Headshot Photographer Marina del Rey
Headshots Photography Venice CA

Karen Vaisman Photography serves professionals throughout Marina del Rey and Venice and nearby Santa Monica, Culver City & Century City, West Los Angeles, Brentwood & Westwood and Malibu & Pacific Palisades from her private appointment-only studio at 5624 Silver Valley Ave, Agoura Hills — just minutes off the 101 Freeway. Sessions are by appointment Monday through Saturday, 9am–5pm.

Karen answers her own phone — call (818) 991-7787 to ask questions before you book, or book your session directly online →

Yes — a professional headshot is one of the highest-return investments you can make in your personal brand. Your headshot appears on LinkedIn, your company website, business cards, and anywhere a potential client or employer searches for you online. A confident, approachable image communicates credibility before you say a word.

For executives, attorneys, financial advisors, and entrepreneurs in Marina del Rey and Venice, the quality of your headshot directly impacts how you are perceived. Karen Vaisman Photography has helped professionals across greater Los Angeles upgrade their image for over 30 years. See modern professional headshots, female professional headshots, and professional headshot examples. Call Karen at (818) 991-7787 — she answers her own phone.

Yes — your LinkedIn profile photo is seen before your resume, before your pitch, and before you walk in the room. A professional headshot gives you a consistent image for LinkedIn, your company website and other professional profiles.

For executives, attorneys, financial advisors, and entrepreneurs in Marina del Rey and Venice, strong LinkedIn headshots and LinkedIn profile pictures communicate credibility and authority instantly. Karen specializes in LinkedIn headshots that look natural and confident — with expert posing and expression coaching so you never look stiff or over-posed. Book your LinkedIn headshot session →

Yes — Karen's studio in Agoura Hills offers both professional indoor studio lighting AND a beautiful outdoor setting with palm trees and natural light, just steps apart. You can get a polished corporate indoor headshot and a warm, approachable outdoor headshot in one session at no extra charge.

No travel, no weather delays, no running around town. Most clients love having both options for different uses — LinkedIn, company website, speaking bios, and social media. See our outdoor headshots for executives guide. Book your session →

Yes — virtual background headshots are a specialty at Karen Vaisman Photography. If you need a specific environment — a corporate boardroom, a branded backdrop, a city skyline, or any other setting — Karen can add it seamlessly in post-production.

Virtual backgrounds let you get multiple completely different looks in one session without leaving the studio. The results look so realistic that clients say colleagues assume they traveled to five different locations. Learn more about virtual background headshots →

You can take a photo yourself, but it rarely achieves what a professional headshot session produces. A trained headshot photographer controls studio lighting, lens selection, expression coaching, posing, and professional retouching — none of which can be replicated with a phone, a ring light, or a selfie.

The difference is immediately visible to hiring managers, casting directors, and clients. Karen coaches your expression during the session — so you don't just look good, you look like the best, most confident version of yourself. See our before and after retouching gallery to see the difference.

Solid, medium-to-dark toned colors photograph best. The most reliable choices are:

• Navy blue — projects authority and photographs beautifully under studio lighting
• Charcoal grey — classic, versatile, always professional
• Burgundy or deep red — strong and confident
• Forest green or slate blue — distinctive and polished
• Black — classic, always works

Dark colors also have a slenderizing effect under professional studio lighting — another reason they're a smart choice.

What to avoid: tight patterns, fine stripes, herringbone, small checks, and busy textures. These create moiré patterns in digital cameras — a distracting optical interference effect that is very difficult to remove in post-production. Solid fabrics always photograph cleaner.

Bring 2–3 outfit options — Karen will advise which photographs best under studio lighting. Read our complete guide to the best colors to wear for headshots and our what to wear for headshots guide.

Most headshot sessions at Karen Vaisman Photography include:

• Pre-session style consultation so you arrive prepared
• Professional studio lighting calibrated to your skin tone and goals
• Expert expression and posing coaching throughout the session
• Multiple looks and outfit changes
• In-person image review before you leave. For Silver Deluxe, you'll usually have about 30–50 images to choose from and select one headshot for retouching. Gold Deluxe sessions usually offer more images to choose from.
• Included file sizes depend on the session you choose. Please check your package details.

Retouched sessions also include natural-looking professional hand-retouching. Digital makeup and eyelashes are included with retouched headshots if you’d like them. Karen is a Master Retouch Artist with 30+ years of experience and a BFA from Syracuse University. See full session details and pricing →

Choose clothing that reflects your profession and personal brand. Well-fitted, polished outfits always photograph better than baggy or overly casual clothing. A few key rules:

• Bring 2–3 outfit options — variety gives you more choices in your final images
• Stick to solid, neutral colors — avoid busy patterns, tight textures, and logos
• Make sure everything is freshly pressed or steamed — wrinkles are very visible on camera
• Avoid transition lenses — regular glasses or contacts keep the focus on your eyes
• Keep jewelry simple — nothing that competes with your face

Read our complete what to wear for headshots guide and our color guide for full details.

