to sit and catch their breath as the trip to the highest point of El Castillo, the biggest and most popular of the Xunantunich Ruins, is 130 feet straight up and it is the second tallest structure in the country. As visitors climb to the top of the ruin, that seems to grow as travelers make their way to the its peak, the ever energetic guide gives the back story on the name of the 26 temples and palaces that make up the Xunantunich ruins. The name itself means “stone woman.” In the late 1800s many people that live in the surrounding villages claim to have seen the ghost of a woman wearing all white and whose eyes glowed red among the structures. It is commonly said that the ghost would usually be seen descending the stairs of El Castillo and would disappear into a stone wall. This of course was mentioned to the visitors as they were already half way up the ruin. Once visitors get to the top they can take in the view. About a kilometer to the west sits Guatemala, and the view from 130 feet is amazing. Completely surrounded by forest and vegetation it is truly beautiful.

Once everyone has had enough of the view visitors start descending the structure one by one, leaving the same way they came. They walk to the ferry and travel to the other side of the bank where they are expected to take part in a traditional Belizean meal. While the food is served a lively man walks around and plays the recorder for all to hear, cracking jokes along the way. The visitors finish their food and close out a beautiful day of exploration among the Mayan Ruins of Xunantunich.  

Thank you for spending your time to read this blog! Please come back next week as we explore another amazing location!

Spending a day in Sedona, Arizona

For those of you who don’t know me or how aren’t familiar with my work I have two passions; travel and photography. I have the best job in the world. It allows me to explore both of those things. In this blog I want to share with you a few of my favorite places that I have traveled to recently and maybe you just might want to check them out for yourself. 

One of the best things about traveling to a place like Sedona is the drive to get there. Even if you fly to Arizona you still have about a 40 minute drive until you get to the quaint town. The views during the drive there are absolutely amazing and you know as soon as you enter Red Rock Country. Tucked away and hidden within the beautiful landscape is Sedona, a vibrant and unique town unlike any other. 

Waking up in early in Sedona means you are up with the hikers and adventurers packing and leaving for a day trip among the red rocks. Hiking is one of the major activities in the small town and many attribute the almost 4 million annual visitors to that activity alone. There are more than 20 hiking trails just within the city limits and there are dozens more in the surrounding areas. Hiking in Red Rock Country is considered a little different than hiking in most communities. Many of the avid hikers that visit are drawn to the area by the famous Sedona vortexes. Sedona is said to have four major vortexes among the red rock and that these special locations have natural healing and spiritual power. 

After a long hike many visitors will walk the main street in Sedona. The mom and pop shops that line the street are constantly filled with visitors. The stores specialize in everything from handmade goods, large paintings, and aliens. The sidewalks themselves have tiny vendors, including one below that was educating walkers by on the importance of snakes and why we should leave them be. Another few minutes down the road is the Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts village. This beautifully landscaped area is home to art galleries and high end stores. Just as the sun starts to set, you can watch as people jump in their cars as leaving to find their favorite spot to watch the sun leave the sky. On the long list of amazing sunset views are Snoopy Rock (a red rock thats in the shape of the famous cartoon character) and Chapel of the Holy Cross pictured below. 

When the sun sets much of the small town of Sedona retires for the evening but there is one restaurant that stays open a little later. The Relics Restaurant and Roadhouse stays open as a tourist attraction. The restaurant is widely known to be haunted and has proudly been featured on Ghost Hunters! When you walk in the staff and owners are over eager to give you a tour and tell you of the latest ghostly happenings. After hearing the stories over an absolutely delicious meal many of the visitors have a little harder of a time sleeping that night. 

Thank you for spending your time to read this blog! Please come back next week as we explore Mayan ruins in Xunantunich, Belize!

The Rural Village of Copala

For those of you who don’t know me or how aren’t familiar with my work I have two passions; travel and photography. I have the best job in the world. It allows me to explore both of those things. In this blog I want to share with you a few of my favorite places that I have traveled to recently and maybe you just might want to check them out for yourself. 

Last month I had the pleasure of visiting Colpala, Mexico. It was a breath taking and beautiful rural town. To give you a little back story on this quaint village, it was ruled by indigenous people until 1564; when Spanish explorers conquered the area surrounding it. A year later the town was officially founded. Copala was especially important because of the large amount of silver that ran through it and the rest of the surrounding Sinola Hills. Although silver is the reason for the founding of the town, Copala was named after a mythical city of gold. To this day there is an annual two week fiesta that celebrates the founding of the town. The entire town participates as businesses close and people of all ages take part in the festivities.

Getting up to Copala is a journey all on its own. Its located about an hour northwest of the city of Mazlán. The roads are built into the sides of the Sinola Hills, and by most people’s standards they are really mountains. These tiny and very curvy roads are home to many shops where craftsmen create and sell their goods.

The bus ride up takes about an hour but the moment that visitors arrive in Copala they know. Mother Mary greets you just as you are transported in time by the cobble streets. Walking through the small village, young boys selling wood carvings swarm you as they try to sell their handcrafted goods. The guide that I was with assured me that these boys had earned high marks in school and were given permission to leave class and earn money. 

No matter where anyone is in the village they can look up and see the steeple of the old Cathedral, that was built in 1748. There is a mix of architectural style both colonial and post-colonial that show themselves as you walk though the village, the Cathedral is one example of the latter. As I walked into the old Cathedral there were a few men inside restoring things like the doors and a few other details that would help to bring out its colonial style. Being curious, I walked 360 degrees outside of the church and it truly has a fantastic view of the Sierra Madres, as it sits 2000 feet above sea level. 

Just across from the church sits a mural that takes you back in time to when the village was at its most prosperous. All through the mural you are able to see vibrant colors and smiling faces, showing the immense wealth of the small community. After all of the village’s economic success, in the 20th century the town greatly declined as did the production of its mines and many of its residences moved away. In reality the town hasn’t changed much throughout the years. Now the sleepy little town is there as a reminder of Mexico’s past. It is full of charm and beauty and maybe, just maybe, you should go visit this little rural village yourself; take in the rich history as the little boys with their carvings greet you in the streets.