David's Author Headshots

Who

David Watkins is a horror author based in Devon. He writes intelligent, psychologically driven fiction and needed professional headshots for his book launch, author website, and publisher materials.

Why

David had a book coming out, "The Originals Return", and needed images that looked professional without being overly polished or corporate. The kind of photo that makes a reader think "I'd like to meet this person."

He was upfront about the fact that he does not enjoy having his photo taken and had been avoiding it for years. When he walked into the mobile studio setup, he carried the same concern I hear from most creative professionals: "I hate having my photo taken." Twenty minutes later, he was selecting images on screen.

Authors face a particular challenge with photography. Unlike corporate clients who need to project business authority, writers must balance several different personas: the serious craftsperson, the approachable storyteller, and in David's case, someone who can discuss the darker themes of horror fiction without seeming intimidating. He needed images that would work for book jacket author photos, website and social media profiles, media interviews and podcast appearances, literary event promotional materials, and publisher marketing campaigns.

How

I went to David's home in Devon and set up my mobile studio there. No studio trip, no travel stress. Working in familiar surroundings helped him relax naturally, which showed immediately in his expressions and body language. The session took place during an evening break from his writing schedule.

We started with a brief conversation about his target audience and how he wanted to be perceived. David's readers appreciate intelligent horror, stories that disturb through psychological depth rather than gratuitous shock, so his author image needed to convey that thoughtful approach.

I kept things calm and straightforward, talking him through each expression and adjustment. David watched the images develop on screen in real time, using the computer screen coaching system, so he could see exactly how small adjustments improved his headshots. That built confidence rather than anxiety. He relaxed quickly once he realised I was not going to ask him to do anything uncomfortable. That moment when a client stops thinking about the camera and just talks is when the best shots happen.

We also extended the session to include a promotional video for his book. The video work flowed naturally because David was already comfortable with the process and understood how to project confidence on camera.

Result

David picked his favourites during the session and had the finished images within two days. He now has a complete suite of professional images that he has used for his book jacket, author website, publicity materials, and across social media. The images will serve him across multiple book launches, speaking engagements, and media opportunities over the coming years.

David's final images project exactly the right balance: intellectual depth, creative confidence, and the kind of approachable professionalism that makes readers want to discover his work. The fact that he ended up enjoying the experience says more than anything I could write here.

"His calm manner helped me relax and I actually ended up enjoying the session — something I never thought I'd say about someone taking photos of me."

David Watkins, Author

Images from the session

Here is a selection of images from David's personal branding session, along with the promotional video we created for his book launch.

Promotional video

Publishing today requires multi-format content, so we extended David's session to include this intro video for his new book. It combines professional presentation with authentic personality, exactly what modern book marketing demands.