There are a lot of headshot photographers in Los Angeles. We know that. But who are we at Nice Headshots? What is our approach to headshot photography, and what is it actually like to work with us?
When people are searching for a headshot photographer, they often focus on the photographer’s portfolio—which is obviously important. But there’s another question that matters just as much:
What is it like working with this photographer?
Because having your headshots taken is personal, and for a lot of people, it can be a vulnerable experience.
You’re standing in front of someone’s camera, staring into a black abyss, being looked at closely, trying different expressions that you hope are working, and probably thinking about every tiny thing your face is doing. With all of that going on, the studio environment and the photographer behind the camera can make a huge difference in how comfortable you feel—and ultimately, in the photos you create together.
Nice Headshots is a Los Angeles headshot photography studio specializing in actor headshots, business headshots, professional headshots, model headshots, and other career-focused photography. But who we are as photographers, our approach to the experience, and how we treat the people who trust us with their photos are just as important to us as what comes out of the camera.
So, hi. Nice to meet you.
Nice Headshots Didn't Actually Start With Headshots
Our photography business started in 2009, long before Nice Headshots existed.
For more than a decade, I photographed weddings, engagements, families, maternity sessions, events, and just about everything involving people, with David—my then-boyfriend, now husband—joining me as my second shooter and right-hand man.
Those years shaped the way we photograph people today. Weddings taught us how to work quickly, stay calm under pressure, and never miss a thing. Family photography reinforced something I still believe strongly: personality will always be more interesting than a perfectly posed photograph.
Along the way, I started photographing more and more headshots in Los Angeles, particularly for actors, and realized how much I loved the one-on-one nature of the work. Eventually, headshot photography became the clear direction forward, and after 13 years, I retired from weddings and family photography to focus on headshots completely.
If you'd like to go further back, you can read an interview with me from when I was still photographing weddings and families.
You can also read the full story of that transition in My Journey to Becoming a Los Angeles Headshot Photographer and Why I Left Wedding Photography to Focus on Headshots (And Never Looked Back).
And that eventually brings us to Nice Headshots.
Meet the Nice Headshots Team
Alyssa (Me!) — Photographer + Owner
I'm the photographer behind the camera and the person with my hand in every part of Nice Headshots.
What I bring to a session goes beyond knowing how to photograph someone. I'm deeply invested in each client's success, so you can expect a lot of guidance, direction, and support from me before and during your shoot. That level of involvement is probably the most signature part of how I work.
David — Right-Hand Man
David helps keep Nice Headshots running behind the scenes and in the studio.
He brings a strong work ethic, a calm problem-solving approach, and an ability to make people feel comfortable quickly. He’s the extra set of hands that helps everything run smoothly.
B.B. — Studio Hype Girl
B.B. is our dog and occasional studio hype girl, if you're comfortable having her around.
Her role is mostly enthusiasm. She’s there to greet you, make the studio feel a little less formal, and hopefully help take the edge off any pre-session nerves. If dogs aren’t your thing, she has her own space away from the studio.
Want to know more about us? Meet the full Nice Headshots team on our About Us page.
So...Why "Nice Headshots"?
The name Nice Headshots came from something clients kept telling us.
After sessions, people would thank David and me for being nice.
At first, that seemed like a funny thing to be thanked for. Being kind to someone should be the standard. But when clients started sharing stories about previous experiences with photographers who made them feel insecure, criticized their bodies or appearance, or were simply condescending, intimidating, or inappropriate, we realized that "nice" wasn't as universal as I had assumed it was.
Some people came into their headshot session extra nervous because of what had happened the last time they had their headshots taken.
That really stuck with me.
Being treated with kindness and respect shouldn’t feel like a bonus. It should be the baseline.
So when it was time to build a photography brand devoted entirely to headshots, Nice Headshots felt like the obvious name. And our philosophy is simple:
Nice People. Nice Prices. Nice Headshots.
Because we believe a good experience creates great headshots.
Our Headshot Sessions Start Before You Arrive
Our headshots don't just magically come together the moment you step in front of the camera. Preparation is key!
When a client books with us, we start by getting to know them and their goals through a questionnaire. They also receive detailed prep information with tips and resources, and we offer a look consultation where we work together to narrow in on the strongest options for their session.
For actor headshots in Los Angeles, that starts with understanding their casting goals, character types, and realistic age range. From there, we talk through wardrobe, layers, colors, hair, and makeup transitions that support the different characters and types they want their headshots to communicate.
We don't want three outfits that photograph well but essentially say the exact same thing.
If we're doing three looks, we want three useful looks.
For someone booking business headshots in Los Angeles, our conversation may be more focused on their industry, personal brand, where the photos will appear, the level of formality they need, and the right balance between professionalism and approachability.
A lawyer, therapist, creative director, entrepreneur, physician, and real estate agent may all need professional headshots—but their photos shouldn't automatically look the same.
By the time you arrive at our headshot studio, you're not starting from zero. We've already built a plan around your goals so we can create headshots that actually support your career.
Our Headshot Style: Specific, Expressive, and Stand-Out
Specific
If you're taking the time to invest in new headshots, we want them to communicate as much as possible.
For actors coming to us, that means getting specific about your casting types. We want casting to look at your headshot and immediately understand where you fit, what kinds of characters you can play, and why they should bring you into the room.
