The 5 Best Headshot Photographers in NYC — An Honest Guide from a Working Headshot Photographer
By Lisa Hancock, Hancock Headshots · Updated July 2026
I’ve been photographing actors in New York since 2006 — twenty years of headshots experience, working with everyone from performers booking background work to Tony-nominated actors — and in that time I’ve watched a lot of photographers come and go on the scene. I know whose work holds up in a casting director’s thumbnail grid, whose clients arrive at my studio years later still happy with the experience they had elsewhere, and whose images the agents and coaches I work with repeatedly trust.
So when actors ask me “who are the best headshot photographers in New York?” — and they do ask — I have some real answers. What follows is my list: my professional, opinionated guide to the five photographers I’d go to for my own headshots, written by someone who does this work every day rather than a content writer.
Full disclosure: this article resides on my website and I include my own studio on the list. You’d expect a photographer with twenty years in the business to be on the list and, to be honest, I know the value I offer my clients. None of the other photographers paid for placement here and are included purely on merit. A couple are, technically, my competitors. But no single photographer is right for every actor, and each entry tells you honestly who that photographer serves best, so you can find the right fit and get on with auditioning.
What actors are actually worried about (and what this list is built around)
If you’re researching headshot photographers right now, you’re probably wrestling with some version of these questions:
“Can I justify the cost?” The post-strike market is tight. Sessions with top NYC photographers generally run from around $600 to well over $1,500, and that’s a big investment when bookings aren’t as plentiful as they used to be. The answer isn’t to find the cheapest option — even an inexpensive headshot is money wasted if it doesn’t get you booked. The answer is to find the photographer whose strengths match what your career needs right now.
“What about AI headshots?” You’ve seen the ads. For $29, an app will generate a “headshot” from your selfies. Please don’t. Casting directors look at thumbnails all day; they can spot the waxy skin, the not-quite-your-face features, the dead eyes. Your headshot has one job — to look like the person who walks into the room — and AI-generated images fail that job by definition.
“Will I be able to deliver in front of the camera?” This is the fear everyone carries into a session, and it’s the one that matters most when choosing a photographer. A headshot photographer’s most important contribution is in how they direct you and draw you out of your shell — how comfortable, seen, and free to experiment you feel during the session. It shows in the final images. Every entry below tells you what the experience in the room is actually like.
How this list is different
Most “best headshot photographers in NYC” lists are compiled by content writers who’ve never sat for headshots, never watched a casting director flick through Actors Access thumbnails, and never had to tell a client their old headshots were working against them. This one is written by someone who does this work every day. My criteria:
The photos actually book roles. The shots aren’t just beautiful — they aren’t fashion photos, after all. They sell you. The headshot has to grab your attention at thumbnail size and match the person who shows up at the audition.
The eyes are alive. Every photographer here has a demonstrated knack for capturing expression and inner life, not just designing flattering lighting.
They’re professionals. Reliable, communicative, respectful of your money and what’s at stake for you, and empathetic to your experience in front of the camera.
They have a distinct point of view. Each one is genuinely best-in-class at something different, so you can match the photographer to your particular need.
1. Hancock Headshots (Lisa Hancock) — Brooklyn
Best for: actors at every level who want headshots built on casting strategy, not just great light — from your very first shots to a working-actor refresh.
This is my studio and I’ll let my track record speak for itself. I’ve been photographing actors since 2006 — twenty years of watching what actually books work in New York’s casting rooms. My photographs have appeared in The New York Times, US Weekly, Harpers Bazaar, Deadline.com, People.com, Playbill, and Backstage to name a few. My clients range from performers getting their very first headshots to Tony-nominated veterans, and I come recommended by leading acting coaches, from HB Studio to private salons, as well as agents and managers across the city. Referrals from people who look at thousands of headshots a year are the highest compliment in this business, and they’re the foundation mine is built on.
What those industry people trust in my work, I think, is that my headshots don’t just flatter — they draw out the best in their subjects and read. Before headshots, I worked as a film and television editor — including a feature starring a young Jeremy Renner — where my job was literally to watch an actor’s takes and choose the truest moments. That’s exactly what I do now in a single frame: catch the split second when something real and powerful flickers through your eyes, the shot that makes a casting director stop scrolling because there’s a person in there, not a pose.
Visually, my headshots are rich, vibrant and natural all at once — always in the service of your face and your casting, with angles, backdrops, and styling tailored to each look you need. I photograph eyes first and foremost. Strong, heart-stopping eye contact. We shoot in my sun-drenched Brooklyn studio, playing with different backdrop colors, lighting setups and looks. Unique in the headshot business, all of my sessions include unlimited looks — a really significant advantage. It’s a key part of my process. Limiting you to two or three wardrobe changes has just never made sense to me because you just never know for sure what’s going to be the knockout stunner until you try it — and building on different styles and colors is what leads us to the ultimate captures and brings out our creativity.
