Headshots and Portraits for Professionals and Actors

“The Power of Personal Branding: It's Crucial in Today's Business Environment”

Headshots made SIMPLE, EASY and FUN.

A skilled professional headshot photographer can make all the difference in achieving a genuine and confident version of you. Gary Walens Photography has the experience to bring out your best self and render it into a professional headshot. When your headshot shows your best self, then you will stand out among other Montgomery County and Philadelphia County job candidates. Take your career and confidence to the next level today.

Professional Headshots Get You Noticed
This is a professional headshot of Sean Thompson taken by Gary Walens Photography in Phoenixville, PA

A photograph isn’t just a 2-second portrait, it’s a whole story

Invest in Yourself Today

At Gary Walens photography, we believe you should be able to control the narrative of your story through your personality, confidence and energy. Convey your confident, positive and uplifting message through your headshot today. Let’s make your digital online introduction and first impression count. Let Gary Walens Photography Philadelphia County headshots and Montgomery County headshots show you how photogenic you really are. You will be pleasantly surprised at the return on investment that a professional headshot delivers.

READY TO BOOK YOUR SESSION!

Proudly serving Montgomery County & Philadelphia County

Gary Walens Photography is based in Phoenixville just 2 doors down from Steel City Coffeehouse. The Studio is on the 2nd floor in the arts building right above the Community Arts.

The Pennsylvania Studio provide Philadelphia County headshots and Montgomery County headshots and is very convenient to Blue Bell, Collegeville, King of Prussia, Mainline, Norristown, Philadelphia, Phoenixville, Plymouth Meeting and Skippack.

How to Create Your Best Headshot

If you have ever gotten Montgomery County headshots or Philadelphia County headshots taken at your office, you probably found it was a pretty boring experience, similar to getting a passport photo. Gary hears you; he's been there too. The headshot photographer is unprofessional and quickly gets you in front of a white screen and says “Smile”. They take 2 or 3 photos quickly so they can get on to the next person. It doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, a headshot photography session should be fun and relaxed so that you get the right expression in your photo. An expression that tells others who you are before they even meet you. So, what makes a boring headshot photography session a great one, and what should you look for to make sure it is?

Find a 5-Star Headshot Photographer

Find a expert rated Philadelphia County headshots photographer like Gary Walens that wants to get to know you and how you would like to be portrayed. A professional headshot photographer will take the time to understand who you are and what you need before you get behind the camera. This can be done with a pre-shoot questionnaire or a short consultation phone call. The headshot photographer should ask you what the reason is you want a headshot. They should also ask how you will be using the headshot because it makes a difference in how they should be instructing you at the shoot. For example, if you are a fitness trainer you may want your professional headshot to show strength and commitment to detail. Other roles, like an accountant, demand the person to appear confident, trustworthy, and relatable. Perhaps you are a real estate broker, so you want headshots showing that you are warm, fun, and friendly. It is important that your Montgomery County headshots photographer knows what values you want portrayed before your shoot.

Tell Your Story

Explain your line of business or profession to your Philadelphia County headshots photographer. This will allow them to prepare for your session, looking at headshots of some of your competitors to see what they are conveying. You might also want to take a few screenshots of headshots that you like and share them with your photographer. Your professional headshot will uniquely be you, however this will give them some ideas of your preferences.

Create Your Headshot Vision

Think about messages you want to convey in your headshot. You can do this by thinking of 3 words that others use to describe you like friendly, caring, happy, etc. Then think about how you will use your professional headshot and give 3 words that the image should convey about you or about your business. This is a critical step in helping the photographer capture the “real you” in your headshot.

Pull together any specific requests for your Montgomery County headshots session. You can describe past photos of yourself that you like, share online images of others, or tell the photographer what you love/hate in photos. List them so the photographer can be sure to capture everything that's important to you.

These are just some tips to help you have the best experience with a headshot photographer that will work for you and things you should look for in a photographer.

