CHICAGO
HEADSHOTS
for MEN

Professional Chicago headshots for men: LinkedIn, company bios, speaking pages, and everywhere else your face is doing business before you arrive.

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Professional headshots for men in Chicago are directed studio sessions for LinkedIn, company bios, press, and professional profiles. I'm Michael Schacht, and I answer the nerves most men bring with information instead of reassurance, handling what men worry about most, thinning hair and weight, with lighting, head angle, and review on screen as I shoot. The session fee is $500; images are $250 each, fully retouched and licensed. I've photographed 10,000+ people over 17 years (since 2009).

See pricing and book a session at session pricing and booking.

Directed headshots for men who hate being photographed

The majority of men who walk into the studio say some version of the exact same sentence before we even start: I don't photograph well, just so you know. And I'll let you in on something that should take the pressure off: almost none of them are right. I'd put myself on that list too, honestly. Drop me in front of someone else's camera with no direction and I'll give you the same stiff, slightly pained half-smile everybody does, the one that reads like a DMV photo with better lighting. It isn't your face that's the problem. It's that nobody has ever actually told you what to do with it. So these sessions never leave you alone for a second, because being left alone is exactly where bad headshots come from. Posture, shoulders, where your weight goes, what the jaw is doing, the precise amount of smile, all of it gets coached frame by frame, and the images come up on the screen as we shoot so you watch yourself get better in real time instead of driving home and just hoping it worked. Most guys who are sure they're hopeless on camera loosen up about ten minutes in, once the first genuinely good frame lands and they realize the whole thing was just direction all along. What you leave with reads the way a first professional impression should: capable, current, and actually at ease. You on a good day, which is the only version worth printing. As a Chicago headshot photographer, my recent sessions for men include violinist Tristan Zhu and Thoma Bravo general counsel Steven Schwab.

Why men in Chicago book a new headshot

Almost nobody books a headshot at random. There's usually a reason, a thing that changed or a photo that finally got too old to keep using, and that reason quietly shapes what the picture needs to do. Here are the ones I see most, and odds are one of them is you.

Replacing a headshot that no longer looks like you

The headshot floating around out there is two jobs and a different haircut ago, and every time it loads next to your name you wince a little. This is the single most common reason guys book a new headshot, by a mile, and there's no shame in it, life got busy. I make a current professional portrait that matches the guy who actually shows up to the meeting, so the old photo stops quietly working against you.

A LinkedIn headshot for the job search

You're interviewing, and recruiters and hiring managers will look you up before they ever shake your hand, usually starting with your LinkedIn headshot. The job here is simple: look sharp, current, and like someone they'd want in the room, without trying so hard that it reads as trying hard. I build a clean, confident headshot that holds up next to anybody else in the candidate pool.

An executive headshot after a promotion

You got promoted, the title leveled up, and the headshot didn't come along for the ride. There's a quiet gap now between how senior you actually are and how senior you read, and people calibrate off the photo before they ever meet you. I shoot an executive headshot that matches the new seat, without making you look like you're posing as somebody you're not.

A founder headshot for the company and the pitch deck

You started the thing, which means for a while you are the thing, on the website, the pitch deck, the about page. This is where headshots blur into personal branding for men: the portrait has to carry the company's credibility and still look like a real person someone would want to work with. Polished or scrappy is a genuine choice, and we make it on purpose, building a small set of branding photos instead of one generic corporate shot.

A usable headshot after years of dodging cameras

You genuinely dislike being photographed, you've dodged it for years, and you're only here because you finally need a usable headshot. This is honestly my favorite kind of photoshoot to run. The entire session is built around the fact that you've never really been directed, and most guys in this camp walk out a little stunned that they actually like a portrait of themselves.

A first professional headshot

Maybe you've never had a professional photoshoot at all, and the whole thing feels a little foreign. Deep breath. You don't need experience, you don't need to know your angles, and you definitely don't need to figure out what to do with your hands. That part is on me. We talk first, I direct the whole way through, and you leave with a first headshot that finally looks like you.