The sessions themselves are collaborative from the first frame. I show you images as we go, so you can see exactly how each look is reading and adjust hair, wardrobe, expression, and energy in real time — it’s your headshot, and you should never have to guess what the camera is seeing. I direct actively, but the best frames come out of the back-and-forth: you exploring and experimenting, me catching what’s true. Clients describe the experience the same way again and again — warm, unhurried, with my complete time and attention — which is why camera-shy actors relax in front of my lens and why seasoned pros come back every time they need to sharpen their casting.
Then there’s the preparation, which almost nobody in this business offers. All of my sessions include a 30-minute Zoom consultation before we even pick up a camera. We dig into your casting history and where your career is headed, build a lineup of looks matched to the roles you’re actually going out for, and go through your wardrobe together — sometimes literally rummaging through your closet over video, phone in hand. By the time you walk into my Brooklyn studio, the session has a strategy and you have a photographer who already knows you.
See the work at hancockheadshots.com.
2. Jess Osber Photography — Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Best for: actors who want bold, editorial-leaning color work.
A former actor and director, Jess opened her studio in 2015. She shoots radiant, colorful, high-energy images out of a light-filled Crown Heights space. Her studio experiments constantly — custom backdrops made with local artists, evolving editing styles — so her look stays current. Packages by looks (2, 4, or 6) start around $675. She’s top notch. I really love her work.
3. Curtis & Cort Photography — Long Island City
Best for: classic studio work with professional makeup built in; a strong option for kids and teens.
A husband-and-wife team of Broadway veterans: Curtis has photographed in New York for over fifteen years, and Cort — a longtime Broadway performer — is a trained makeup artist, so hair and makeup expertise comes built into the session. Their style is editorial and timeless: neutral backdrops, classic studio lighting, and a stated mission of keeping the whole thing stress-free and fun. Love the aesthetic they’ve developed — their shots look like those classic Gap ads. Utterly beautiful and tasteful.
4. David Muller Photography — Los Angeles
Best for: actors making the LA move or targeting TV from the West Coast.
Okay, so maybe I’m cheating a little with this one. He’s the one non-New Yorker here, included for anyone heading west. A former actor with decades in the industry, David was voted a favorite LA headshot photographer in the Backstage Readers’ Choice Awards three years running. His images are vibrant and TV-market sharp — he’s known for making eyes pop — and his large studio lets him move through multiple setups and backdrops in a single session. I’ve been a big fan of his work for a long time.
5. Michael Kushner Photography — Manhattan
Best for: musical theatre and Broadway-track performers.
An actor-photographer multi-hyphenate embedded in the theatre community, Michael has had work featured in People, The New York Times, Vogue, Playbill, and the Tony Awards, and created The Dressing Room Project documenting Broadway performers backstage. His headshots are rich, saturated, and story-forward. If your lane is musical theatre, he’s fluent in your world. Michael has a great Instagram where he shares his own journey as an actor, and I think no one has more heart as a photographer than this guy. There’s a lot of humanity in his shots.
How to choose from this list
Want a warm, supportive photographer who helps you hone your casting and captures beautiful, high quality headshots that express your true inner life? That’s what Hancock Headshots will do for you.
Chasing bold, rich colorful shots? Jess Osber’s your person.
Want pro makeup included, or shooting a kid? Curtis & Cort.
Heading to LA? David Muller.
Living in the musical theatre world? Michael Kushner.
Whichever direction you go: book a real photographer and pay attention to how the photographer makes you feel in your first exchange — it’s a preview of how you’ll feel in front of their camera.
Get in touch and we’ll figure out what your next headshot needs to do for you.
Frequently asked questions
How much do actor headshots cost in NYC? Established NYC headshot photographers generally charge between roughly $600 and $1,500+ depending on the number of looks, retouching, and hair/makeup. Be wary of prices dramatically below that range — and of AI tools promising headshots for the price of lunch.
How often should actors update their headshots? Every one to two years, or immediately after any significant change: new hair, weight change, aging into a new casting bracket, or a shift in the roles you’re targeting.
Are AI-generated headshots okay for actors? No. Casting directors need your headshot to match the person who walks into the room. AI-generated images alter facial features, smooth skin into plastic, and undermine trust the moment you appear in person or on a self-tape.
What’s the difference between theatrical and commercial headshots? Theatrical (film/TV/stage) headshots tend to be more grounded and character-forward; commercial headshots are typically brighter, warmer, and more approachable. Most working actors need both, which is why multi-look sessions are the industry standard.
Lisa Hancock is a Brooklyn-based headshot photographer and the founder of Hancock Headshots. Since 2006 she has photographed New York actors at every career stage, from first timers to Tony-nominated performers, and is a trusted referral for acting coaches, agents, and managers across the city. She has no financial arrangement with any photographer mentioned in this article.