The Short Answer
After a professional headshot session, you review and select your preferred images, approved photos are retouched, and final files are delivered for use on LinkedIn, company profiles, websites, email signatures, or print. At Michelle Price Photography, image selection happens during the session, not after. You leave knowing which photos are being edited.
Image Review and Selection
One of the things that causes the most anxiety after a headshot session is waiting to see photos you have not seen yet, then being asked to choose from a large gallery on your own. That is not how this works.
Image review happens during the session. As we shoot, I review photos with you so you can see what is working in real time. By the end of the session, you have already identified which images are worth keeping. You choose which photos to have retouched before you leave the studio. You are not sent 200 frames a week later and asked to decide.
This approach means you leave knowing what is being edited. There are no surprises on delivery day.
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What Retouching Usually Includes
Professional headshot retouching is about making you look like yourself at your best, not a different version of you. The goal is a clean, natural-looking result that holds up at professional sizes and in professional contexts.
Standard retouching typically covers:
- Light skin cleanup (minor blemishes, temporary redness)
- Under-eye softening where applicable
- Stray hair cleanup where practical
- Minor distracting elements in the frame
- Colour and tone adjustments for a consistent, professional finish
The edits are kept natural. A retouched headshot should look like you had a good day, not like you have been processed.
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What Retouching Does Not Reliably Fix
Retouching works well on temporary or minor issues. It does not work as well on problems that were present throughout the shoot.
- Clothing wrinkles and poor fit. Deep wrinkle lines and clothing that bunches or pulls are part of the image structure. Minor wrinkles can sometimes be softened, but a garment that doesn't sit right will still not sit right after editing.
- Glasses glare and reflections. Glare that covers the eyes significantly is difficult to remove without the edit looking obvious. It is easier to address this during the shoot by adjusting the angle or the lighting. Transition lenses that held a tint under studio lights cannot be fully corrected after the fact.
- Blue-light reflective lens coatings. These can produce a visible sheen under flash or studio lighting that does not fully edit out cleanly.
- Logos, visible badges, and distracting patterns. Removing a prominent logo or cleaning up a busy pattern requires significant editing time and may still look altered.
- Major grooming issues. Significant flyaway hair, skin reactions from new products, or visible irritation from grooming done too close to the session date are difficult to address in retouching without the edit becoming obvious.
This is worth knowing in advance because it is easier to prevent these issues than to fix them. If you are unsure about any of this before your session, see What to Wear for Professional Headshots and How to Prepare for Professional Headshots.
Delivery Timeline
Delivery timeline depends on the session type:
- Express Business Headshot sessions: Edited files are typically ready the same day.
- Full headshot sessions and other bookings: Delivery is usually within 3 to 5 business days from the end of your session.
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If you have a deadline, such as a speaking event, conference, or company directory update, mention it before or at the start of the session. Where possible, this can be factored into the editing schedule.
File Formats and Usage
Professional headshots are used in more places than most people initially expect. A single good image often ends up on:
- LinkedIn profile
- Company website or team directory
- Email signature
- Social media profiles
- Speaker bio or conference materials
- Media kit or press releases
- Print collateral if applicable
Different uses require different file sizes. Web and social media require smaller files optimised for screen. Print requires higher-resolution files. Most professional headshot deliverables include at least a web-ready version suitable for digital use.
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Requesting Changes
Because image selection happens during the session, most concerns are addressed before the editing stage. If you have specific notes about a particular edit after delivery, such as a preference for slightly different tone or a detail you want revisited, those can be communicated directly.
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The clearer your feedback is, the easier it is to address. "This feels a bit flat" is harder to act on than "the shadows under the jawline feel heavy." Specific observations lead to better outcomes.
How to Choose the Best Image
Most people make one of two mistakes when choosing a headshot. They either choose the photo where they look most like their internal idea of themselves (which may not be how others actually see them), or they obsess over minor details no one else will notice.
A more useful approach is to choose based on where the image needs to work and who will be seeing it.
- For LinkedIn and professional networking, look for a photo where your expression reads as approachable and credible. Would you reach out to this person?
- For a company website, look for consistency with how the team or brand presents. Does this image fit the context?
- For a speaker bio or personal brand, look for something with some presence. Does the image communicate confidence in the role?
If two images feel roughly equal, the one that makes you look more approachable to a stranger is almost always the stronger professional choice. Expression and ease tend to matter more than which side of your face is showing or whether your hair is sitting exactly how you wanted.
If expression is something you want to prepare for before the session, read How to Look Natural in Professional Headshots.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I choose my final headshot?
- Choose based on where the image needs to work. For professional networking, look for approachable and credible. For a company profile, look for consistency with the team. Avoid choosing only on personal preference. A photo that reads well to strangers is usually more useful than one you find most flattering for reasons only you would notice.
- What retouching is included?
- Standard retouching covers light skin cleanup, stray hair, under-eye softening, and minor distracting elements, all kept natural so the result looks like you at your best rather than an edited version of you. Specific inclusions depend on the session type. [Confirm and update with session-specific retouching details.]
- Can glasses glare be fixed?
- Minor glare can sometimes be reduced in editing, but significant reflections that cover the eyes are difficult to remove without the edit looking obvious. It is easier to address this during the shoot by adjusting lighting and angle. If glasses glare is a concern, mention it before the session starts.
- How long does delivery take?
- Express Business Headshot sessions are typically delivered the same day. Full headshot sessions and other bookings are usually delivered within 3 to 5 business days. If you have a deadline, mention it before or at the start of your session.
- What file formats will I receive?
- Delivered files are suitable for web use including LinkedIn, company profiles, and email signatures. [Confirm whether high-resolution print files are included and update this answer with session-specific format details.]
- Can I buy extra images?
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