How a men's headshot session works

1
Wardrobe planning before the shoot
A short conversation about your industry and where the images will live, followed by wardrobe guidance: what photographs well in the colors you look best in, when a tie helps versus hurts, and what to bring for a second look. Text me photos of what you're considering and I'll weigh in before you pack.
2
Directed shooting with on-screen review
Studio session with multiple looks and backgrounds, directed frame by frame. Images come up on screen as we shoot, so you see exactly what's working, and leave knowing the keepers are already in the set.
3
Gallery, retouching, and delivery
Before the session ends, we sit down and review the images together. You mark your favorites, and if anything's missing, we keep shooting. Your private online gallery is up within 24 hours, usually 300 to 600 frames, and you choose the images you want. Retouched finals arrive 7 days after you choose, or within 24 hours with rush delivery at $100 per image. Every image you purchase comes fully retouched, with LinkedIn-ready square crops plus wider frames for bio pages and press, delivered in web and print resolution with an unlimited promotional-use license.

What Chicago professionals say

I've sat for professional headshots more times than I can count, and the experience is almost always the same — someone telling you to tilt your chin and give them 'confident but approachable,' as if you can manufacture a genuine expression on command. What I walked away with from those sessions always looked technically correct and completely hollow. This was different.

Robert C.

Chief Executive Officer

I was finishing my MBA and entering recruiting for management consulting — an industry where how you present yourself is scrutinized by people who have seen thousands of headshots. I didn't want the same photo that comes out of every business school's career services session. Michael understood the specific visual language those environments respond to.

Adrian C.

MBA Candidate

As the public face of an organization that works hard to avoid looking like it misuses resources, I needed headshots that were clearly professional without appearing extravagant — a narrow target. The images came out warm and accessible, appropriate for our annual report, grant proposals, and the media appearances I do.

Harrison W.

Executive Director

Read more in my full collection of client reviews.

What a men's headshot session includes

A $500 session fee covering the directed shoot: multiple looks and backgrounds, with unlimited wardrobe changes and session time
Pre-session wardrobe guidance
Coached posing and expression, so you're never left to guess in front of the camera
A private online proofing gallery, up within 24 hours, to choose your images from
Images purchased individually at $250 each: honestly retouched, licensed for unlimited promotional use, and delivered in web and high-resolution print files
Any framing you need, from a tight headshot to a 3/4 or wider shot, on request; every session is bespoke, which is why everything is à la carte

How much do headshots for men cost in Chicago?

A men's headshot session with me in Chicago is a $500 session fee plus $250 for each image you choose, fully retouched and licensed. One image comes to $750 in total; three come to $1,250. Across Chicago, headshot prices run from volume mini-sessions to full directed sittings, and the total usually depends on how many final images you buy. A headshot is one of the few purchases where the price tag tells you less than the booking rate: the cheap one that doesn't get used costs more than the good one that does. You pay for the session once and buy exactly the images you need. Full details are on the pricing page.

Is it worth paying for a professional headshot?

Yes, if the photo will sit where people size you up before they meet you: LinkedIn, a company bio, a speaker page, a pitch deck, a press mention. Recruiters, clients, and boards see the picture before they hear a word from you, and a directed, current headshot is the one part of that first impression you fully control. Where it isn't worth it: if the image will only ever appear as a thumbnail in an internal directory, a clean phone photo against a plain wall can do that job. The case for a professional session is direction, not equipment, and the result is a set of images you'll actually use for the next year and a half instead of one you tolerate. AI-generated headshots are the newest cheap option. They can produce a polished face, but it's a face assembled from other people's photos, and it tends to fall apart the first time someone who has seen your picture meets you in person. The whole point of a headshot is that the man in the photo is the man who walks into the room.

What should men wear for a headshot?