Gary has been taking pictures for as long as he can remember and still has photographs that he took when he was 7 years old. Photography became a real passion of for him while he was in college. His focus back then was to capture the important people in his life and the beautiful places he had been to chronicle his life story. While his career took him in a different direction, his passion for photography… read more.

GARY WALENS

Professional Photographer

FAQ’s

  • We will spend some time upfront to make sure I understand exactly what you are looking for in your headshots and review the clothes you brought to the shoot. Then we will pick your favorite outfit for the first session. That is when the magic begins and I will coach you throughout the entire shoot. Providing the highest quality Montgomery County headshots and Philadelphia County headshots, my aim is to make the shoot fun and relaxed so that you get the best headshots ever.

    Once or twice during the session, we'll stop and look at some images we've taken, and see if there's anything you want to change, we can do it on the spot.

    At the end of the session, we'll review all of the images we shot. From there, you'll pick your favorite shots to be professionally edited and retouched.

  • I only book 2 headshot sessions each day so you book either the morning session or the evening session and take as much time as you need. An average session takes between 1 - 2 hours depending on the number of outfit changes. This allows for a relaxed session that is focused on the attention to the details that we defined for your shoot. It also allows you plenty of time after the shoot to review the photos and choose your headshots.

  • The most important aspect of what you should wear is pick clothing that you feel comfortable and happy in and that they fit you well. You should bring as many outfits as you like and especially bring your favorite outfits. We will review your outfits prior to the start of the professional headshot session and determine which outfits are best. Click here for more detailed information on what to bring to the shoot.

 

  • Click here to see the Headshots section for my style of headshots. I shoot on a solid background, usually gray and white, because as well as looking modern and clean. This helps make your eyes pop and skin tones look healthy. You'll also get advanced coaching techniques to give your shot the impression of confidence and approachability. Confidence comes from the eyes, and approachability comes from the mouth. I want to incorporate both confidence and approachability into your headshots for maximum positive effect.

    Your headshots will show genuine expression that will make you look and feel like you, at your very best.

  • Yes. All headshot sessions whether for individuals or large groups are appointment-only. In order to get the very best out of my time and yours, pre-planning goes into every shoot. Whether that be in the Phoenixville Studio, or at your location, so you get the very best quality and value.

  • Yes, I offer hair and makeup as optional services.

    For women's makeup you want to keep it simple. If you choose not to use my makeup artist then keep your makeup simple and clean.

    For men, I generally don't recommend using a makeup artist.

What To Wear To A Headshot Session

One of the most common and most important questions asked is “What should I wear to my headshot session?” Remember three basic wardrobe principles for Philadelphia County headshots are Color and Patterns, Style and Fit and Accessories The key is to bring clothes that you like because it will help you to feel more comfortable during the shoot.

Color and Patterns

It’s tempting to stick with black and white, but a splash of color can really make your image pop. Choose the color that best expresses who you really are and the image you would like portrayed in your Montgomery County headshots. Black and/or white may be your “go to” wardrobe choice, and that’s fine, but photographically, pulling details out of black or white can be challenging. So, if you love wearing black or white, by all means bring it along, but also bring along colorful options. Men, please no all-black suit coats or sport coats, unless they have obvious texture.

Women Headshot Tips

If you know “your colors,” bring items from that palette, or try hues that bring out your eye color and enhance your skin tone. Rich colors and jewel tones are great choices for almost all women. Crew, boat or narrow v-necks are always flattering and will always lay nicely. You want to be sure we can see your top after the image is cropped. Standup collars don’t always “behave,” so I suggest women avoid them for your Montgomery County headshots. If you typically wear a jacket to work, bring a couple of jacket choices, but you do not need to wear a jacket to look professional. Gary has photographed plenty of c-suite women without jackets and without sacrificing their professionalism and status. Also, make sure your clothes fit well. Try them on a few days before your session just to check. Generally, a little snug is better than baggy and loose. Women's clothing to avoid is short sleeves or sleeveless styles (unless you’ve got “buff” arms and want to show them off), Low necklines, Busy or trendy patterns or plaids, Turtlenecks, and Shiny fabrics — no silk or satin.