The best background keeps the focus on you. Options include:

• Studio backgrounds — solid colors or textured walls give a sharp, polished result
• Outdoor locations — natural settings with soft, blurred backgrounds add warmth and approachability. See our outdoor headshot guide for executives
• Virtual backgrounds — add any environment in post-production for multiple looks in one session
• Environmental backgrounds — your office or an architectural setting can reinforce your professional brand

Read our ultimate headshot background guide and our professional headshot background guide for more.

Your headshot is often the very first time someone meets you — and online, you’re a stranger. That connection has to happen instantly, on a flat, two-dimensional image. In a split second, people decide whether you seem trustworthy, approachable and real.

That’s why Karen never just says “smile” or “say cheese.” While she photographs you, she talks with you about your life, your family, your work — and when she sees that spark, she asks you to look right into the lens and picture it: your child’s face, or the Hawaii trip you can’t wait to take. Your expression changes on its own, and that genuine warmth is what she captures. It’s guided conversation and imagination, not forced poses.

Karen also fine-tunes your posture and expression as you go, so you come across confident, approachable, and authentically yourself. Afterward, you choose your favorites together on a large screen, with her guidance on which images connect best. Retouched sessions include her natural hand retouching — see the before and after gallery. Questions? Call Karen at (818) 991-7787 — she answers her own phone.

Yes — actor and talent headshots are one of Karen's specialties. Your headshot is your calling card — it's the first thing casting directors see when considering you for a role. In a competitive industry, a standout headshot can mean the difference between getting the audition and getting passed over.

Karen understands what casting directors look for and coaches actors through expression, range, and character during their session. Book your actor headshot session →

Yes — Karen Vaisman Photography has photographed realtors and attorneys. 30+ years photographing realtors across Los Angeles. Real estate is a relationship business, and your headshot is on everything — signs, cards, Zillow listings, and your website. It needs to communicate trust and approachability instantly.

Karen specializes in realtor headshots that position you as the expert you are. Book your real estate headshot session →

Yes — online dating photography is a specialty at Karen Vaisman Photography. In a sea of selfies, a natural, confident professional photo makes you stand out immediately and attracts the right match.

Karen creates dating profile photos that feel relaxed and authentic — not stiff or staged. Virtual backgrounds are also popular for dating sessions — Karen uses them to help tell your story, creating multiple looks and settings that show your personality and lifestyle in one session. Also see Karen's dating photographer Los Angeles sessions. Book your dating photo session →

Yes — personal branding photography goes beyond a single headshot. It's a full suite of on-brand imagery for coaches, consultants, speakers, and entrepreneurs — everything you need for your website, social media, press kit, and marketing materials.

Virtual backgrounds are especially popular for personal branding sessions — Karen can create multiple completely different environments in one session, giving you a full library of on-brand images without leaving the studio.

Karen works with you to understand your brand, your audience, and your goals — then creates images that tell your story. Call Karen at (818) 991-7787 to discuss your personal branding session.

In retouched sessions, professional retouching refines your final images after the session — balancing skin tone, removing temporary blemishes, sharpening eyes, and ensuring the overall image is polished and publication-ready. Karen is a Master Retouch Artist with over 30 years of experience.

Digital makeup and eyelashes are included with retouched headshots if you’d like them. The goal is never to make you look like someone else — it's to present you at your absolute best. See real examples in our before and after gallery. See session options →

Preparation makes a real difference in your results. Here's what Karen recommends:

• Get a full night of sleep the night before
• Arrive with freshly washed, styled hair — as you would for an important meeting
• Apply makeup as you normally would for a professional setting — read our makeup for headshots guide for camera-ready tips
• Bring 2–3 outfit options — read our what to wear guide before you arrive
• Avoid a brand new haircut right before — wait 1–2 weeks so it settles
• Arrive 10–15 minutes early to settle in and relax before we start

Karen will walk you through everything else during the session. Questions beforehand? Call Karen directly at (818) 991-7787 — she answers her own phone.

Karen Vaisman Photography is located at 5624 Silver Valley Ave, Agoura Hills, CA 91301 — just off the 101 Freeway, a short drive from Marina del Rey and Venice — see the directions section on this page for landmark mileage. Sessions are by appointment Monday through Saturday, 9am–5pm.

Karen answers her own phone — call (818) 991-7787 for a free consultation before you book. Or book directly online: Book your headshot session →

See all the areas we serve across Los Angeles and Ventura County.