Clean, modern images that agents and casting directors actually want to see. No glamour fog. Just marketable, memorable faces.
“Nicole Gates is more than just a photographer. She develops your image to reflect your personality, style and purpose. She takes her time and snaps at just the right moment to capture you at your best. My daughter and I are forever grateful for her talent that helped her sign with multiple modeling agencies.”
— Sandy Ehlinger
This is not a “feel pretty for a day” session. This is about giving you images that make agents confident and casting directors curious.
You get clean, agency-standard lighting, true-to-life color, and expressions that read in a thumbnail and in a full-screen casting review.
Straightforward, industry-aware pricing. No collections to decode, no surprise upsell at the end. You pay for what you need and nothing you don’t.
For models who need simple, clean digitals or polaroids on a regular basis. Fresh face, minimal hair and makeup, jeans and black tank top look.
The session every working actor or model should have on file. Clean, classic, and versatile.
For working talent who need range: commercial, theatrical, and lifestyle in one focused session.
Your agent is not asking for drama. They are asking for clarity. These are the images that keep everyone happy: you, your agent, and the person behind the casting desk.
A small sample of the way I work with actors, models, and agency-repped talent: commercial, theatrical, lifestyle, and digitals.
You don’t need to drive to Austin or Houston for agency-level actor and model imagery. Great photos don’t require a road trip — just the right photographer.
1. The “cheap” city session isn’t cheap.
Once you add gas, meals, parking, and maybe a hotel, that $350 headshot becomes a $600–$800 day.
And that’s before you even buy the images.
2. You lose an entire day of your life.
Parents juggling work, teens juggling school and activities, no one has time for an eight-hour round trip for photos.
3. The experience isn’t automatically better.
A lot of big-city studios offer one look, basic lighting, and a 20-minute turnaround.
That’s not a model portfolio, that’s a receipt.
4. Agencies don’t care *where* you shot, they care how you show up.
When the work is strong, polished, expressive, and industry-ready, nobody asks if you drove six hours to get it.
5. You get the high-end result without the high-end headache.
Editorial lighting, clean digitals, styling guidance, and multiple looks,
all without leaving the Valley.
Staying local doesn’t mean settling.
It means working smarter, and walking away with images that get noticed.
Whether you’re signing with your first agency or maintaining a busy calendar of auditions, your images should work as hard as you do. My studio runs like a small production: tethered capture, intentional lighting, and a clear plan before we ever pick up the camera.
Tell me where you are in your career and what your agent is asking for. I’ll design a session that gives you the exact set of images you need without wasting your time or your budget.
For agencies and talent who want to review a broader range of work,
I keep an extended portfolio available here: