Honestly? There’s no wrong answer. But there is a better answer, and it depends on your brand, your personality and what you’re going to do with the photos.

Before choosing between studio and outdoor headshots, consider what feels authentic to you. Your industry might lean toward clean studio shots, while your creative side prefers the relaxed vibe of outdoor settings. Think about where you feel most comfortable, what story you want to tell and consider where these photos will live: LinkedIn headshots have different requirements than website hero images or social media profiles. And whilst in the wild, weather is a factor, beautiful natural light is hard to beat.

Whether you’re after professional headshots for small businesses, a solo trade, a side hustle or a corporate role, here’s what you need to know before you book.

Studio Headshots

A studio headshot is the classic: you, a clean background, controlled lighting and a photographer who knows what they’re doing. It’s consistent, polished and very easy to use across different platforms without looking out of place.

The good stuff:

• Lighting is consistent and flattering. No squinting into the sun or dealing with patchy shade
• Background options mean you can easily get a few different looks in one session (think: white for your LinkedIn, black for your website header, olive green because it looks great with your outfit)
• Weather is zero issue. Rain, wind? Doesn’t matter
• Great if you want clean, versatile images that work across a professional services website, email footer, socials or other marketing materials
• Wardrobe changes are easy and quick. Two outfits, two looks, done

Worth knowing:

• If you hate feeling “posed” or stiff, a blank backdrop might feel a bit clinical, though a good photographer will get you out of your head pretty fast
• Studio images tend to feel more formal, which is perfect for some industries and less perfect for others
• You’re working within someone else’s location rather than your own

Studio Headshots Melbourne

My studio is based in Carrum Downs in Melbourne’s south-east, a quick trip from Frankston, Dandenong, Cheltenham and surrounds. I won’t pretend it’s glamorous (it’s literally my garage), but the lighting is set up properly and the photos are genuinely gorgeous.

I have black, white and olive green backdrops ready to go, with pink, aqua and red available on request. Bring two outfits, maybe a couple of accessories, and you’ll walk away with a variety of shots that don’t look like they were all taken on the same day.

Sessions are just 15 minutes and you’ll get 20+ images (included in the price!)

Book your headshots in my Carrum Downs studio → And if you can’t find a date that suits, contact me to schedule a time.

Outdoor Headshots

An outdoor photoshoot gives your images context and personality. Instead of a blank wall, you’ve got natural light, texture, colour and a background that says something about you before anyone reads a single word of your bio.

The good stuff:

• Natural light is beautiful and flattering
• The environment adds personality and context. A café, a beach, a park or your actual workplace all tell a different story
• Great for personal brands, creatives, coaches, consultants, and anyone whose brand is built around them as a person rather than a corporate entity
• Images often feel more natural and relaxed, which tends to show in the photos too
• More variety within a single session. Different spots, different backdrops, all within a short walk

Worth knowing:

• Weather in Melbourne is… Melbourne. If it rains or the light is rubbish, we reschedule at no cost, but it does mean a bit more flexibility needed in your diary
• If you don’t have a location in mind, it can feel overwhelming (I can help with suggestions!)
• Backgrounds need to be considered. Too busy or distracting background can pull focus away from you

Who suits outdoor headshots? Anyone who feels more themselves outside than inside a studio.

Outdoor Headshots Melbourne

One of the things I love most about outdoor headshots is that they don’t have to be generic. You can shoot at:

• Your actual workplace or business premises (great for service-based businesses who want to show where they work)
• Your local beach, perfect for that relaxed, lifestyle feel
• A park or garden with gorgeous natural light and greenery
• A funky mural, brick wall or urban laneway if that suits your brand
• A favourite café or market

If you can travel within about 10 minutes of Carrum Downs, we can meet at your happy place and be done and dusted in under 20 minutes. If you’re further away, travel fees may apply. Just ask.

Not sure where to shoot? Tell me the vibe you’re after and I’ll suggest some local spots.

Book your headshots in the wild in Melbourne’s South East →

Studio vs Outdoor Headshots: Quick Comparison

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if it rains on the day of my outdoor headshot shoot? No stress. If the weather is genuinely unsuitable, we reschedule at no cost. Melbourne weather being what it is, I build flexibility into outdoor bookings.

Do I need to bring props? You don’t need to, but if something is relevant to your business or brand: a notebook, a product, a tool of your trade, it can make for a nice variation.

What should I wear? Bring two outfits and a couple of accessories. Think about what you wear when you’re meeting clients or showing up online. Avoid very fine stripes or busy patterns, which don’t always photograph well. No need to be decked head to toe in your brand colors, just don’t clash with them.