A fitted suit or blazer in a solid, mid-to-dark color over a solid shirt is the safest place to start, and most men today are better off without a tie. Skip busy patterns, logos, and shiny fabrics, and bring a second, open-collar look so one session covers both your formal and your relaxed uses.

Should men wear a tie in a headshot?

In 2025, only one in ten men photographed at my studio bought a shot wearing a tie. A tie is one of the fastest ways to date a headshot; today it's mostly bankers, politicians, and attorneys who spend time in a courtroom. Men obsess over picking the perfect tie when they should be learning to tie it. If you're in one of those three camps, wear the tie, and make it a solid or tone-on-tone one, knotted well, with a collar that holds its shape with the top button done. Everyone else is better served by an open collar under a jacket, which reads current rather than dressed up for the picture.

Shirts and collars

Solid shirts are the reliable choice: white, light blue, or a soft color that suits your skin. Fine stripes and small checks can shimmer on camera, so save them for a second look, if at all. Without a tie, the collar does the work, so bring a shirt whose collar stands up on its own under a jacket rather than one that collapses flat.

Suit and jacket colors

Start with the colors you look best in, then lean toward navy, charcoal, and mid-gray. They photograph cleanly and don't compete with your face. Fit matters more than the label: a jacket that pulls at the button or buckles at the shoulders shows up at headshot crops more than any color choice does. If a jacket fits you well today, bring it; if it fit you two years ago, bring something else.

How your wardrobe chooses the background

There's no background color menu. I set up natural vignettes around the open-floorplan loft for a less staged look, and I have a collection of hand-painted backdrops and studio paper. What you wear decides which one fits, so a navy suit and a gray sweater may end up in very different settings. If you have a specific background in mind, tell me ahead of time so it's ready when you arrive.

Bringing a second look

Unlimited wardrobe changes are part of the session fee, so a second look costs nothing but a garment bag. The most useful pairing is one formal look and one open-collar or sweater look for bios, speaking pages, and personal branding. Bring your clothes on hangers and change when you get here.

What are the most common headshot mistakes men make?

The most common mistakes are using a headshot that's years out of date, wearing busy patterns, logos, or a tie out of habit, and rushing the session. Two more, a stern expression and going undirected, are answered in the FAQ below. Every one of them is easy to avoid. An out-of-date photo. The man people meet should match the man in the picture; a photo from a different haircut or a different job works against you. Patterns and ties that date the picture. Tight stripes, small checks, and logos pull the eye away from your face at the small sizes profiles actually display, and a tie worn out of habit makes a new photo look old. Rushing. There's no time limit on my sessions, so there's no reason to settle for the first acceptable frame.

Thinning hair, weight, beards, and glasses in men's headshots

These are the four things men ask about most before a headshot, and each one is handled in the studio with lighting, head angle, and direction, with retouching as the finishing step rather than the fix.

Thinning hair

Hair comes up constantly, and most of it is solved before retouching. Lighting is the first tool: the last thing you want on a thinning crown is a bright light pointed at it. Head angle is the second. A small tilt shows off the hair you have without drawing attention to what's gone.

Weight and the jawline

Weight comes up a lot too. Because the images appear on screen as I shoot, we fix most of it live with pose, camera angle, and specific direction that defines the jawline.

Beards and shaving between looks

Beards are easy. Keep whatever facial hair is normal for you, because the photo should match the man who shows up, and clean up the lines the day before. If you're undecided, come in with the beard: I keep razors, shaving cream, and a beard trimmer at the studio, so we shoot the beard first and you shave between looks. You can't un-shave on set.

Glasses and glare

If you wear glasses every day, you should absolutely have a headshot with them on, because the photo should look like the man who actually walks into the room. Glare is my problem, not yours: anti-reflective lenses help, and advanced retouching usually fixes whatever reflection remains, which is why glasses come up far less than they used to. If you're unsure, we shoot both; it's a thirty-second change. What I'd steer you away from is going without them because you think you look better that way when you never actually take them off.

