EXECUTIVE PORTRAIT SHOOT: YOUR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
There are no stupid questions:
if one would not be answered here, fill in the form to receive our brochure or contact us directly!
I ABSOLUTELY HATE BEING IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA, I AM NOT PHOTOGENIC AT ALL, IT MAKES ME SO SO NERVOUS …
As we love to say, our thing is not to photograph perfect people. It is to photograph real people. Ambitious people. The ones who dare to dream big. And most of the real people (me included) do not feel naturally photogenic. Good news, I and my team are here exactly for that.
The portrait studio is a zero-judgment/ happy vibe zone and we are all part of the same team to create your business portraits. I will guide you all along for you not to have to think a second. It ends up being more of a conversation through which we take pictures, more than a photoshoot per se.
Another thing we often say after seeing so many clients experience it: the least photogenic you feel at the moment (we all have times in life when we feel in bad shape or more down than usual), the better the portrait shoot feeling will be! We know (and have witnessed it so many times) how positively impactful a great portrait of you can be. You will walk out of the studio really boosted & ready to tackle any challenges ahead of you!
I AM NOT A HUGE FAN OF THE TYPICAL EXECUTIVE/CORPORATE HEADSHOTS LOOK, I WANT SOMETHING MORE ‘ME’, MORE CASUAL, WHILE STILL PROFESSIONAL. CAN YOU CREATE THAT KIND OF IMAGES?
Our m.o. (modus operandi … in short: how we do things 😉) is to tailor everything around your needs and your wishes. Alice is fully trained and experienced with professional studio lights, natural light, indoor photo sessions, outdoor photoshoots, in the city, in the green, etc… so we create the photoshoot and portraits depending on what you need and want.
If your brand and energy are about being casual, super friendly & trendy: let’s go for it! We love it!
Do not worry, if on the other hand you don’t really know what you want and need, we got you covered with the pre-shoot consultation and a series of questions and discussion over mood boards and other tools.
I AM CONSIDERED DEMANDING AND VERY PICKY IN MY LIFE SO I AM AFRAID I WILL NEVER BE FULLY SATISFIED WITH MY IMAGES…
If you have your own business or are leading the way in your company, chances are that you are demanding with yourself and with your team to achieve your goals. We are all about serving ambitious and bold individuals and we almost expect you to be as picky and demanding as you wish. It pushes us to serve you even better. We aim at excellence and your entire satisfaction. We love clients who are demanding and highly selective.
We do offer a 'Happy or start over insurance' (see conditions in our brochure), but truth is that we never had to activate it. 100 %. Of all the people we photograph left the studio beyond satisfied with the executive headshots and portraits we created for them.
I AM NOT A C-LEVEL EXECUTIVE BUT MORE OF A SOLO/MOMPRENEUR.
WOULD A PORTRAIT SESSION WITH YOU ANSWER MY NEEDS?
Totally. You are the c-level executive of your solo business and of your life! You have a brand, you have clients, you have a message to convey through your business portraits: so yes, book a consultation for us to discuss your needs, targets & brand perception, and let’s create the professional photos you deserve!
I REALLY WANT TO HAVE A TAILORED SHOOT AND IMAGES THAT REFLECT MY BRAND, HOWEVER, I WAS NOT PLANNING ON THAT KIND OF BUDGET, WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE?
We understand that it feels a bit of an investment. However, it is an investment, not a cost. And the return is a very positive one: telling you that you will get your dream job tomorrow or reach your 6 figures sales target tomorrow would be lying, however, your portraits will get you noticed & remembered, apart from the rest. It will set your foot at the door. A good strong distinctive foot. The one that your target will remember for sure, feel impressed about and be left with a powerful first impression.
Your executive portraits will very clearly set you apart from your competitors & peers. It will be a solid support to grow your career.
We are all about making things easy, so we can definitely organize with you a payment plan at no extra charge. Let’s discuss, make things work for both of us & get your personal brand off the ground!
I JUST NEED ONE PICTURE, I DON’T NEED MORE. CAN YOU MAKE ME A SMALLER PACKAGE?
We want excellence for the people we work with. We want to go beyond average.
We are more than happy to make things smoother with a payment plan. However, we are absolutely convinced that nowadays, you need more than one portrait if you want your personal brand to have the strong impact it deserves. The ‘beginner’ mistake we all make is to use that one professional headshot for all our needs, whatever the platform, project or target.
Exactly like the fact that you don’t have just one personality trait, just one expertise, and just one skill, you should not have just one portrait. You deserve to have different portraits to show all your personality facets through the different media you choose. You also need several portraits to use like real marketing tool: by adapting their use depending on the project and the target to have a full real impact. (Website, Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, press release, Annual report, business plan, speaking engagement at conferences, podcasts, guest blogging, online articles, etc..)
HOW LONG IN ADVANCE SHOULD I BOOK MY PORTRAIT SESSION?
Our photoshoot schedule gets busy fast so we would advise booking something like 4 weeks in advance.
