Long Island Commercial Real Estate Director Headshot | Coastal Creative Studios Huntington, NY

There’s a certain kind of magic that happens when someone walks into the studio feeling unsure… and walks out saying, “Okay, I actually like that photo of myself.”

That was Kyle.

Kyle is a Managing Director at JLL, and provides client focused commercial real estate solutions in the Long Island and outer NYC boroughs area. The last time he’d been in front of a professional camera for a headshot was years ago; it was definitely time for a new headshot! Kyle even admitted that he like many professionals, he gave AI-generated headshots a shot. But something about them just felt… off. Not terrible — but not him.

And that’s the thing with AI: sure, it can smooth your skin, fix your lighting, maybe even give you a little more jawline. But it can’t coach you through the moment. It can’t laugh with you between takes, adjust your posture, or talk about how there are not enough hours in the day to juggle our kids’ sports schedules.

That’s the difference a real, personalized headshot session makes.

We shot Kyle’s session at Coastal Creative Studios in Huntington, NY — one of my favorite Long Island studio spaces. It’s clean, modern, and flexible — whether we’re going for crisp and classic, or light and lifestyle-driven. Kyle was so happy it was not a tight, dark, studio of yesteryear!

During the session, we created a variety of looks that captured exactly what Kyle wanted: something polished and professional, but also approachable and authentic. The kind of image that feels like a strong handshake and a warm “nice to meet you” — all in one.

I was so excited to see that Kyle immediately updated his LinkedIn profile to a headshot session. You can check it out and learn more about Kyle’s services here.

If you are updating your LinkedIn profile, launching a new brand, or just want to feel seen in your photos, investing in a professional headshot is about showing up as your best self — not a version of you filtered through an app.

📸 Scroll through to see some of Kyle’s final selections.

This is your reminder: a great headshot isn’t about perfection. It’s about being you.

Curious what a headshot session like this could look like for you?
Let’s chat — I’d love to create something real, together.