A professional headshot is a head-and-shoulders image that shows you at your best, with an amazing expression, great lighting, and a modern, clean look. Typically it's used on LinkedIn, your company website, email signature, and other social platforms.

Do I need a professional headshot?

Yes. Not only do you need a headshot, but you need a good one. A headshot is your digital calling card, and as more business is done virtually, having a headshot that accurately represents your brand is more important than ever.

What is the process of getting a headshot like?

The process is collaborative, empowering, and fun. Pete Coco shoots tethered to his computer, so you review the images in real time together and find the best angles, poses, and clothing. Full sessions with multiple outfit changes and express sessions are both available.

What's the difference between a headshot and a portrait?

A headshot is a head-and-shoulders image with a simple background, showing you at your best, like a LinkedIn headshot. A portrait can be close up, half length, or full length, and uses more creative lighting and poses.

Are corporate headshots different than acting headshots?

Yes, but there is some overlap. Clothing, styling, expressions, and poses vary for acting and corporate headshots, but more important is hiring a photographer who understands your brand and goals. Each session is tailored to the client's needs.

Do you recommend a makeup artist for a headshot session?

Yes, a makeup artist is recommended for female clients. Pete Coco works with a makeup artist who understands how to apply makeup specifically for headshots. If you choose to do your own makeup, the key is to keep everything simple, not use a lot of foundation, and avoid dark color around the eyes.

Should I have my hair done before my headshot session?

Yes. For women, having your hair done the day of the shoot gives the best results. For men, it's best to get a haircut a day or two before your session so the hair settles and doesn't have spiky edges as can happen with a fresh cut. Special techniques are available for clients without hair as well.

Where is Pete Coco Photography's studio located?

The main studio is located in Garden City on Long Island, with plenty of free street parking and a five minute walk from the LIRR Nassau Blvd train stop. There is also a location in Brooklyn at 20 Grand Ave near the Navy Yard.

How much do professional headshots cost?

Professional headshot prices vary based on the photographer, their expertise, location, and other factors. Pricing is available via the Get Pricing link, and special quotes are available for branding sessions or team headshots at your office.

How long does a headshot session take?

A typical session is under an hour, though full sessions can run up to 2 hours for clients who need multiple images. An express session for one great headshot takes about 20 minutes.

What should I wear to my corporate headshot session?

Blues, neutrals, and form fitted options generally work best. A complete breakdown is available at https://petecocophoto.com/blog/how-to-dress-for-a-headshot

What should I wear to my acting headshot session?

Actors should bring as many outfit options as possible, including neutrals and form fitted shirts for a clean commercial look. A full breakdown is available at https://petecocophoto.com/blog/what-to-wear-acting-headshot-long-island

Do you photograph groups or teams for corporate headshots?

Yes. Pete Coco works with teams of various sizes and travels to client locations for headshots, event photos, and videography, including out-of-state travel when needed.

Do you edit or retouch the photos?

Yes. Any purchased photo is professionally retouched, including cleaning up skin and hair edges and softening lines and shadows, done subtly and realistically so the image looks like you on your best day.

How far in advance should I book my headshot session?

Booking 2-4 weeks in advance is recommended since the schedule tends to fill up quickly, though it's worth reaching out directly to check for earlier availability.

TT Artisan 56mm f1.8 Review: A New Autofocus Lens for Fujifilm Cameras

Gear Review

Portrait shot with the TT Artisan 56mm f/1.8

Today we're talking all about the brand new TT Artisan 56mm f/1.8, an autofocus portrait lens for Fujifilm X mount cameras. I've been shooting with it for a while now — concert photography, street photography, family photos, and a recent portrait shoot with my friend Wayne, an awesome trumpet player living in New York. I've got a lot to say about it, so let's get into it.

TT Artisan 56mm mounted to a Fujifilm X-Pro1

TT Artisan 56mm f/1.8 Autofocus Lens, standalone product shot

TT Artisan 56mm mounted to a Fujifilm X-T5

Mounted on the X-Pro1, the lens on its own, and mounted on the X-T5

Quick Take

✓Price: ~$160 — genuinely impressive value

✓Build: All-metal barrel and mount, light and compact

✓Autofocus: Decent for portraits, struggles with fast motion

✓Image quality: Genuinely holds up next to my Fuji glass

✓Best for: Portrait shooters who don't want to drop $400-500 on a third-party lens

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In the Box

You get a front and rear lens cap, a lens hood, and paperwork — but the lens cap itself is the interesting part.

✓The cap has a built-in USB-C port and contacts that meet the lens contacts when attached

✓Line up the dots properly, plug in a USB-C cable, and you can update firmware right through the cap

✓Smart solution — no port cut into the lens barrel itself. Just don't lose the cap.

TT Artisan lens cap with built-in USB-C port for firmware updates

I like the retro-styled lens hood for a couple of reasons. It looks great on the lens, but more importantly, it works — this lens does flare quite a bit, and the hood's shape both reduces that and protects the front element.

The one downside: you can't attach the lens cap with the hood on, so you have to remove the hood first. A little annoying, but I mostly just left the hood on and didn't worry about the cap, since the hood extends around the element anyway.

Build Quality

For a $160 lens, this thing is built really well. The whole barrel is metal, including the lens mount, with a large, smooth manual focus ring. And despite the all-metal construction, it's still light and compact.

That size and weight make it a great match for compact Fujifilm bodies — I used it on both my X-T5 and my X-Pro1, and it fits nicely on each, with a solid fit and finish throughout.

Autofocus Performance

Overall, I'd call the autofocus "okay." It runs on a stepping motor, which is fine but comes with some real limitations.

For everyday portrait shooting — and even some concert photography — it did a good job finding eyes and locking focus on them. TT Artisan claims some form of eye tracking built in; I couldn't figure out exactly what that means technically, but it's listed among the lens's features on their site.

Where it struggled: fast-moving subjects. I tried photographing my kids on their bikes, and it just couldn't keep up — a little slow to lock focus on quick movement, which is roughly what I expected from a stepping motor.

One odd quirk: a few times, racking focus from infinity to something very close, the lens just froze and wouldn't move. The fix was switching to manual, focusing close by hand, then flipping back to autofocus — after that, it worked fine. Strange, but a workable workaround.

Sample portrait shot on TT Artisan 56mm f/1.8

Image Quality

This is the part that matters most, in my opinion — and I was genuinely impressed. During the portrait shoot with Wayne, I shot side-by-side with my Fuji 50mm f/1.0, 35mm f/1.4, and 16-55mm f/2.8.

The TT Artisan held up remarkably well against all of them — sharp, plenty of detail, nothing to fault at this price point.

Pros

✓ All-metal build at a budget price ✓ Sharp, detailed image quality ✓ Clever cap-based USB-C firmware updates ✓ Light and compact on small Fuji bodies

Cons

✓ Struggles tracking fast-moving subjects ✓ Occasional focus-lock freeze on close subjects ✓ Noticeable flare without the hood on ✓ Can't cap the lens with the hood attached

Conclusion — Is It Worth It?

So, the big question: should you buy this lens? Well, how should I know? I have no idea what your financial situation is like — you might be up to your eyeballs in debt. But seriously: for the price, I think this should be near the top of your list if you're after a sub-$200 portrait lens that gives you very good image quality, decent autofocus, and a genuinely nice user experience.

Check it out — I think you'll really like it. If you don't want to spend three, four, five hundred dollars on a higher-end third-party lens, this might be the one for you.

TT Artisan 56mm f/1.8 for Fujifilm X

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Peter CocoJuly 10, 2026Pete Coco PhotographyComment