Holy CowProductions

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Corporate & lifestyle portraits · Pilsen, Chicago

A headshot studio
photographs you.
We light you.

We are a film company that shoots portraits. A full lighting setup, a crew that lights faces for Hennessy and Sysco, and a short video portrait included.

Book a sessionSee pricing
  • Free reshoot if you do not love it
  • Video portrait included
  • Extra retouched image $50
  • Full lighting setup in our film studio
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The difference

Three things you will not
get anywhere else in Chicago.

01

Lit like a film, not a passport photo

Most portrait studios light for a clean, safe result. We light you the way we light a film. It is the difference between a photo that proves what you look like and one that says something about you.

02

A short video portrait, included

A short clip of you, shot on the same setup. Put it on your LinkedIn, your speaker page or your firm bio. No other headshot studio we found in this city offers it. We shoot video every week, so it costs us a few extra minutes.

03

We direct you

Almost everybody freezes in front of a camera. Most studios say smile and shoot. We tell you what to do with your posture, your hands and your eyes, and what to think about right before the shutter. It is the difference between a photo of your face and a photo of you.

Pricing

Four options. Pick yours.

Every option above includes the video portrait. Prices include direction, styling advice, retouching and the full gallery of photos.

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 photos 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
  • Full lighting setup in our film studio
  • 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.

People put off booking a headshot because they are afraid of hating the result. So we took that off the table.

How it works

Three steps.

01

Book and prep

Send the form with the option you want and a rough date. We confirm a time and send a prep note on what to wear, glasses and colour.

02

Shoot

You arrive, we light you, and we direct the whole session so you are never guessing what to do. You see the photos on a screen as we go, so nothing is a surprise at the end.

03

Choose and deliver

We send you the full gallery. You pick your favourites, add extras at $50 each if you want, and we send back the retouched files plus your video portrait. We can rush it if you need it sooner.

Clients

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

Before you book.

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 full lighting setup, a treated room 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 plan 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 plan 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 plan 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 plan. 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 which option you want and a rough date. We reply with a time, your prep note and an invoice. Booking a team? Tell us the headcount and we will send a schedule.

The studio

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

Full lighting setup, treated sound, restroom and a utility sink. The same room we shoot brand films in.

Book a portrait session

Pick your option and a rough date.

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

Portraits & headshotsFrom $395 · Pilsen studio
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