Professional Headshots
Your headshot is often the first thing a client, employer, or collaborator sees. It should look like you mean it.
Your Headshot Is Doing a Job.
Let’s Make Sure It’s Doing It Well.
A bad headshot doesn’t just fail to impress — it actively works against you. The slightly-off LinkedIn photo, the outdated image that no longer looks like you, the corporate stock-photo pose that communicates nothing about who you actually are. People notice. They just don’t say anything.
A good headshot does specific work: it establishes credibility before you say a word, communicates approachability or authority depending on what your role requires, and confirms that you take yourself seriously enough to invest in how you’re perceived.
Matthew D. Kauffmann shoots professional headshots for executives, realtors, attorneys, creatives, speakers, and anyone who needs a camera-ready image that actually represents them. CPP-certified. 25 years of experience. Clean lighting, natural direction, no awkward posing.
Images are typically ready the same day.
Studio or Location — Your Choice
Studio headshots offer controlled, consistent lighting and a clean neutral background that works across every professional context — LinkedIn, company websites, speaker bios, press materials. The studio is in the Metro East Illinois area, convenient to St. Louis.
On-location headshots work well when your environment is part of your brand — your office, a coworking space, an outdoor setting that communicates something specific about your work. If you’re looking for something that goes beyond a single headshot into broader brand imagery, that conversation starts the same way: reach out and tell me what you’re trying to accomplish.
What to Wear
Solid colors photograph better than busy patterns. Wear what you’d wear to an important meeting in your field — not more formal, not more casual. The goal is that the person looking at your headshot sees you, not your outfit.
The style guides below apply as well to headshots as they do to any other portrait session.
Style Guide for Him → Style Guide for Her →
Bring two options if you’re uncertain. We can make the call together when you’re here.
Investment
Headshot commissions follow the same structure as portrait sessions:
Essential — $350 / 1 finished image / 1 location / 1 outfit
Simple — $900 / 5 finished images / 1 location / 1 outfit
Classic — $1,400 / 10 finished images / 2 locations / 2 outfits (most popular)
Signature — $2,400 / 20 finished images / unlimited locations & outfits / Deluxe Photo Book
Most professionals booking a single headshot start with the Essential or Simple commission. The Classic is the right choice if you need variety — different expressions, different backgrounds, different looks for different contexts.
Full pricing details on the investment page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a headshot session take? Most headshot sessions run 30 to 60 minutes depending on commission level and how many looks you’re doing. There’s no rush — we work until we have something genuinely good before we wrap.
When will I receive my finished images? Typically the same day. You’ll leave with your images or receive them shortly after the session — not days or weeks later. Fast delivery isn’t a premium add-on; it’s how we work.
Do I need hair and makeup? Not required, but available. If you want professional hair and makeup as part of your session, we can arrange it — reach out when you book and we’ll coordinate.
Studio or on-location — which is better for a headshot? Studio is the most versatile option — clean, consistent, works in every professional context. On-location makes sense when your environment adds something meaningful to the image. If you’re not sure, start with studio. It’s the safer default for most professional uses.
Can I get multiple looks in one session? Yes, depending on your commission level. The Classic commission includes two locations and two outfits — that gives you meaningful variety without turning the session into a production. The Signature commission is fully unlimited.
What if I need more than headshots — brand photography, team photos, that kind of thing? That conversation starts the same way as any headshot booking — reach out and tell me what you’re trying to accomplish. Headshots can expand naturally into broader brand imagery when the scope calls for it.
Ready for portraits that actually look like you?
No awkward posing. No stiff smiles. Just calm direction and finished photographs, you’ll be proud to display.
Today an Event. Tomorrow a Memory. Forever an Heirloom.
Still thinking? That's what the consultation is for.
Every MDKauffmann commission starts with a conversation — not a sales pitch. We talk about your day, your priorities, and what "forever" looks like for your family. If we're the right fit, you'll know. If we're not, I'll tell you honestly.
Start the Conversation →Dates book fast — especially May through October.