MELODY SMITH PORTRAIT
Headshot & Personal Branding Photographer Serving Richmond, Petersburg, and Central Virginia
Professional Business Portraits & Personal Branding
YOUR PERSONAL BRAND IS EVERYTHING IN A MEDIA-DRIVEN WORLD
If you're a creative professional, executive, entrepreneur, or medical expert, the right portrait builds trust, authority, and connection
before you ever say a word.
At Melody Smith Portrait, I specialize in
magazine-style branding and headshot photography
with your professional image and message at the center.
The studio is located in historic Old Town Petersburg and serving Richmond, Chesterfield, Midlothian, the Tri-Cities, and beyond
with sessions available Monday - Friday at 10:00am.
Whether your brand leans polished and powerful, warm and welcoming, artistic and edgy, or minimal and chic,
I help you create a gallery of images that connect and convert.
You’ll leave with a dynamic collection of scroll-stopping images perfect for LinkedIn, websites, social media, press features, and more.
Are you building your audience, launching a project,
or updating your presence?
These images ensure you always make the right impression.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
✦ Brand Analysis & Style Consultation
Before booking we'll connect via
Facebook or Instagram Messenger to discuss your industry, audience, goals, and current visual brand reviewing colors, tones, and the
message you want your images to send.
✦ Wardrobe Styling & Outfit Review
You'll receive detailed guidance on what to wear so your wardrobe supports both your brand and the camera. Before your session we'll review outfit options together and you'll receive access to style boards to help sharpen your vision.
✦ Professional Hair & Makeup
Hair and makeup services are included with every branding session. My approach is refined and natural — camera-ready without feeling overdone or unlike yourself. The goal is to look like the best version of who you already are, every day.
✦ Expert Posing & Direction Every detail
Posture, expression, energy...Everything is guided from start to finish. You don't need to know how to pose.
That's my job.
✦ High-End Retouching
Every selected image is professionally retouched to enhance your natural features while preserving authenticity.
✦ Zoom Reveal & Ordering Appointment
One to two weeks after your session we'll meet via
Zoom to view your fully retouched images and place your order.
This is the only time photographs are available for purchase.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
Before anyone reads your bio or hears you speak, your image introduces you. Your headshot and branding portraits are the face of your digital identity. Make sure they're saying the right thing.
✦ Executives & Corporate Leaders CEOs
| consultants and professionals featured in press, speaking events or internal brand campaigns |
Your image says:
"I am a leader. I inspire confidence. I mean business."
✦ Entrepreneurs & Small Business Owners
| coaches, consultants and founders who need versatile imagery to support marketing, social media and web presence. |
Your image says:
"I am my brand.
My images should tell my story and attract my ideal client."
✦ Realtors & Sales Professionals
| real estate agents, mortgage brokers and advisors who rely on relationship-based branding. |
Your image says:
"I am approachable, knowledgeable and a trusted expert in my field."
✦ Creatives, Artists & Performers
| designers, authors, speakers and influencers building a visual brand that reflects their unique voice. |
Your image says:
"I am bold, original and ready to make an impact."
✦ Healthcare & Legal Professionals
| doctors, surgeons, therapists and attorneys whose presence must convey both warmth and authority. |
Your image says:
"I am experienced, trustworthy and deeply
committed to those I serve."
✦ Career Professionals & Job Seekers
| anyone updating their LinkedIn, changing industries, or stepping into their next chapter. |
Your image says:
"I am professional, confident and ready for what's next."
✦ Intuitives, Healers & Metaphysical Practitioners
| tarot readers, astrologers, palmists, energy healers, spiritual coaches and consciousness guides who need images that communicate depth, trust, and the particular kind of presence their work requires. |
Your image says:
"I see clearly.
I hold space with intention.
You are safe here."
WHAT TO EXPECT ON SESSION DAY
✦ 10:00 AM — Arrival & Wardrobe Review
You'll be greeted in the studio and together we'll organize your looks to make sure everything aligns with your brand goals.
✦ Hair & Makeup
Relax and get camera-ready with professional styling that enhances your features while staying true to your personal style.
✦ Your Guided Branding Session
We'll move through each look with full direction adjusting lighting, backdrop and posing to align with your brand personality.
You'll never be left wondering what to do.