What are the best outdoor headshot poses? I guide you through everything, so you don’t need to figure this out yourself. We’ll do classic straight-to-camera looks and a few candid-style shots while you’re “doing something” (walking, laughing, looking away).

What are some good outdoor headshot ideas? Think about what background says something about your brand. A coastal business might love a beach. A florist might love a garden. A barista or café owner might want to shoot in their own space. The best outdoor headshots resonate with you, not just “person standing near a tree.”

What’s the best time of day for outdoor headshots? Golden hour (an hour or so after sunrise or before sunset) is gorgeous but not always practical. Overcast days are actually brilliant for headshots: soft, even light with no harsh shadows. Midday sun is the trickiest to work with, so we try and avoid it, but a good photographer can manage it.

Can I have headshots taken at my workplace? Yes! This is a great option. Check out workplace headshots and team photos if you’ve got more than one person who needs photos.

Still not sure which way to go? Send me a message, tell me a bit about your business and what you’re after, and we’ll figure it out together. Whether you end up in the studio or out in the wild, you’ll walk away with a heap of photos you actually want to share.

The post Outdoor headshots vs studio headshots in Melbourne: Which is Best for Your Business? appeared first on Miranda Mayle Photography.

1) GREAT LIGHTING: Find the best light in your home, usually an opaque window or a window with a sheer curtain to diffuse the light or open shade outside. If you’ve a must have background with crappy lighting then grab the ring light or bounce a lamp or two off nearby neutral wall. We are trying to avoid harsh light coming from directly above as that maximises the shadows under our eyes etc – think the good ole torch at a campfire telling a scary story effect – we don’t want it! So avoid bright sun outside at midday and standing directly underneath a downlight.

2) STAND OUT: We want you to be the centre of attention so don’t be right against your backdrop. Take a step forward and if you can change the settings on your phone, go for portrait mode or a smaller f-stop number. This will keep you in focus but make the background a little blurry – so you stand out!

3) CONTACT: Pretend the camera isn’t there and you are making eye contact with the person looking at the photo. Don’t just say cheese – tell yourself a story, think of a happy memory, have a make believe conversation with that person on the other side of the camera – you want to emote not just make a face.

This is my lockdown face…

So let’s find the best light in your house!  Do a walk around and take a selfie in a few locations – is it the window in the lounge, outside on the veranda or in the bathroom with the window light bouncing back off the mirror?

How does the light differ if you face the window, if you’re at an angle to the window, if you take a step or two away from the window?

How does that light differ in the morning to the afternoon?

And what does the background look like in the best light location – something you’d be happy to have online, something you could change a little to be happy online or will you have to settle for second or third best light locations around your house?

My best light at home (excluding setting up studio lighting) is the bathroom – I’ve got a blank wall, a opaque window and a mirror that reflects the light. And I have a little wiggle room to turn and decide how much of my face I want in shadow.

Can’t wait to see your next set of selfies in beautiful light, where you stand out and connect with your audience!!

The post From Selfie to Headshot appeared first on Miranda Mayle Photography.

As you may (or may not) know, I don’t charge per image, I charge per session, so although we were after that one epic shot, we organised an hour of personal brand photography  focussing on headshots. We headed down to Frankston waterfront – a location that resonated with her.

I was very concerned about my photographs competition with her favorite photo. I felt the low resolution had something to do with the feeling of youthfulness which just wouldn’t occur in my images. I’m also not into retouching (unless its something transient like a pimple or coldsore) so that wasn’t going to help.  Plus we were going to be shooting in pretty bright sunlight – notorious for accentuating the shadows under eyes!

So why did I deliver 159 photos?

<gets out soapbox> I don’t like the traditional model in photography of a session fee and then a price per image – especially when you are delivering digital files.  I do the same amount of work whether you purchase one of my photographs or all 159 – so why should you pay more?!?! <slides soapbox to the side a little but keeps it within reach!>

I also understand that you are probably not going to use all 159 images.  I deliver a heap of locations and different poses but you get a couple of varients for some shots so you can chose which crop you prefer or which facial expression you prefer or which composition etc.

And we don’t waste any time going backward and forward because you don’t have to pour over the gallery then chose your favorites then send that info to me, then I have to deliver the chosen few images.

And its also super handy to have all those small variations so if you want to use the same kind of photo again next month on your socials – you’ve got one slightly different and don’t repeat yourself.

So Bernadine now has a new favorite shot to use everywhere plus a heap of other images to update the website, fill her socials and make her graphic designer/social media manager VA super happy!

