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Corporate & lifestyle portraits · Pilsen, Chicago

A headshot studio
photographs you.
We light you.

Holy Cow is a film company that shoots portraits. Cyc wall, full lighting grid, a crew that lights faces for brands like Hennessy and Sysco, and a short motion portrait in the box at the end.

  • Free reshoot if you do not love it
  • Motion portrait included
  • Extra retouched image $50
  • Cyc wall and full lighting grid
Portrait and headshot work by Holy Cow ProductionsPortrait and headshot work by Holy Cow ProductionsPortrait and headshot work by Holy Cow ProductionsPortrait and headshot work by Holy Cow ProductionsPortrait and headshot work by Holy Cow Productions

The difference

Three things nobody else
in Chicago is putting in the box.

01

Cinema lighting, not studio lighting

Portrait studios light for a clean, safe, repeatable result. We light the way we light a brand film: shaped, directional, with intent. It is the difference between a photo that proves what you look like and one that says something about you.

02

A motion portrait, included

A short cinematic clip of you, captured on the same setup. Put it at the top of your LinkedIn, your speaker page, your firm bio. Not one headshot studio we surveyed in this city offers it. We shoot video every week, so for us it costs a few extra minutes.

03

Directed, not just photographed

Almost everybody freezes in front of a camera. A headshot studio says smile and shoots. We direct: posture, hands, jaw, eyeline, and what to actually think about in the half second before the shutter. We direct talent on film sets every week. It is the difference between a photo of your face and a photo of you.

Pricing

Four lanes. Pick yours.

Every featured tier carries the motion portrait. Prices include direction, styling guidance, retouching and the full gallery of selects.

The Sixty
$395
Sixty minutes, one look, the LinkedIn problem solved properly.
  • 60-minute studio session
  • One background, two lighting looks
  • 3 fully retouched finals
  • Full gallery of selects to choose from
  • Directed start to finish, no guesswork
Book The Sixty
Most booked
The Feature
$695
The one we push. Multiple looks and a motion portrait.
  • 90-minute studio session
  • Two backgrounds, three lighting looks
  • 6 fully retouched finals
  • Motion portrait clip included
  • Wardrobe change and on-set direction
  • Crops sized for LinkedIn, web and print
Book The Feature
The Refresh
$225
Returning clients only. Same look, updated face.
  • 30-minute studio session
  • One background, one look
  • 2 fully retouched finals
  • For clients we have shot before
  • Same-day booking when the room is open
Book The Refresh
The Slate
$450
Clean, honest, castable. What agents actually ask for.
  • 90-minute studio session
  • Commercial and theatrical looks
  • 5 fully retouched finals
  • Natural retouching, no over-processing
  • Directed start to finish, no guesswork
Book The Slate
Most booked
The Book
$895
A full book day. Range, looks and a motion slate.
  • Half-day session, four-plus looks
  • Multiple sets and lighting setups
  • 12 fully retouched finals
  • Motion slate clip included
  • Wardrobe and styling direction
  • Web-sized and print-sized deliveries
Book The Book
Digitals Only
$195
Raw, unretouched, agency-standard digitals.
  • 45-minute session
  • Clean light, plain background
  • Full set of unretouched digitals
  • Standard agency crops
  • Retouched finals available at $50 each
Book Digitals Only
The Portrait
$495
One environment, one story. For a founder page or a feature.
  • 2-hour session, studio or your location
  • One environment, multiple setups
  • 8 fully retouched finals
  • Lifestyle and formal frames
  • Usage across web and social
Book The Portrait
Best value
The Full Day
$2,850
The library. Enough content to carry a year of posting.
  • Full-day shoot, multiple locations
  • Six-plus looks and environments
  • 40 fully retouched finals
  • Motion portrait suite included
  • Lifestyle, working, formal and detail frames
  • Vertical crops cut for social
  • Art direction and shot list built with you
Book The Full Day
The Half Day
$1,450
Four hours. A real content library, not a headshot.
  • 4-hour shoot, studio or location
  • Three-plus looks and environments
  • 20 fully retouched finals
  • Lifestyle and formal frames
  • Vertical crops cut for social
Book The Half Day
Half day, on site
$1,800+ $85 per person
We come to your office with the full lighting package.
  • 4 hours on site at your office
  • Portable studio lighting package
  • 2 retouched finals per person
  • Consistent look across the whole team
  • Scheduled slots so nobody waits
Book Half day, on site
Most booked
Full day, on site
$3,200+ $70 per person
Best per-head rate. For teams of fifteen and up.
  • 8 hours on site at your office
  • Portable studio lighting package
  • 3 retouched finals per person
  • Motion portrait for leadership
  • Group and department shots included
  • Consistent look across the whole team
  • Lower per-head rate at volume
Book Full day, on site
Studio day
$1,200+ $75 per person
Send your team to us in Pilsen, in scheduled slots.
  • Full day at our Pilsen studio
  • Cyc wall and full lighting grid
  • 2 retouched finals per person
  • Booked in staggered slots
  • Better light than any office conference room
Book Studio day
Extra retouched photo: $50