✦ Leave Empowered
By the end of the session you'll feel confident, grounded and ready to show up in your business in a whole new way.
✦ Image Reveal
1 to 2 Weeks Later We'll meet via Zoom to view your fully retouched portraits and place your order.
This is the only time photographs are available for purchase.
PRICING
Creative Fee – $489
(per person)
Includes:
Online brand analysis & wardrobe consultation
Professional Hair & Make Up
Fully guided session
2–3 outfit changes (client-provided)
Retouching included
Images are NOT INCLUDED and are purchased separately during your ZOOM Reveal & Ordering Appointment within 2 weeks of your session!
Individual digital files
Starting @ $389/image
Portrait Collections
Starting at$2250
A note about GROUPS:
At this time I do not photograph groups. If you have multiple staff to photograph, they will each be photographed individually on different days with a maximum of 2 per day.
For groups of 6 or more:
There is a minimum purchase of my 20 image collection.
HOW TO PREPARE
Getting ready should feel exciting, not stressful.
Wardrobe: Choose outfits that reflect your industry and personality. Need help? I’ll guide you through every step.
Grooming: Hydrated skin, clean nails, and styled hair go a long way.
Mindset: You don’t have to be “photogenic.”
My job is to bring out the best in you.
Once you book, you’ll receive a detailed prep guide with tips, visuals, and everything you need to arrive feeling confident.
WHY CHOOSE MELODY SMITH?
Melody Smith is a Triple Master Photographer with over 30 years of experience and more than 100 international awards including recognition from WPPI, the ICON Awards, and
Gold & Platinum Photographer of the Year from
Professional Photographers of America.
She knows what it takes to build a visual brand that
actually works because she's done it herself.
For decades she has developed her own
online presence from the ground up,
navigating every challenge that comes
with putting your face at the center of your business.
She understands the resistance and the vulnerability
of putting your face at the center of your business.
And she knows exactly how to move through it.
Every branding session is personally directed by
Melody from start to finish.
There is no assistant,
no second shooter,
no one between you and the work.
Just a private, focused experience
designed entirely around
your brand, your goals,
and the impression you want to make.
This is not a volume headshot studio.
Every client is treated as an individual with attention given
to their specific needs, desires, and concerns.
Hi, I'm Melody Smith.
I've spent decades learning how to translate who someone truly is into an image that stops people mid-scroll. I know what it is to wrestle with putting yourself front and center and to wonder if your image is saying the right thing, or anything at all. I've been there. That experience is exactly what I bring to every branding session. I would love to help you create images that represent you with clarity, confidence, and complete authenticity.
FREQuENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do you provide wardrobe for branding sessions?
Personal branding is highly individual and your wardrobe should reflect your industry, personality and professional identity. Whether you're a corporate executive in tailored suiting, a creative in jeans and statement jewelry, or a realtor in polished business casual, your clothing plays a key role in telling your story. I'll guide you in selecting pieces that photograph beautifully, flatter your body type, and align with your brand. After booking you'll receive access to my inspiration boards to help sharpen your vision.
Is hair and makeup included?
Yes.
Professional hair and makeup are included
with every branding session. Even if you prefer a
minimal look in your daily routine,
professional styling is important for photography
and the camera often flattens features,
washes out skin tones,
and picks up shine that isn't visible in person.
My approach is refined and natural.
You'll look like the very best version of yourself.
Can I do my own hair and makeup?
You're welcome to arrive with your hair and makeup
already done if you strongly prefer it. However I do recommend taking advantage of the included styling as clients who use the professional hair and makeup consistently feel
more confident and prepared when the session begins,
and that confidence shows in the images.
If you choose to come camera-ready, please let me know during your consultation so we can plan accordingly.
Is styling guidance really that important?
Absolutely.
Styling is more than wearing nice clothes. It's also about creating harmony between your wardrobe, body type, coloring and brand message. There is even a whole field of psychology about this!
I know what photographs well and what doesn't, how to create cohesive imagery across multiple looks, and which colors, fits and silhouettes will elevate your personal brand.
Every detail is intentionally curated.
How do I get started?
Click the button below to book your design consultation. We'll connect via Facebook or Instagram Messenger to talk through your brand goals, the full session experience, and pricing
before anything is booked or paid.
Recent Work
Your image is already making an impression.
The only question is whether it's the right one.
When you're ready — I'm here.