If you’re a business owner or marketing manager in Los Angeles, here’s a quick question:

What do your company headshots say about your team?

Visit enough “Meet the Team” or “About Us” pages, and you’ll start to notice a pattern — mismatched headshots. One person’s image is a crisp studio portrait. Another clearly snapped a selfie at their desk. Someone else is still rocking their 1980’s headshot.

It’s more common than you think — and it’s hurting your brand more than you realize.

Why Consistent Headshots Matter for Your Company

Headshots are often the first visual introduction to your team. Whether it’s on your website, LinkedIn, press materials, or pitch decks, those profile images are representing your business around the clock. Inconsistent, outdated, or unprofessional headshots can unintentionally signal that your company lacks attention to detail, or worse — that your team isn’t unified.

In today’s digital-first world, first impressions happen online. A professional, cohesive set of team headshots helps build trust, shows off your company culture, and reinforces your brand identity.

That’s not just true for large corporations. Startups, creative agencies, law firms, real estate teams, and tech companies in LA are all being judged by the same visual standard. If you’re trying to attract top talent or impress investors and clients, your team photos need to look the part.

What I Offer: Professional Team Headshots in Los Angeles

Hi, I’m Steven Hankins, and I specialize in corporate headshots for teams across Los Angeles, including Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Culver City, Brentwood, and the greater LA area.

My goal is to make the headshot process simple, consistent, and stress-free for companies — whether you’ve got a team of 5 or 200. I create modern, clean business portraits that reflect your brand and your people at their best.

Services I Provide:

✅ On-location headshot sessions at your office
✅ Sessions at one of my three LA headshot studios (Venice, Santa Monica, Culver City)
✅ Group rates for teams
✅ Lighting, backdrop, and posing all handled professionally

No more pieced-together headshots. No more asking employees to submit their own blurry phone pics. I’ll handle the photography, so you can focus on running your business.

Give me a call at 323-493-2552 to book a session for you and your team!

Lesson Learned: Why I’m Now Working with Makeup Artists for Headshot Clients

As a professional headshot photographer, I’ve worked with a wide range of clients since launching my business back in 2015. Over the years, I’ve developed a smooth and efficient workflow, built great relationships with clients, and fine-tuned a style that makes people look their best.

But recently, I was reminded of something important: you never stop learning.

The Missed Opportunity

Not long ago, I got a call from a potential client asking if I worked with a makeup artist. I told them the truth—I didn’t have a makeup artist I worked with regularly.

It wasn’t that I was against it. It just hadn’t come up much. Most of my headshot clients have kept things pretty simple. A quick touch-up, maybe some hair smoothing or blotting, and we’d be good to go. I’ve only had a few shoots over the years where a makeup artist was actually requested, so I didn’t make it a priority to build a network of MUAs (makeup artists).

But this client did want professional makeup and in the end chose another photographer who had a makeup artist ready to go.

Ouch.

The Takeaway

Of course, nobody likes losing a client. But instead of just shrugging it off, I saw it as a clear message: I need to be ready for the needs I don’t hear about every day—but that matter when they come up.

So I posted in a Facebook group and on Instagram, asking local makeup artists to send me their info (bonus if they do hair, too). I had many talented professionals respond. It didn’t take long before I had a solid number of artists I can now refer to a client to if they ask.

Now, when someone needs makeup and hair for their headshots, I can say, “Absolutely. I’ve got someone great I work with.”

Growing Through Experience

Even after almost a decade in business, I’m still picking up lessons like this. That’s part of the journey—not just improving your craft, but continually improving the way you serve your clients.

Need New Headshots?

Give me a call at 323-493-2552 to book a session.  I have several locations in LA such as offices in Venice, Santa Monica and Culver City.  And of course I will travel across Los Angeles and Orange County to serve clients.

And yes—if you need a makeup artist, I’ve got you covered.

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Running a photography business isn’t just about taking great photos. It’s about constantly learning, adapting, refining, and improving not only my technical skills, but also how I work with clients. One of the things I’ve learned lately is that sometimes, it’s the smallest changes that make the biggest impact.

Recently, I added a new step to my headshot workflow. It’s simple: after we finish the session and review the images together, I now take a few extra minutes to talk with the client about what kind of edits they want. Not just what I plan to do in post-production, but what they’re hoping to see.

This small shift in taking time to talk about editing expectations has had already had a huge impact on client satisfaction.

For example, one client recently asked me to really smooth out their skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles far more than I normally would. It’s not my typical editing style, but it was what they wanted. And that’s what mattered most. I made the extra adjustments, delivered clean, professional final images, and the client was thrilled. That level of personalization built trust and helped them feel seen and heard.

In another session, the client wore a shirt under a sweater, which created some noticeable creases. They asked if I could minimize the wrinkles in post. This tweak made a big difference to them.  Meanwhile, a different client might see those same creases as totally natural and wouldn’t want them touched.

And that’s the point: every client is different. Everyone sees themselves in a unique way and wants to present a different version of themselves to the world. That’s why this small change—taking just five extra minutes to talk editing before we wrap—has become one of the most valuable parts of my process.

It’s also reminded me that photography is not a one-size-fits-all service. It’s a collaboration. My job is to listen, understand, and help each client show up in their best light—not just technically, but emotionally too. When someone looks at their headshot and sees not only a flattering image, but a true reflection of how they want to be seen, that’s when I know we got it right.

These little lessons are part of what keeps me energized and growing as a photographer. I’m grateful for the clients who’ve helped shape this part of my workflow, and I’m excited to keep learning, refining, and improving with every session.

Need an updated headshot?
Whether you’re refreshing your LinkedIn profile, launching a personal brand, or updating your company’s team photos, I’d love to work with you. I shoot on location throughout the LA area and also offer sessions at my three local spots in Santa Monica, Culver City, and Venice.

Call or text 323-493-2552 to book your session. Let’s create something that feels true to you.

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