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.

First Impressions of the Fujifilm GFX 100S II: A Portrait Photographer’s Perspective

Gear Review

Today I want to share my first impressions of the Fujifilm GFX 100S II along with the GFX 55mm f/1.7 and the GFX 45-100mm lenses. I've had these lenses and camera for about two weeks and tested them in various scenarios, including portrait sessions, family photos, and even a shoot with a living legend. Let's dive in!

GFX 100S II with the 55mm f/1.7 (left), and with the 45-100mm lens (right)

Quick Take

✓Build: Full-frame-like size and weight, deep grip, effortless handheld use

✓Autofocus: Surprisingly good for medium format, still behind Sony/Canon

✓Image quality: 100MP, stunning dynamic range, creamy bokeh at f/1.7

✓Best for: Portrait photographers and commercial work needing serious resolution and tonal range

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Handling and Build Quality

The GFX 100S II is not small, but it's not overwhelmingly large either. It's comparable in size and weight to a full-frame mirrorless camera, which I found comfortable for handheld use. It feels more or less like a brick-ish full frame camera. With the 55mm f/1.7 lens, the camera was very easy to manage, and a lot of fun too. The deep grip made handling pretty much effortless, even when I took it around Manhattan for various shoots, with lighting gear in tow. The 45-100mm lens, however, is quite long, so when using it in this combination, it did feel sort of bulky, but that is more about the lens than the camera. The balance, with that larger lens, however, was still good. I think Fujifilm did a very nice job with this camera design, including the layout and buttons… mostly.

One of my continued gripes with Fujifilm is that they have a habit of changing button layouts between models and systems, which adds an unnecessary extra learning curve for photographers switching between cameras in their ecosystem. It would be so much better if the X and GFX cameras had the same layouts, without so much variation in the design as well as different or missing features. They do make up for it with the excellent ability to customize almost any button, and this definitely helps smooth the transition from one camera to another, but more consistency across models would be appreciated!

A portrait of jazz legend, bassist Ron Carter, taken with the Fujifilm GFX 100S II

Want to learn more about portrait photography and lighting?

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Autofocus Performance: Better Than Expected

Let's talk about a crucial aspect for many photographers, especially us Fujifilm users—autofocus. I initially had rather low expectations for a number of reasons. First, Fujifilm's medium format cameras are, in general, slower than their APS-C cameras. The whole process, with the larger sensor and huge file sizes, takes a bit more time. Second, I tried out the GFX 100S II, although briefly, at a Fujifilm event in New York, and I found it to be slow. However, after using it in real-world situations for a number of weeks, I was pleasantly surprised by the autofocus, which was very good for a medium format camera.

For my portrait work, the AF was accurate, and locked onto the subject's eye without a lot of hunting or false positives. If you're coming from a Sony or Canon system, you'll still notice a big difference in the speed of the autofocus, which lags behind those brands in a big way. Still, for a medium-format camera, the performance was solid, and I didn't have a lot of missed shots. It's definitely faster than older GFX models.

Fujifilm GFX 100S II

Image Quality: Stunning Detail and Dynamic Range

The GFX 100S II shines when it comes to image quality. The files are 100MP, and excessively large to work with in post. But they are beautiful. And the GFX 100S II offers an insane amount of dynamic range, which I love for editing. You can edit the files quite a bit, and bring back detail in the shadow and highlight areas in a major way. Also, when shooting portraits with the 55mm f/1.7 wide open, the bokeh is creamy, and the subject separation is natural, with a pop that makes the subject really stand out.

GFX 100S II

Pros

✓ Comfortable, effortless handling with the 55mm f/1.7 ✓ Extensively customizable buttons ✓ Surprisingly accurate autofocus for medium format ✓ Stunning 100MP detail and dynamic range ✓ Creamy bokeh and natural subject separation wide open

Cons

✓ Feels bulky paired with the 45-100mm lens ✓ Button layouts inconsistent across Fujifilm's own lineup ✓ AF still noticeably behind Sony/Canon systems ✓ 100MP files are excessively large to work with in post

Verdict: A Portrait Photographer's Dream Camera?

The Fujifilm GFX 100S II is a serious contender for portrait photographers. The combination of image quality, dynamic range, unparalleled detail, and Fuji's renowned color science, creates images that feel almost cinematic. The 100MP resolution is overkill for many, but if you want the ultimate in detail and tonal range, this camera delivers. If you work with large commercial brands and need the resolution however, this camera will surely dazzle and deliver for you.

Fujifilm GFX 100S II & Lenses

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Peter CocoJuly 21, 2026Pete Coco PhotographyComment