Women’s Accessories Tips

Women’s Accessories Less is more. Keep jewelry to a minimum (unless it is your signature look). A few jewelry tips: Stud earrings are best—simple pearls, diamonds or other gemstones. Hoops and dangling earrings can interfere with your hair and get lost in your portrait. If you have jewelry that has special meaning for you, by all means bring it along. But in the end, we want all of the attention on your face not your clothes and jewelry. Big jewelry draws attention away from you, and your portrait should be all about you. If your signature brand is big jewelry, however, bring it along, and we’ll choose the best options for your Philadelphia County headshots session.

Men’s Headshot Tips

Guys need to avoid a plain white shirt. If white shirts are your signature look, accentuate it with an interesting tie. Again, please avoid the all black jacket, unless it has texture. Charcoal grey is great choice for your Philadelphia County headshots or anything with color or texture. Whatever you bring, make sure you feel good wearing it. If you feel good, you’ll look good. Men, if you’re going business casual (specifically, no tie) bring a couple of sport coats to your Philadelphia County headshots session. A sport coat without a tie is an intentional wardrobe choice. But if you wear a suit coat without a tie, it gives the impression that you are dressing “down.” If you wear a tie than you'll look your best in a Suit coat or sport coat. If you wear no tie than a Sport coat but not a Suit coat. It's best to avoid button down collars, unless it’s an intentional style choice for you. Button-down collars rarely lay nicely in a photo.

Make sure your clothes fit well. This is especially important for men’s collars, sports coats and suit jackets. Guys, take a look at your jacket & shirt, watching for gaps at the back of your neck. Conversely, watch that your shirt isn’t too tight, causing your neck to “bulge” over your collar−even a little bulge will look terrible in camera during a Montgomery County headshots session.

Day of Headshot Tips

Please don’t wear your portrait wardrobe in the car; seat belts = wrinkles. While driving from King of Prussia to your Philadelphia County headshots session your clothes will get tattered. Instead, bring your clean, neatly pressed pieces to the session on hangers. Make sure everything is clean, pressed and fits well. Bring at least 3 to 4 outfits but bring as many choices as you like since we have plenty of time for the shoot. We only need above the waist for headshots. But if you feel more confident by putting on the full wardrobe, feel free to bring the pants and shoes along. Eyeglasses and lens glare can be tricky. If you normally wear glasses, plan to wear them for your picture. It’s ideal if they have a non-glare coating, but if they don’t, consider borrowing a pair of glassless frames for your session; otherwise, we can remove the glass glare in post-production for no additional charge.

What are people saying about Gary

  • “Just had an off the charts experience getting head shots taken by Gary Walen. Super professional and flexible; and made me feel completely relaxed and confident. Absolutely ❤️ my head shots!!”

    Gary Sankar

  • “I recently went to Gary to get headshots taken for a new job and the experience was nothing short of amazing. His work was incredible and he is one of the nicest people. He made sure to keep the session fun and taught me some cool pose tricks to make my own pictures even better. I am definitely going to be booking a family session soon.”

    Gena Wynique

  • “Gary took headshots and portraits for me. He was professional, courteous, made it fun and was/is very responsive. He was great at directing for poses and it went quite smoothly. The photos were beautiful! I highly recommend working with Gary.”

    Catherine Choi

  • “My experience with Gary was exceptional. He immediately put me at ease and made the session fun and relaxing. And the results were amazing. I'm not one to volunteer to have my photo taken, but needed updated corporate headshots done, and I'm so glad I connected with Gary to get them done. If you've been putting this off, consider Gary for your headshot. He's a gem.”

    Danielle MacDonald