However, we do know that executives and business owners have some very hectic & busy lives and sometimes deadlines are much shorter: feel free to get in touch as we might be able to fit you in on an evening or a weekend morning.
WHEN DOES THE PRE-SHOOT CONSULTATION OCCUR?
It depends how long in advance we got in touch before your portrait shoot but it can be 1 week before the shoot, to minimum 2 days prior to your session. We want you to have the time to get the clothes you want for your session.
I HAVE A PACKED SCHEDULE: HOW LONG IS THE CONSULTATION? IS IT HELD IN YOUR STUDIO OR VIA PHONE/ZOOM?
Don’t worry, we are all about delivering the best experience in an efficient way: the consultation is around 20-30min but if we need more time to discuss all your different needs, messages, etc, we can definitely take the time needed.
As much as we love meeting our clients face to face before their professional photoshoot, time is always the barrier on our client end. So we can organize a face to face meeting, but in real life, we do use more skype, zoom or facetime most of the time.
I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT TO WEAR FOR MY SESSION! HELP!
Seat down, breathe… we got you covered.
First, you can head to some tips on what to wear on professional headshots. It will start to give you general guidelines. Then, the outfit is a topic we cover during your pre-photoshoot consultation. Last but not least, we will send you a pdf guide before your portrait session to summarize all you need to know about your outfit choice.
HOW MUCH IS YOUR PACKAGE? HOW MANY IMAGES DOES IT INCLUDE?
We have a base package that includes 4 images to choose among your 20 edited favorite images from your portrait session. The whole Portrait Executive Experience (before, during & after the shoot) starts at 850$. If you would need more than 4 images, there is a purchasing option. Everything is detailed in our pricing menu in the Portrait Executive Brochure that you can receive directly in your inbox.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN EXECUTIVE PORTRAIT SHOOT AND A PERSONAL BRANDING SHOOT?
In reality, these are the same type of portrait photoshoot but some people refer to it as ‘executive portrait shoot’, and some other ‘personal branding shoot’. They both answer the same purpose: to create professional photos for your personal brand. Your personal brand is, in short, ‘your reputation’ (offline and online) and whether you are leading a career in the corporate world or leading your own business, you need to differentiate yourself from your peers and competitors, offline and online. That’s where your personal brand enters the scene and that’s where your professional portraits impact your online reputation.
This is not something you want to leave up to chance as nowadays, the first time people see you is through Internet in most of the cases.
WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING FOR MY SHOOT?
You will bring different outfits and accessories. All of those depend on the message you want to convey, which we will discuss during your pre-photoshoot consultation.
HOW MANY OUTFITS CAN I BRING FOR MY PORTRAIT SESSION?
There is no real limit to the number of changes as we prioritize results over quantity. We are here to tailor the portrait experience and create the best photos for you. So it can be through 2 outfits, or 5 outfits, it will all depend on your needs, objectives, and project. On average there are about 3,4 outfit changes. But again, we are not here to set some strict rules (you already face enough of those in the other areas of your life !), we are here to get a job done with excellence and care.
IS THERE A MAKEUP ARTIST OR HAIR PROFESSIONAL AT YOUR NYC PHOTO STUDIO?
For women, we definitely recommend booking our hair and make up additional options, to make sure the results are neat from scratch. First, it is very time efficient to have everything done on-site: no need for you to run around getting your hair and makeup done. You are already too busy and your time is precious.
Second, it puts all the chances on your side for the flawless and hyper professional result you expect.
For men, feel free to ask us for a makeup and hair quote if you want that additional service.
CAN I SEE THE PHOTOS DURING MY PERSONAL BRANDING SHOOT?
A personal branding/executive portrait shoot is all about conveying a message and a story. For that particular type of session, we like to shoot ‘tethered’: meaning you see the images directly on a big screen. What it does is to make sure we build together the professional pictures you need through the right body language and expressions… it helps us correct and build up. You will only leave the studio when you are in full satisfaction with your images.
LUXURY PORTRAIT STUDIO IN NEW YORK CITY
Portrait Madame is a luxury portrait studio in New York City,
specializing in maternity, anniversary, and professional portrait experiences designed
to become timeless heirlooms.
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COME AS YOU ARE
AND LEAVE THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE.
Portrait Madame Studio isn’t just a studio space where we take photos:
It’s where women come to reconnect with their favorite version of themselves to then share it to the world.
In a city as vibrant as New York, a personal branding or a maternity photoshoot can be just another appointment
— or it can be an unforgettable experience. We built everything to make sure it's the most
positive & grounding photoshoot experience you will ever have.
Step into Portrait Madame Studio, a NYC maternity studio and elegant headshot & portrait studio designed to feel warm, welcoming, and effortlessly stylish. Founded by French photographer Alice Prenat, the space was created to welcome people who usually hate being photographed—yet leave loving their portraits. From graceful maternity sessions to polished CEO portraits, Alice brings a sophisticated, Parisian touch that makes every image timeless. More than just photos, it’s an experience that lets you relax, feel seen, and walk away with portraits you’ll truly cherish.