 “Oh Miranda! I have never liked photos of myself and now I am finding it hard to choose which ones I don’t like. I love them all. Thank you so much!”

Would love to know if you have that one photo you love and use everywhere or do you like to change it up regularly?  And what is it about that photo that makes it the favorite?

The post Why deliver over 150 photos (when she needed one)? appeared first on Miranda Mayle Photography.

Are you using a selfie?

Have cut yourself out of a family BBQ picture?

Or are you using a photo you adore but it’s now rather old and looks nothing like you?

Time to get some new professional headshots!

You want your headshot to connect, gain trust and sell your personality all at the same time (no pressure) AND you want it to be a photo you adore and cannot wait to share. 

Here are 5 things to consider as you make that booking:

1. MESSAGING
What kind of message do you want to convey? I think you should always include a welcoming slash approachable slash trustworthy type baseline and then you need to decide whereabouts on the traditional corporate professional to casual spectrum that fits. Throw in some words that describe your brand personality – are you also quirky? or passionate? or chilled? easy to a laugh? knowledgeable? Keep these in mind as you go through the list.

2. POSE & EXPRESSION
A headshot is not usually a full body shot but you still want to not just stand square for the camera like a passport photo!  Turn your body to a side whilst keeping your face to the camera or bring one arm in front of you and one behind to shape your shoulders. Always bring your face forward (think ears towards the camera) to elongate your neck.

Try a range of expressions from a slight smirk through closed mouth smile, natural open mouth smile all the way to laughter and see what you prefer (and if you’ve got time, throw in a thinking shot and a joy/celebration expression too as you’ll use these on socials).

And always make eye contact with the photographer – ignore that scary black lens and camera thingie between you. Look at them them using all the emotions you listed in messaging and like a new client you cannot wait to meet.

3. LOCATION & BACKGROUND
I give you permission to have your headshot on any background you like. You do standout on something a little plainer but just step off the background anywhere to stand out. Plain white backdrops, plain black backdrops, pink, red and blue backdrops are fine. Rendered walls are fine. Brick walls are fine. Fences are fine. If gardens or beaches are your happy place, they are fine backgrounds. If you have a loud mural or wallpaper you adore and it suits your business personality – then use it!  Stand in front of your favorite artwork. Being authentic is much more important than having a perfect traditional old school corporate headshot.

4. FINAL DESTINATION
Where abouts will you be using the final product? The photographer will compose (fit you in) the photo differently depending on whether you need a circle profile pic for Facebook or a portrait image for your About page on your website so be sure to let them know.

5. STYLING

Wear clothing that makes you feel great and fits with your brand messaging and personality. Fitted is usually more flattering than flowy but there are really no rules. You don’t have to worry about your outfit dating because this won’t be hanging on a wall for decades – you’ll be updating it regularly now!

Do pack a couple of tops with different necklines or add a jacket or scarf to your outfit so it doesn’t look like they were all taken on the same day.

If you don’t wear make up I suggest some mascara, maybe eyebrow pencil and lip gloss to make your eyes and smile pop. If you are all about the glam – get your make up professionally done prior to ensure the makeup behaves in the light.

I hope this helps you create epic headshots you can’t wait to use everywhere!  

Miranda

The post 5 ways to nail your personal brand with authentic headshots appeared first on Miranda Mayle Photography.

WEBSITE

• Banners
• About page
• Blog
• Content

SOCIAL MEDIA (Facebook, Instagram, Pintrest, LinkedIn etc)

• Profile pictures
• Cover images
• Content (lots and lots of content!)
• Ads

EMAIL

• Banners
• Footer/Signature
• EDM content

ONLINE

• eBooks
• Downloads
• Lead Magnets
• Online course content
• Publications

PRINT MARKETING

• Flyers
• Posters
• Banners
• Business cards
• Catalogs
• Thank you cards
• Post cards
• Magazines
• Packaging

OTHER

• Podcast covers
• Collaboration / Guest Speaker advertising
• TVC
• On the wall!

Remember you’ll need high resolution images for your printing requirements and lower resolution for online – so you don’t slow down your website!

Where else are you using your photographs that I’ve missed?

The post Where to use your personal brand photos appeared first on Miranda Mayle Photography.