Where can men get a professional headshot in Chicago?

At my studio at 212 N. Sangamon Street, Studio 4B, in Chicago's West Loop, at Lake and Sangamon. The Morgan station on the Green and Pink Lines is steps away, and valet parking is across the street at the Equinox, 201 N. Sangamon. The studio has a private changing room and a steamer for travel-wrinkled shirts. I also come to you. Any individual session can run at your office or another location within Chicago city limits for a $500 on-location fee. There's no minimum room size; the setup depends on the space, and a well-lit office with floor-to-ceiling windows may need one light or none at all. For a whole team, see my team and group headshots page.

What happens when you walk into the studio?

Look at ten portrait photographers' websites and all ten promise to make you comfortable. Comfort is the minimum, about as meaningful as promising a clean sensor. What I add is information. Yes, most men tell me some version of "I hate having my picture taken." They also hate overdraft fees and porta-potties. I don't answer it by telling them there's nothing to worry about. That feeling usually comes from a bad experience with a less capable photographer, so the session is built around one thing: you always know what's coming next. It starts with a handshake. I take your garment bag to the rack, we sit on the couch with something to drink, and I walk you through the whole process before a single frame. Then you ask whatever I didn't cover, and that turns into why you're here and what the pictures need to do. From there you make the calls, starting with which outfit goes first. In my studio the client is the boss; my job is to get you where you're going.

Who photographs these headshots for men

I'm Michael Schacht. I've been photographing professionally since 2009 and opened the studio in January 2010, and in that time I've photographed 10,000+ people. My corporate clients include Mastercard, Hyatt, United Airlines, Salesforce, Bain, and Thoma Bravo. I do exclusive work with UChicago Booth and Northwestern Kellogg, and I'm part of the vendor loyalty programs at Northwestern University and UIC. Law firm clients include Kirkland & Ellis, Sidley Austin, Mayer Brown, McDermott Will & Emery, Beermann LLP, Minsky, McCormick & Hallagan, and McEntee Law Group; medical clients include the Northwestern Medicine Physician Network, University of Chicago Medicine physicians, and Advocate Medical Group; and I photograph for dozens of real estate brokerages. Many of the men I photograph are building a name, not just filling in a profile: Eric Belcher, CEO of INWK; Brad Karsh of JB Training; John Barrett of ISSA; Pat McCusker of HiBid; architect Shankar Nair; Loren Stanton of Stanton Inc.; and Eric Broughton of TurnIt.

By the numbers

17 years: photographing Chicago professionals at every career stage
10,000+ people: photographed: CEOs, brokers, founders, and the careers in between
$500: session fee, with individual images at $250 each
24 hours: delivery for your private online proofing gallery
No time limit: on your session: most men run out of steam around 90 minutes, and none has passed two and a half hours

Frequently asked questions about headshots for men

Should men smile for headshots?

A slight, genuine smile usually outperforms the stern default, and it reads as engaged and at ease at the sizes profiles actually display. The target is the expression you'd wear meeting someone you respect, and the session captures a directed range from composed to full smile so you can match the image to where it's going.

How do I not look awkward in headshots?

Get directed. Awkward headshots come from being left alone in front of a camera, not from your face, and my sessions are built so that never happens. Most guys who think they're bad on camera have just never had anyone tell them what to do.

How often should men update their headshots?

When something visible changes: your hair, your weight, your role, or your look, whether that's new glasses or a beard on or off. The rise of GLP-1 medications has brought a wave of men in for fresh headshots for exactly that reason. If nothing changes, 18 months is the fallback clock. The rule isn't the calendar, it's the mirror: if people who know your photo do a double-take when they meet you, it's overdue.

How long does a men's headshot session take?

As long as it takes. There's no time limit on my sessions. Most men run out of steam around 90 minutes, experienced clients sometimes go as long as 150, and no session has ever passed two and a half hours. You're never watching a clock or paying for overtime, which is a big part of why the images look relaxed.