MIKE McGEE – SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HEADSHOT & PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER
HEADSHOT, PRODUCT & PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER – SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. San Francisco Bay Area-based professional portrait photographer specializing in creative and unique portraits and headshots. My goal is to provide a relaxed, fun, and professional environment where the resulting portraits from our photoshoot will bring out the very best in you! I shoot with both studio strobes and/or natural lighting, where portraits can be taken either in my Berkeley studio, or on-location anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, Marin, Santa Clara, and all cities and areas in-between. My objective is always to get the shots my clients want, and create truly one-of-a-kind stunning photos that will last a lifetime.
My photography services include creative portraits, beauty headshots, modeling headshots, professional/corporate headshots, online dating profile portrait photography (for Tinder, Hinge, OKCupid, Bumble, Coffee Meets Bagel, The League, Happn, Match.com, Clover, eHarmony, Plenty of Fish, etc.,) high school senior portraits, musician photography, actor headshots, modeling lookbook images, modeling digitals or “polaroids”, personal branding portraits, personalized social media headshots or portraits for Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, yoga & fitness photography, lifestyle portrait photography, and much more. Please see the portfolio links for the variety of portrait styles to choose from.
NATURAL LIGHT PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER
Natural light portraits can often yield a familiar realism to portraiture. These are often taken in a setting that can set the mood of the shot, such as an urban portrait, portrait in nature, and so on. Natural light photography allows subjects to not be confined indoors, freeing up the portrait to be taken in multiple locations. I enjoy using natural light in portraits, along with the option of strobes or modifiers to capture the absolute best natural light portraits possible.
STUDIO PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER
In-Studio portraits don’t have to be boring or basic. As you can see from my portfolio, professional in-studio portraits can be dramatic, fun, playful, or meet any specific objective you may have. These are often corporate headshots, modeling headshots for a lookbook, in-studio portraits for social media profiles and so on.
HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHER
My goal is to give you the best headshot you’ve ever had taken. For the San Francisco or Silicon Valley corporate client, this will be a professional image that embodies your profession and/or individuality. If you’re a Bay Area model or actor, this image will be your calling card. Your professional headshot will be your leading image, so it’s important that it meets all of the objectives we will discuss before our shoot.
CREATIVE PORTRAITS / CREATIVE PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER
Many of my portraits come of clients who want something spectacular which looks like it was taken from a fashion magazine. I often embrace creative portraits as both an artistic challenge and a mission to give my clients images they have never seen themselves in before. From softer ringlight beauty headshots, or the vivid hypercolor portraits that use colored gels, I enjoy thinking out of the box when taking creative portraits, and welcome clients who have a more artistic vision.
ONLINE DATING PHOTOGRAPHER
These days, the competition can be tough with online dating apps. Thus, it’s important to have some professional images of yourself that help you stand out from the crowd. So whether you’re using Tinder, Hinge, OKCupid, Bumble, The League, Coffee Meets Bagel, Match.com, eHarmony, Clover, Plenty of Fish, etc., that first impression you make with your profile picture should ideally bring out the best in you. I offer custom photoshoots that can be centered around your hobbies or interests, where we can get both wonderful portraits, and lifestyle images that bring out your individuality and best portrait images possible.
GROUP BUSINESS TEAM / CORPORATE HEADSHOTS
For businesses, group and team corporate headshots are often needed for web sites, online staff directories, or for various marketing purposes. These images need to be both professional and authentic to accurately reflect your business. Thus, each group corporate shoot is customized to reflect the needs of your business. Would you like in-studio headshots with a dark gray background? Maybe your company would prefer a pure white background, or a solid black background? Or how about a splash of color with a red, blue, or green background? Or perhaps your business would like outdoor natural-light headshots which are not in-studio, and have an upscale urban backdrop? No problem. Each shoot is custom to the needs of your business. My objective is to always create beautiful, professional images that meet the marking objectives of your business. This means the shoot can take place inside my Berkeley studio, or outdoors on-location for a look where the background environment can be virtually endless.
FASHION PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER
High quality fashion images do not need to be preserved for only top supermodels. Many designers or Bay Area boutiques want to have stunning fashion images for their web site or advertising that may look like they were torn out of the pages of Elle or Vogue. Or perhaps you are an aspiring model who needs high quality fashion photography in your lookbook. As a fashion photographer, this is where I can help make your vision a reality with fashion images that meet your desired theme or marketing style.
PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHER
I specialize in a wide range of product photography that can take place both on-location or in-studio using either strobes or natural light. My studio is conveniently located in Berkeley and just minutes away from downtown San Francisco where I cater to the product photography needs of both large corporations and small businesses. Product photography services include: advertising photography, corporate photography, e-commerce photography, in-studio product photography, natural light product photography, still-life photography, food photography, cookbook photography, fashion photography, commercial photography, beauty & lifestyle photography, creative and artistic portrait photography, modeling portfolio photography, fitness photography, headshot photography, and so much more. Each product photoshoot can be as unique as the products themselves. I shoot with both studio strobes and/or natural lighting depending upon the objectives of the shoot, and I do so in a fun and professional atmosphere. Please visit my product photography page for some select images I have taken to get a better grasp of the vastly different styles of product photography that can be achieved.
SENIOR PORTRAITS / SENIOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER
In this age of social media, senior portraits no longer have to be basic cookie-cutter poses and styles. As an SF modeling agency-approved photographer, I view each session as if the goal is to create images that will last a lifetime. My objective is to give each person a relaxed, fun experience, with wonderful stunning photographs that are individually tailored to each person. Some high school seniors may want more artistic images, and some may want more fun and playful images. Again, each session will be focused on your exact needs, with the goal on bringing out each person’s individuality with wonderful images.
ADVERTISING / LIFESTYLE PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER
Professional advertising and lifestyle photography is important if you need lifestyle images for your company’s web site, or ad campaign. Stock photography is generic and often lacks both the uniqueness and authenticity that custom professional lifestyle images can provide. If you’re a Bay Area business and need highly localized images of people inside your workplace, restaurant, shop, factory, etc., my custom advertising and lifestyle photography can really elevate your company’s brand.
PERSONAL BRANDING PHOTOGRAPHER
Some San Francisco Bay Area business owners need updated headshots for corporate web site or social media. However, others may need something called a “Personal Branding Photographer.” This is for those who want to take their online presence to the next level. This is typically done with a consultation where we discuss your entrepreneurial objectives, and build a strategy of professional images that meet that objective. Authenticity is key here. These sessions tell a story, where we build a cohesive narrative around you, and I take a series of portraits, lifestyle images, and even environmental images to help tell that story.
HYPERCOLOR CREATIVE PORTRAITS
If you are looking for a unique and bold portrait, creative hypercolor portraits are striking and have a strong visual impact. Hypercolor images are portraits with colored gels that are vivid, colorful and vibrant. I really enjoy shooting hypercolor shots, because not many photographers shoot these, and they combine two of my strengths which are photography and digital post-production. Individuals, and models especially, select these images in their portfolios to show their range and for the dramatic impact they have. These images really pop on social media especially, and often draw great interest. Please see my Hypercolor page for more information.
OUTDOORS or IN-STUDIO PORTRAITS & HEADSHOTS
Professional portrait photography can be captured either outdoors or in-studio to achieve the exact customized look for your objective. Each project is custom catered to your exact needs and budget. My goal is to ensure that we create beautiful, professional images that will meet your exact needs, in a relaxed and professional environment.
WANT TO SCHEDULE A PHOTOSHOOT OR HAVE A QUESTION?
Interested in a photoshoot? Just use the contact page here to email me with any photo session ideas you may have. If you are interested in portraits or headshots, I shoot professional portraits and professional headshots both outdoors with natural light and/or strobes, or in my San Francisco Bay Area-based photo studio with a wide variety of backdrops and lighting options for many types of projects. Whether you need fashion photography, portrait photography, yoga or fitness photography, headshot photography, an online dating profile photographer, beauty headshot photography, artistic extreme colored gel hypercolor portraits, product photography, modeling digitals for agencies, or anything in-between, I offer various packages for many budgets. I look forward to hearing from you. Let’s shoot!
