Headshotted: What It Means When Your Team Gets a Better Headshot
Introduction: Exploring “Headshotted” in Gaming and Photography
It is a verb in the gaming world that means exactly what it sounds like: one clean hit to the head, target down, boom, next round. If you have ever watched someone playing a competitive shooter or heard a guy on a gaming stream yell about landing the perfect shot, you know the word “headshotted.” But the term has evolved far beyond its gaming roots. This article explains what 'headshotted' means in both gaming and professional photography, and why it matters for anyone seeking high-quality portraits in NYC. We’ll explore both the gaming and photography meanings of 'headshotted,' clarify its grammatical usage, and show why understanding the term is important for professionals seeking headshots in NYC and anyone curious about the word. Clarity in communication and branding starts with knowing exactly what you’re asking for—and what you’ll get.
What does headshotted mean?
'Headshotted' is the past tense of 'headshot.' In gaming, it means a shot that hits the head directly. In photography, a headshot is a portrait showing the head and shoulders. 'Headshotted' is recognized as the simple past and past participle form of 'headshot.' The term 'headshot' can refer to a photograph that displays only the neck above, a projectile that hits the head directly, or slang usage unrelated to photography.
What “headshotted” even means (and why I care about it in NYC)
When I say someone got headshotted, I am talking about a professional portrait. In photography, a headshot typically includes the subject’s head and shoulders and is often used in resumes and professional profiles. Our CEO got headshotted yesterday in Times Square. New LinkedIn banner, new press kit, whole new vibe. That is the sense I mean. Not killed in a game, but killed it in front of the camera. A person walks into our studio or meets our crew on location, and they walk out with a finished, edited, ready-to-use executive portrait that actually looks like them on a very good day.
The thing is, headshots have always been about the face, neck, and shoulders. The framing, the expression, the way the light hits. Whether you are an actor, a founder, or the head of HR trying to get 50 people to look consistent for the company website, the goal is the same. You want to be properly headshotted. And at Match Production, that is simply what we do.
From gamer slang to corporate headshots NYC
The word “headshot” traveled a strange path. It started in sports commentary, got picked up by video game players in the 1990s, and eventually settled into mainstream language as the default term for a professional portrait. Now when someone asks for corporate headshots NYC, they are not talking about a gaming match. They are talking about LinkedIn photos, press portraits, investor decks, and About pages. The language shifted, but the precision stayed.
When clients reach out for executive portraits or team headshots, they are really asking to be headshotted in the best possible sense. Last month a leadership team came in from Hudson Yards to our Times Square studio for a press day. They needed consistent images for LinkedIn, press, and speaking events. No one mentioned gaming. But by the end of the session, I told them they had all been properly headshotted. They got it. The word makes sense when you see the result.
How we headshot you in our Times Square studio
Arrival and Preparation
This section walks through the in-studio experience at Match Production near Times Square, where most of our executive portraits and individual sessions happen.
You arrive at a scheduled block, typically 9:30 a.m. or 2:00 p.m., and we start with coffee or water and a quick style check. We review what you brought, talk through the look you want, and lay out wardrobe options if you have brought a few. Then we run a lighting test. Our multi-light setup uses softboxes and fill lights to shape the face without flattening it, and we offer neutral backdrops along with options for subtle office-style or NYC-influenced backgrounds depending on what the image needs to do.
Shooting Process
Shooting takes 45 to 60 minutes for an individual session, sometimes 90 if we are running multiple looks. The whole time, images are tethered to a monitor so you can see what is happening in real time. This is not a guess-and-pray situation. You review, we adjust, and by the end of the session you have already approved your headshot look before you leave. Same day headshots NYC are possible when the timeline demands it, and we offer flexible cancellation and rescheduling options to fit your scheduling needs, but even a standard session moves with intention.
The experience is controlled, quiet, and focused. No crowds, no distractions, just the work. You turn up, you sit, we shoot, and you leave with confidence that the images are right.
On location headshots NYC: bringing the studio to your office
Scouting and Setup
We build mobile studio environments inside Manhattan and borough offices for corporate headshots NYC. If your team cannot come to Times Square, we bring the studio to you. Running across town or coordinating travel for 30 people is insane. We skip that part.
Our scouting process starts with photos of your space. We review conference rooms, corridors with depth, and lobby seating areas to find backdrops that work. Then we schedule time blocks per person, usually 10 to 15 minutes each, with buffer windows for senior leadership who need a few extra frames. Crew call is typically 7:30 a.m., first subject at 9:00 a.m., and we keep people moving through the day without bottlenecks. We bring lighting, backdrops, tethered capture, and a portable styling kit so the look stays consistent across the whole team.
Execution and Delivery
We cover Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and occasionally client spaces near major hubs like Grand Central and World Trade Center. The outcome is consistent team headshots for websites, email signatures, and internal comms, delivered in agreed formats and crops. If you want the whole company headshotted in one day, this is how we do it.
Remote headshotted: how our remote headshots actually work
We offer remote headshots using a guided live workflow. This is not a DIY selfie situation. It is a real session with real direction, just without anyone in the same room.