For business headshots, specificity looks a little different. We want to understand your industry, your audience, and what you need someone to feel when they see your photo. Your headshot should speak directly to the people you want to work with.
The more specific we can get about the goal, the stronger the headshot becomes.
Expressive
We don't want to give you a collection of "smiling" photos and "serious" photos.
We want real expression.
Your headshots should have life in them. There should be something happening behind your eyes, something in your body language, and enough personality that someone looking at the image feels a connection.
Whether that's warmth, confidence, humor, intelligence, edge, vulnerability, authority, or something completely different, we want the expression to actually communicate something.
Because people connect with people—not poses.
Stand-Out
We're not huge fans of the phrase "industry standard."
To us, "industry standard" can mean playing it safe and looking like everyone else.
And in a sea of headshots, we don't want you to disappear into everything else. We want you to be seen. We want someone to stop on your photo, take a second look, and want to know more.
We achieve that by making intentional choices around specificity, expression, color, wardrobe, lighting, and your individual goals.
My job as a Los Angeles headshot photographer isn't to make your headshots look like everyone else's.
It's to highlight what makes you uniquely you—and give people a reason to keep looking.
Our Direction Style: Present, Not Practiced
Some clients want to prepare for their headshot session by practicing smiles, expressions, or poses in the mirror.
I actually don't want you to do that at all.
What usually happens is that you arrive already in your head, thinking about what your face is doing and trying to recreate a smile or pose that looked good in the mirror. Instead of helping, it can lock you into something that feels stiff or unnatural—and have the exact opposite effect you're hoping for.
What I want from you is to be present and relaxed.
During your session, we'll talk. We'll joke around. I'll keep you moving. My goal is to get you thinking less about the camera, posing, and looking perfect so we can get to something that feels much more organic.
When I give you a direction, I want you to naturally react to it.
For actors, that might mean connecting to the person or character we're trying to capture and letting the expression come from there. For business headshots, it might mean tapping into the confidence, warmth, authority, or approachability we want your audience to see.
The best headshots usually happen when you're no longer trying to take a great headshot.
You're just there.
I talk more about this in What Makes a Great Headshot? It’s Not Perfection.
Our Editing Style: Polished You, Not a New You
We believe in headshot retouching that polishes the photograph without redesigning the person in it.
Skin can be cleaned up. Temporary distractions can go away. Flyaways can be addressed. The image can be polished and finished beautifully.
But you should still look like you on a day you spent a little extra time getting ready—not like an entirely different person.
We don't believe in perpetuating negative beauty standards by slimming bodies, changing features, or removing the things that make you uniquely you. You don't need to be "fixed," and we don't want to edit anyone into a version of themselves that doesn't exist in real life.
And honestly, that philosophy applies beyond professional headshot retouching. We all have access to powerful editing tools now, even right on our phones, and we don't believe in overusing them to make ourselves look "flawless."
Whether someone is seeing your professional headshot or even a personal profile photo, the person they see in that image should still be the same person who walks into the room.
We break down our full approach to retouching in How Much Retouching Should a Headshot Have?
Our Downtown Los Angeles Headshot Studio
Before we had our studio, we photographed headshots on location using natural light.
We loved a lot about it. We love how natural light and photographing in real locations bring a more grounded, textured element to headshots.
But it also came with challenges and limitations.
Even in sunny California, weather happens—and especially heat. Keeping someone comfortable during an outdoor shoot in the summer isn't easy. We were also working around changing light, outside distractions, specific windows of time, and even having clients change wardrobe in a portable changing room.
We got to a point where we wanted more control over both the photography and the experience.
When we moved into our studio in 2021, we designed it with happiness and comfort in mind. We wanted people to walk in and immediately feel energized, but also completely at ease.
There’s an upbeat playlist, air conditioning, a private dressing room, and a seating area for your support team—aka the friends or family who came along to cheer you on. And if she’s welcomed, B.B. is usually there too, hopefully helping take away a few of those pre-headshot jitters.
The studio gives us the freedom to focus completely on you. We’re not chasing light or watching the weather—we can slow down, make adjustments, and work in a space built specifically for the experience we want our clients to have.
It’s a space I’m really proud of, and one that feels very much like us.
What We Hope You Leave With
Of course, we want you to leave with great headshots.
But that's not the only measure of a successful session for us.
We want you to feel like somebody actually listened to what you needed. We want you to feel supported and comfortable. We want you to feel like you're with friends.
Some of our favorite reviews aren't even the ones that just talk about loving the final photos. They're the ones that talk about how the session felt.
"The photos speak for some selves- but the fun, safe and supportive energy they bring to the process makes it even better." - Tori K.
Or the clients who came in nervous and left surprised by how much they actually enjoyed the process:
"It was the first time I'd had headshots taken in 30 years, so I was a little nervous. But they made me feel completely comfortable. Alyssa helped me with my looks beforehand. Then in the studio, they were both very encouraging and delightful. And, to top it all off, my headshots are awesome!!!" - Amy K.R.
We hear some version of "I hate having my picture taken" all the time. But when someone leaves saying, "That was actually fun," that's a win for us.
And we're pretty proud of it.
Want to Know More About Us?
If you'd like to dig a little further into the Nice Headshots story, you can read:
And if you've gotten to know us a little better and think we might be the right fit for your next headshots, we'd love to have you in the studio. Book your headshot session with Nice Headshots.