SERVING THE ENTIRE BAY AREA / STUDIO LOCATION
I provide both in-studio and on-location photography services covering the entire Bay Area. For in-studio photography, my studio is conveniently located in an upscale location in Berkeley, CA. I am an agency-approved photographer signed with Rae Agency in San Francisco, and a member of the Nikon Professional Services (NPS) group. I also specialize in modeling photography for those who may need updated modeling headshots for casting calls, digitals or “polaroids”, specific modeling agency photography services, modeling lookbook packages, and more. This includes beauty headshots for makeup artists (MUAs) and stylists WHO may also need updated beauty headshots for their portfolios. As a professional portrait photographer, my services include in-studio portraits, on-location portraits, fashion photography, portraiture, yoga & fitness photography, headshots, modeling headshots, beauty headshots, and much more. If there’s a concept you have in mind, or have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
San Francisco Bay Area portrait and headshot photographer. Mike McGee Photography serves the following California Bay Area cities: Albany, American Canyon, Antioch, Atherton, Belmont, Belvedere, Benicia, Berkeley, Brentwood, Brisbane, Burlingame, Calistoga, Campbell, Clayton, Cloverdale, Colma, Concord, Corte Madera, Cotati, Cupertino, Daly City, Danville, Dublin, East Palo Alto, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Fairfax, Foster City, Fremont, Gilroy, Half Moon Bay, Hayward, Healdsburg, Hercules, Hillsborough, Lafayette, Larkspur, Livermore, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Martinez, Menlo Park, Mill Valley, Millbrae, Milpitas, Moraga, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Napa, Newark, Novato, Oakland, Oakley, Orinda, Pacifica, Palo Alto, Petaluma, Piedmont, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Pleasanton, Portola Valley, Redwood City, Richmond, Rohnert Park, St. Helena, San Anselmo, San Carlos, San Francisco, San Jose, San Leandro, San Mateo, San Pablo, San Rafael, San Ramon, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa, Saratoga, Sausalito, Sebastopol, Sonoma, South San Francisco, Suisun City, Sunnyvale, Tiburon, Union City, Vacaville, Vallejo, Walnut Creek, Windsor, Woodside, Yountville
TESTIMONIALS
(Below are some brief testimonials from past clients. For more testimonials, please visit my testimonials page.)
VERY COMFORTABLE SHOOT! New actors or models looking for a great portrait and a great first experience Mike’s company is amazing. Let me also say he is great with his social media and could put a picture from your shoot on his page; helps with your branding. Also very friendly so it doesn’t seem like you are in front of a camera by a creepy unknown person. He encourages your opinion and feed back so don’t hesitate to speak up if you have an idea. Overall great first experience for myself.
Allona F.
Mike is an amazing photographer. Of course you can guess that just by checking out his portfolio but that wouldn’t be enough. He’s a super nice guy, extremely easy to work with. Makes people feel at ease and is super professional in his work.
Great studio with a wonderful light setup. Mike even built his own light rig for some truly insanely cool look.
Look no further if you want a professional photographer who is super easy to work with. What also surprised me is how quickly Mike process images. Wonderful and timely communication.
Martin K.
I contacted Mike because I found a photo he took on Instagram and I wanted to take some new headshots in the same style. Mike went above and beyond what I asked for and I couldn’t be happier with the photos I got. He was super quick to respond and set up an appointment, sent me all the photos to make my selects, and was really helpful when I asked for his opinion on the best shots. To top it off, he was incredibly fast in getting me the final edited images. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten photos back so fast. I highly recommend Mike for anyone looking for clean, beautiful headshots!
Tiffany W.
Seriously had such a blast with Mike during our shoot! I had originally found Mike on instagram and absolutely LOVED his work. I was in need of headshots to send to agencies so I then contacted him to get my headshots taken. He was very quick at responding and we scheduled a date that worked for the both of us! When I had arrived to the shoot, I immediately got an awesome vibe from him! Very easy to talk to and just overall friendly! I did not once feel awkward behind the camera. I feel that when I comfortable with a photographer I am able to do my best when I shoot. He made me feel super confident! The final edited headshots turned absolutely amazing, I loved every single one of them and have no complaints. I couldn’t have chosen a better photographer! Definitely want to work with him in the future as well 🙂
Anna C.
I am very picky and after seeing Mike’s work I knew immediately he was the photographer I wanted to work with. He was an excellent communicator pre and post shoot, very open-minded to what I was looking for, and an overall pleasure to work with. During the shoot I felt so comfortable, I felt like I was just hanging out with a friend I’d known for years.
Mike is so kind and professional I am so happy to have crossed paths with him. Thank you Mike and I can’t wait to work together again!
Madison M.
Everything about the experience was phenomenal, and that’s exactly what it was — an experience.
Getting great photos is about more than someone who is technically impressive (which Mike is) — its about the mood and the smiles/emotions that you’re hoping to authentically convey. Big smiles look most genuine when you’re having fun, and that’s exactly what the entire shoot was: fun.
To boot, Mike knows the ins and outs of how to work with light and color to really bring out the best shots you can take.
Overall, great experience, and 20 years from now, I’ll be using these to say “this is what I looked like in my 20s”.