The process starts with scheduling and a tech check. Then one of our photographers joins via phone or laptop to provide live direction while you capture using your device. We coach you through posture, angle, and expression the same way we would in studio. Typical remote sessions run 30 to 45 minutes, which is plenty of time for a busy executive traveling or a team member working from a satellite office. We standardize look and framing so remote team members match the in-studio or on-location style. Use cases include global leadership portraits, distributed teams, and last-minute PR requests when someone is out of town and needs a LinkedIn photo by end of week. Remote options start near USD 100, making it realistic for scaling across a larger team without flying everyone to New York.
Same day headshots NYC: getting you headshotted on a deadline
This is our rush service for PR, media, or internal announcements that drop tomorrow morning. Urgent executive hire announcements, funding news, or a same-day press request from a major publication. It happens. Continuing to wait for a polished image is not an option when the news cycle is already running.
Here is what that looks like in practice. A founder came in at 3:00 p.m. for a same-day session in our Times Square studio. We shot for 30 minutes, did fast culling and color-corrected selects, and had final assets in their inbox by 8:30 p.m. for a next-morning release. Rush fees apply, and we can support one or a small number of people in true same-day windows. But when the timeline is real, we make it work. On location headshots NYC are also possible for same-day needs if the logistics line up.
Real-world example: one leadership team, fully headshotted
A Manhattan-based team with about 40 people needed new corporate headshots NYC. They were refreshing their website, updating internal directories, and getting ready for a printed annual report. We scheduled two half-days in their office near Bryant Park. Call time was 7:30 a.m. each day, and we set up two shooting stations to keep people moving. No-shows and late arrivals got shuffled into buffer slots we had built into the schedule for exactly that reason.
We coordinated closely with HR and comms on naming conventions for files, shared a live schedule so everyone knew their time, and built in an approval process for leadership portraits that would go to press. The account manager on their side had visibility into progress throughout both days.
The end result was consistent team headshots in multiple crops: square for internal profiles, vertical for LinkedIn, horizontal for web. Delivered within five business days. The entire team walked away fully headshotted and ready for external and internal use. No one looked weird. No one looked like they were shot in a different decade. That is the point.
How we handle styling, retouching, and not looking weird
Pre-Shoot Guidance
Everyone has the same fear. You are going to look over-retouched, or you are going to look like a different person. That is a reasonable thing to worry about. It is also something we actively prevent.
A few days before your session, we send pre-shoot guidance. What to wear, whether to keep glasses on or off, grooming tips for hair and skin. On set we handle posture coaching, micro-adjustments to chin and shoulders, a quick lint-roller pass, and shine control if needed. These small things add polish without making you feel like you are being fussed over.
Retouching Philosophy
Our retouching philosophy is simple. We remove distractions: stray hairs, lint, temporary blemishes. We keep character: laugh lines, natural skin texture, the things that make you look like you. Leadership portraits can get extra attention for key uses like annual reports or high-visibility press, but the goal is never to erase you. The goal is to make you look like yourself on a very good day, not like a plastic version of yourself that makes people uncomfortable.
When “headshotted” goes global: aligning in-person and remote teams
The challenge with distributed teams is keeping a unified visual brand when some people are shot in NYC and others are remote or in different cities. If your leadership page has five different lighting styles and three different background colors, it looks like five different companies. That is not what you want.
Our approach uses shared lighting and framing references, consistent background choices, and standardized retouching notes across all sessions. Last quarter we shot NYC leadership in our Times Square studio, then ran remote headshots for regional leads in four other cities. All matched for the company website within two weeks. Typical deliverables for comms teams include full-res, web-optimized, and internal directory versions, all labeled and organized clearly. When HR asks for the files, they get a folder that makes sense, not a pile of untagged JPEGs.
Pricing clarity and how to actually book your headshot
Pricing transparency matters. An Individual Standard Session runs around USD 600 for studio time with edited images. Remote options start near USD 100. Full quotes depend on scope, but those anchors give you a sense of the world we are operating in.
What affects price:
Number of people
Location or studio
Timing (standard versus same day headshots NYC)
Level of retouching and usage needs
If you are an HR, employer brand, or comms lead trying to get a quote, send us headcount, location, ideal dates, and final usage (website, LinkedIn, PR, internal). We will map the day, crew accordingly, and give you a clear number. Email scope and timing to hello@match-production.com or book via our site. A few lines are enough to start. For those interested in joining our team, please visit our careers page.
Final word on being properly headshotted
Being properly headshotted means you walk away with consistent, high-trust images that actually work across LinkedIn, press kits, and internal channels. No one asks why Gary looks different from everyone else. No one wonders if that photo is from 2014. We cover studio, on location headshots NYC, and remote headshots, with realistic timelines and clear communication. The process is predictable. The outcomes are real. And the time you invest pays off every time someone looks at your profile or your team page.
By Lisa,
curator of perfect angles and lighting magic, always ready to capture that moment when you realize your headshot isn’t just a photo—it’s your new professional power move.