You decide after you see the gallery, not before you book. Pick your favourites, add whichever extras you want. The rest of the Chicago market charges $100 to $195 per additional image.

Book a session

The guarantee

If you do not love them,
we shoot it again. Free.

The reason people put off booking a headshot is the fear of hating the result. So we took that off the table. Almost nobody in this city will do the same.

How it works

Three steps.

01

Book and prep

Send the form with your lane and preferred window. We confirm a time and send a prep note covering wardrobe, grooming, glasses and colour, written for your lane specifically.

02

Shoot

You arrive, we light you, and we direct the whole session so you are not left guessing what to do with your hands. You will see frames on the monitor as we go, so nothing is a surprise at the end.

03

Choose and deliver

We send the full gallery of selects. You pick your finals, add extras at $50 each if you want them, and we deliver retouched files plus your motion portrait. Turnaround is confirmed at booking, and we can rush it.

Clients, on working with us

On the record.

“From concept to final delivery, Holy Cow was the perfect creative partner. Professionalism, responsiveness, and creative talent made the entire process seamless.”

Kevin ChorzempaVP of Operations, Sysco

“Duo should be very proud of the work that he produces. Great to work with, exceeding our expectations. Easy experience, got the message we wanted.”

Kristin SrailMarketing Manager, Windy Acres Farm

These are production clients speaking about our production work, not portrait sessions. We would rather show you real quotes about real projects than invent testimonials for this page.

Questions

Everything people ask before booking.

How is this different from a headshot studio?
A headshot studio has a camera, a backdrop and a light. We are a working film company with a cyc wall, a full lighting grid and a crew that lights faces for a living. You are not buying a bigger version of a $199 session, you are buying a different product. That is also why we can hand you a motion portrait at the end, which no headshot studio in this city is doing.
What is a motion portrait?
A short, silent, cinematic clip of you, shot on the same lighting setup as the stills. It is what you put at the top of a LinkedIn profile, a speaker page, an agency profile or a company bio page where everyone else has a static JPEG. It is included in the featured tier of every lane.
What if I hate the photos?
We reshoot the session at no charge. Fear of hating the result is the single biggest reason people put off booking a headshot, and almost nobody in this market answers it. We are answering it.
Can you direct me? I am bad at this.
Everyone says that, and it is our job, not yours. We direct the whole session: posture, hands, jaw, where to look, what to think about. We direct talent on film sets every week, so getting a natural face out of somebody who feels awkward is the normal part of the day.
How many photos do I get?
Each tier lists its number of fully retouched finals. After the shoot you get the full gallery of selects and choose your favourites. Any extras beyond your tier are $50 each, which is well under the $100 to $195 per image the rest of the Chicago market charges.
Do you come to our office?
Yes. The Whole Team lane covers on-site days at your office with a full portable lighting package, plus a studio-day option if you would rather send people to us in Pilsen.
What should I wear?
We send a prep note after booking covering wardrobe, grooming, glasses and colour, tailored to your lane. Bring options; we will help you pick on the day.
How long does a session take?
A single-person corporate session runs 30 to 60 minutes depending on tier. Personal brand half days run four hours. Team days are scheduled in slots so nobody waits around.
Where are you and is there parking?
Our studio is at 2147 S Lumber St in Pilsen, Chicago. There is parking on site.
How do I book?
Fill in the form below with your lane and preferred window. We confirm by email with a time, a prep note and an invoice.

Book

Get on the calendar.

Tell us your lane and a rough window. We confirm by email with a time, your prep note and an invoice. If you are booking a team, tell us the headcount and we will send a slot schedule.

The studio

2147 S Lumber St, Chicago, IL
Pilsen, Chicago · parking on site

Cyc wall, full lighting grid, sound treatment, kitchen. The same room we shoot brand films in.

Book a portrait session

Pick your lane and a preferred window.

Prefer email? duo@holycow.productions · +1 (312) 927-8868