If you’re the one organising it, the first thing you need to know is how much of the day to block out. So, how long do headshots take? At our Leeds studio, one person is in and out in somewhere between 35 and 75 minutes, depending on the session. A team day runs at 10 to 15 minutes a head, and retouched images follow within 48 hours.
Those are our numbers. Other photographers work differently, so we’ve set out the wider range below too — along with what actually fills the time, and what you can do beforehand to stop a session running over.
How long do headshots take for one person?
Across the industry, a quick single-look slot is usually 10 to 20 minutes of shooting, and a standard session somewhere between 30 and 60. MHamiltonVisuals puts 30 minutes as common for a standard single-person shoot, with many running closer to the hour once a proper brief is included. Multi-look personal branding sessions can stretch to a couple of hours.
We keep it simpler than that. There are three sessions, and every one starts with a 15 minute consultation over a brew before the lights go on. That quarter of an hour isn’t padding. It’s where we work out what the picture is for, which is what stops the shooting time being wasted.
LinkedIn Express — about 35 minutes
Fifteen minutes of consultation, then 20 minutes of shooting. One look on a clean background and 3 retouched images, for £95. It suits anyone who needs one current, honest profile picture and nothing else.
Quick-Fire Spotlight — about 55 minutes
The same consultation, then 40 minutes of shooting. That’s enough for 2–3 looks with lighting and background changes, and 5 retouched images, for £150. It’s the one most people book.
In-Depth Portrait — about 75 minutes
Sixty minutes of shooting after the consultation, covering 5 looks and multiple backgrounds, with 10 retouched images for £200. The extra time goes on outfit changes and resetting the light between looks, not on taking more of the same frame.
Longer isn’t automatically better. If you need one usable picture, book the short session and spend the difference elsewhere. The full breakdown of each option is on our headshot photography page.
What actually fills the time in a session
Whichever session you book, the minutes go in roughly the same order.
Settling in and the brief
We look at what you’ve brought, choose a background and set the light to suit the job. If you’re unsure about clothes, our guide to what to wear for headshots will save you a good ten minutes of deciding on the day.
The frames nobody keeps
The first few minutes of shooting are for getting used to the camera. Almost nobody walks in relaxed, and that’s fine. You don’t need to arrive knowing how to pose. That’s our job, and it’s built into the time.
The main shooting
This is the bulk of it: a range of expressions, small changes of posture, and a second crop or background if your session includes one. We direct throughout, in small specific instructions.
Reviewing as we go
Many photographers leave a review for the last five or ten minutes, on the back of the camera. We shoot tethered into Capture One, so every frame lands on a large screen a second after it’s taken. If a collar is sitting oddly we both see it and fix it there and then, which is a big part of why our sessions finish on time. We’ve written more on why we shoot tethered if you want the longer reasoning.
One practical tip: iron your outfit the day before and bring it on a hanger. Sorting a crease at home costs you nothing. Sorting it in the studio costs you shooting time.
How long a team headshot day takes
Team days run on a different clock, and the maths matters if you’re the one building the timetable. A common rule of thumb is around 10 minutes per person when everyone gets one consistent look on the same background, according to The Photography Co. Some high-volume days push that down to 5 to 8 minutes. We’d be honest about the trade-off there: rush people and you get forty portraits that all look slightly braced.
We allow 10 to 15 minutes a head. When we bring the studio to your office, a half day covers around 25 people and a full day around 50. That’s £595 for the half day or £750 for the full day, retouching included. All we need is roughly 3m × 4m of floor and a plug socket for the 2m pop-up backdrop and lights.
A simple sum covers most planning: set-up time, plus minutes per person multiplied by headcount, plus a buffer for latecomers. Name one coordinator with a confirmed list and a timetable, and keep the brief fixed — one look, one background, one crop. Variety is what slows a team day down.
From booking to retouched images
It helps to separate time in front of the camera from time on the calendar. A 20 minute shoot can still sit inside a week-long process once you count the wait for a slot, the editing queue and the gap between choosing and delivery.
Elsewhere, standard retouching and delivery commonly falls in the 3 to 10 business day range, with faster turnarounds often charged as an extra. AI-generated headshot services can produce something in under an hour. They’re quick, but the result is a generated likeness rather than a photograph of you, which matters when the person you’re meeting expects to recognise you.
With us, your retouched images arrive within 48 hours of you choosing them. Team days are delivered in 48 to 72 hours, organised by person and cropped for LinkedIn and web. Booking a single session online takes about a minute. In busy periods it’s worth booking a month or two ahead, while in quieter weeks a fortnight’s notice is usually plenty.
How to keep your session on time
The studio only controls half the clock. The other half is decided before you walk in.
Decide what the image is for first. A LinkedIn update needs a different session from a full set for a website, a pitch deck and the press. Then tell us how many looks you want, which backgrounds and when you need the files, before the day rather than during it.
Give yourself margin on the journey as well. We’re a short walk from Leeds train station with parking onsite, so getting here is rarely the hard part, but arriving flustered takes ten minutes to wear off. And if you’re nervous, that’s normal and it doesn’t add time. Our reviews page has plenty from people who started out the same way.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a LinkedIn headshot take?
About 35 minutes with us: a 15 minute consultation and 20 minutes of shooting. You leave having already seen your frames on screen.
How many images will I get from a one-hour session?
Our In-Depth Portrait has 60 minutes of shooting and includes 10 retouched images. The Quick-Fire Spotlight includes 5 and the LinkedIn Express includes 3. If you think you’ll want more, ask before the shoot rather than after.
How long does a team headshot day take per person?
We allow 10 to 15 minutes each. That works out at around 25 people in a half day and around 50 in a full day, all on one matched set-up.
How quickly will I get my headshots?
Retouched images arrive within 48 hours of you choosing them, and team days within 48 to 72 hours. If you’re up against a deadline, tell us when you book and we can usually turn a single rush edit round inside 24 hours.
Does preparing beforehand really make the session shorter?
It makes it calmer, and it means the time goes on photographs rather than decisions. Clothes pressed and on hangers, a clear idea of where the image will be used, and a deadline shared in advance cover most of it.
Where is the studio and how do I book?
Dock Street Studio is at Unit 9, 30–38 Dock Street, Leeds LS10 1JF, in central Leeds near Leeds Dock and a short walk from Leeds train station, with parking onsite. Book online, email hello@dockstreetstudioleeds.co.uk, or call 0113 4400102.
Related reading
- Professional headshot session guide — what happens, in the order it happens
- How to choose headshots that work harder
- LinkedIn headshots in Leeds, from £95
Book the right length of headshot session in Leeds
Tell us where the photograph needs to work and we’ll point you at the session that fits, even if it’s the shortest one. Sessions start from £95. Book online, email hello@dockstreetstudioleeds.co.uk, or call 0113 4400102.
Written by Mark Wheelwright
Commercial photographer & studio owner, Leeds | ISO Photographic Ltd
Dock Street Studio, Unit 9, 30–38 Dock Street, Leeds LS10 1JF
18+ years’ experience | 900+ projects | 300+ five-star reviews | 1M+ shutter count
dockstreetstudioleeds.co.uk
Shot, written and built by the Dock Street team
Every guide on this blog comes from the team at Dock Street Studio — Mark behind the camera with 18+ years' experience, Nicole on styling and lighting, Beya on video and bookings and Austin keeping the site fast and findable. If you'd rather have us do it than read about it, book a session or explore our photography services in Leeds.