Doug’s session honestly just felt like hanging out—with a camera in my hand.

At this point, we’ve been photographing Doug and his family every year, so there’s already that built-in comfort. No awkward warm-up phase, no trying to figure each other out. So when he told me he wanted to put together acting headshots and start going after movie roles and gigs, it felt like a really natural next step—and a fun one to be part of. We met up in downtown West Chester, which ended up being the perfect setting for what he needed. These weren’t meant to be super polished, traditional studio headshots. No plain backdrops or stiff posing. We kept everything natural—using the light as it was, moving through different spots, and letting the environment do some of the work. The goal was simple: make it feel like him.

Doug brought three outfits, and each one gave us a different angle. We started with a black monochromatic look—clean, simple, and confident. It really put all the focus on expression, which is exactly what you want for this kind of work. No distractions, just subtle shifts that change the whole feel of an image. Then we moved into a lighter look that felt a bit more open and easygoing. The softer tones worked really well with the light bouncing around town, and these ended up having a really natural, approachable feel to them. We wrapped things up with a more casual, rustic look, which might’ve been my favorite of the three. It felt the most “lived in”—like you could actually place him in a scene. The kind of look that makes you stop and think, “yeah, I know that guy,” which is exactly what casting people are looking for.

In between all of that, we ended up talking about movies for a good chunk of the session. At one point we got into Weapons, especially after its recent Oscar win. Those conversations always end up shaping the shoot more than you’d think—it shifts the focus away from posing and more toward just being present in the moment.

And that’s really what this was about for Doug. Not trying to overdo it or play a character, but just showing range in a way that still feels grounded and real.

It’s always a little extra meaningful getting to photograph someone you already know well— especially when you get to help them move towards a goal. I’ve seen Doug in his “dad mode” plenty of times over the years… this was just a different side of that same person.

Doug, I’m rooting for you. I don’t think it’ll be long before one of these shots turns into something bigger.