As we pass the halfway point of lockdown 2.0 I’ve seen some questions on how to take a headshot of yourself in lockdown.  I’ve been contemplating the main scenarios for why you’d need to refresh your headshot whilst in lockdown and I’ve narrowed it down to either:

1. You’ve been working on growing your business and your personal brand and so have had to provide a headshot for that collaboration podcast or facebook live interview so the canva event image can be created OR
2. You’ve radically changed your hair do with some self iso cut and color! 😛

For whatever reason it might be – here are my adventures taking a headshot, at home, with no fancy photography equipment.  No camera or flash or tripod or backdrop.  It was just me, my phone and an ikea stool in the bathroom! (cos yeah – it turns out the only room in my house with a window on a wall adjacent to a plain wall, is in my bathroom :P)

To take a natural light photo in your home:

• find a plainish wall near a window (and by plainish I kinda mean flat – a really loud funky wallpaper will totally work if that’s your vibe.)
• leave a gap between you and the wall (at least 50cm)
• turn your body 45ish degrees to the light and your face back towards the camera (if feel more comfortable sitting – use a bench stool)
• setup the camera at around your eye level

If the light coming through the window is too bright, soften it with a sheer curtain

If the side of your face away from the window is too dark, bounce some more light back onto it using a white sheet or white piece of cardboard, even a mirror potentially or move you’re camera so you’re angled a little more towards the window.

If you want to see this setup in my bathroom (with zero hair and makeup prep) which produced the photo below and the photo in the header- checkout the quick video I made.

 If you’ve any other DIY photography questions, message me as I’m happy to help.

And may the second half of lockdown seem shorter than the first!

oh! and…

If you’re after headshots that do involve a fancy camera, flash, a non-bathroom backdrop and someone else taking the shot, I’m currently taking bookings now for late September and beyond, and am flexible with these dates if lockdown continues beyond that (it better not!). I am also still taking product-related photos which don’t require personal contact, so you can update your website, social media and other marketing during this time. Message me and let me know what you need.

The post Take a headshot at home with just your phone appeared first on Miranda Mayle Photography.

No pressure when your beautiful client travels 5.5 hours to work with you!!

“When I had the idea to get a photoshoot done for my business website, I hunted high and low for a photographer that I’d feel comfortable working with. My intuition told me Miranda was the ONE – so I travelled from the other side of the state (some 5.5 hours away!) to have the session with her. It felt completely crazy – but I’m so glad I listened to my guidance, because it was completely worth it.

Miranda not only made me feel comfortable during the shoot, she made me feel amazing! She continually gave me instructions during the shoot on how to pose, reminded me to smile and boosted my self esteem. I felt confident, beautiful and free to be me. That’s quite a feat, given how introverted and camera-shy I am! I’m surprised how much I actually enjoyed the shoot.

Afterwards, I still felt nervous about how the photos would turn out. Thankfully, Miranda sent the photos to me quickly, and all my fears evaporated as soon as I saw them. They were wonderful – professional, beautiful and creative. And there were so many! Miranda definitely offers incredible value for money!

Thank you so much Miranda – I’m thrilled with my photos, and I will happily travel another 5.5 hours to work with you again!”

The post A very long commute appeared first on Miranda Mayle Photography.

“Are you ready to go deep?” It’s the question posed by Transformation Coach Meghann Birks. She helps individuals and organisations achieve their goals by creating a road map that identifies where they are, where they want to be and how they’re going to get there. She needed some updated images moving from a brand name to coaching under her own name and I very much enjoyed working with her down to earth attitude – there was no sugar coating any of the directions!!  She picked some super fun locations that suit her style and personality and tested my action shot abilities with cartwheels and jumping.  Her first response to the images? “Omg omg omg omg! I love these sooooooo much!”

I’m looking forward to reading her blog post on facing her dislike of getting in front of the camera.

The post Go Deep appeared first on Miranda Mayle Photography.

I spent an hour with the gorgeous, funny, smart and generous Sage King – a degree qualified Naturopath & Nutritionist at the Terra Madre Wellness Clinic. She is passionate about providing evidence-based holistic health care, particularly to the LGBTIQA+ and Sex Worker communities. I am very happy with the number and variety of images we created within a single hour, at a single location (which admittedly did have a number of places we could shoot), with three outfits and a camera shy subject. There are head shots, action shots, details shots – plenty to fill a social feed, update the website and online profile pics.

If you’d like to see the full gallery to better understand what we can create in an hour personal branding shoot – contact me for the link and password.

The post Sage with hibiscus and lavender appeared first on Miranda Mayle Photography.

A personal branding package is more than just traditional headshots.  We can include your work area, how you work, lifestyle shots, detailed shots of your tools of the trade and pictures of your product(s).  We can also plan for style elements like different shapes (ie. insta versus banners), leave space for text overlays and edit the portraits with a particular style or color palette in mind.

Here are some of my fav’s from the day:

The post Images that shine… appeared first on Miranda Mayle Photography.