Washington DC Portrait Photographer

Here in DC, everyone needs a top notch professional portrait for their business profiles like on LinkedIn and other social networks. But what exactly is the difference between a headshot and a professional portrait? Luckily Kristina has extensive experience shooting both styles of images and can easily deliver the kind of image that suits your needs. Sometimes, though rarely, portraits can be cropped in to create a headshot type look, thus supplying the subject with two different kinds of images from a single frame. But because of Kristina’s intense headshot lighting setups, usually the lighting is just out of frame and so you’ll get a better product if you light and shoot your headshots and portraits separately.

Headshot

A headshot is usually cropped closer in.
Emphasis is on the face only with little body showing.
Dynamic lighting used to illuminate the face.
Includes sparkle from catchlights in the eyes.
Background should NOT distract from the person’s face.
Top of head usually slightly cropped out to achieve a closer connection with the person viewing the headshot.

Portrait

Wider crop includes more upper body.
Lighting illuminates the face and body.
Clothing choice is more important as more of it shows.
Background needs to be incorporated into the image and blend well.
Top of the head is not cropped out.
Shooting on location is permitted since landmarks and environment play a role in the portrait’s messaging.

DC Portrait PhotograpHy by Kristina Sherk

Kristina has been a portrait photographer since before she graduated college. She started her career in Burlington, NC while she was at Elon University. It started as a way to make extra money, but she soon fell in love with capturing portraits of people. She quickly became the go-to student for anyone in the performing arts who needed headshots at Elon University.

After graduating, she moved home to the DC area and started working for a photojournalist in Washington DC. All the while seeing portrait clients on the side. It didn’t take long for news to spread and she found herself having more clients than she could keep up with.

Flash forward to today, Kristina has two thriving portrait businesses; one geared more towards professional headshots and this one geared towards portraits. She owns her own studio in Bethesda, MD, just 2 miles from the Washington DC line, and recently expanded her space to keep up with demand.

Over her 20 years in the business she has discovered all the most amazing places to capture portraits around DC. Two of her favorite rooftops to capture portraits in front of the Capitol dome in Washington DC can be seen here on this page.

Kristina closely guards the locations of these photo spots as to make sure she keeps an edge over her competition.

When it comes to lighting and background choice, Kristina has more experience than most other headshot photographers. Almost weekly, she will hear the same story from clients; “My cousin’s son has a good camera and I thought he could take my headshot. Boy was I wrong!”

What people don’t realize is the amount of knowledge it takes to actually light a face in a flattering manner. It took Kristina years to dial in her lighting techniques. After almost two decades of mastering her craft, she has it down to a science now.

Often, when she shows up for corporate headshots at an office in Washington DC or Maryland, at least two people will come in for their session and make a joke about being so ugly that they are going to break her camera. She just chuckles because she knows what comes next. After a quick posing and posture lesson, and some smile coaching. They come to review their portraits and are blown away by how they look better than expected.

What Kristina wants people to know is that this doesn't happen by accident. It’s thanks to the nearly two decades she has spent learning the proper ways to light faces.

Professional Portrait Photographer in Dc

Although photographers may seem to be everywhere you look, it takes a professional photographer with the right training, experience and knowledge to accurately execute professional and flattering portraits for you. We all know, it’s not as easy as point, and click, otherwise, we would all be able to take stunning portraits with our cell phones.
Many professional photographers in the Washington DC area have experience in photo-journalism since we are one of the news capitals of the world, but a photo-journalist is not allowed to use artificial lighting in their photographs. That means, they have limited knowledge of how to improve the light that hits a face. This is NOT what you want when you are looking to hire a portrait photographer.

Kristina on the other hand, has spent over 18 years perfecting the craft of portrait photography lighting. She understands how to manipulate light to achieve the most flattering light ratios to illuminate a face. For example, did you ever notice the direction of light hitting the face has a completely different feel if it shines from below rather than above? It immediately makes you think of a villain. Would you like this type of lighting during your professional photo session? I think not. If you choose Kristina for your photographer, you’re guaranteed to be happy with the results. Her vast experience makes her portraits immediately stand out from the sub-par photos on the internet and you’ll want your headshot to be one of the ones that stands out from the crowd.

How much does a professional portrait photographer cost?

Pricing for a high-end professional portrait photographer can vary based on several factors, including location, photographer's reputation, and the level of customization you desire for your photoshoot. On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from $500 to $2,000 or more for a session with a reputable portrait photographer. This fee often includes the photographer's time, expertise, equipment, and post-processing work. It's important to remember that high-end portrait photographers like Kristina command higher rates because of their skill and experience.

Kristina charges for her session fee and the images separately. The sitting photo session fee covers the time reserved for shooting her subjects and the time spent preparing the studio and researching the client prior to the shoot. The image price covers each image the client wishes to purchase. The amount of images purchased always depends on the client. Kristina never wants you to leave with more images than you need. It's ultimately up to the client what they choose to leave the session with. To learn more, please visit Kristina’s pricing page.

In addition to the session fee, there may be other costs associated with your portrait photoshoot. These can include location rental fees if shooting in a specific monument in Washington DC, makeup and hairstyling services, and even travel costs for destination shoots outside of Washington DC’s beltway. Kristina always makes it a point to discuss costs before the session to make sure the client is aware of everything involved.

Regarding the refund policy, we are proud to offer a 100% money back guarantee for the session sitting fee. If you don’t love the photos, you won't be expected to pay for them. A non-refundable deposit of $100 is required to secure your booking. This deposit ensures that we set aside the date and time for your session and may turn down other potential clients. If you need to reschedule or cancel the session, the deposit is not transferable to a future date. While Kristina reserves the right to forfeit the $100 deposit if the client asks to reschedule, she also understands things happen and only very rarely enforces this. Usually this is due to the client rescheduling multiple times.

In summary, when working with a high-end professional portrait photographer, you're not only paying for their time during the shoot but also their expertise, equipment, and post-processing skills. Be sure to note our refund policy and understand our non-refundable deposit stance.

Professional portrait photography techniques and retouching

In the world of professional portrait photography, retouching techniques play a crucial role in bringing out the best in every image. Whether it's enhancing skin texture, smoothing out imperfections, or fine-tuning color balance, retouching is a skilled art form that takes years of practice to master. For those looking to delve deeper into the intricacies of portrait retouching, educational resources like sharkpixel.com offer a wealth of training materials, tutorials, and tools to help photographers refine their post-processing skills. SharkPixel.com is Kristina’s own retouching platform which she has spent the last 10 years producing. With a range of courses available for both Photoshop and Lightroom, photographers can gain invaluable insights into retouching, from basic touch-ups to advanced manipulation, ultimately elevating the quality of their portrait work. When you book with Kristina, you not only are hiring an experienced headshot and portrait photographer, but also a world renowned retouching educator who has taught over 1 million people how to better retouch their photos.

Professional portrait photographers like Kristina are not only skilled practitioners but also passionate educators. She often provides coaching, instruction, and resources to aspiring photographers who seek to understand the entire process of creating stunning portrait images. She does this at multiple photography conferences and shows each year, like AdobeMAX and WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International). This mentorship can encompass everything from the initial concept and composition to lighting techniques, posing guidance, and the intricacies of working with subjects to capture their unique personalities. By offering a holistic approach to portrait photography, she helps others develop the skills and knowledge needed to produce remarkable final products and achieve success in the industry. Whether through one-on-one sessions, workshops, or her online community, the guidance provided by Kristina is a valuable resource for those looking to excel in portrait photography.