Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Huebner.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Leah. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started taking photos probably 10 years ago when I still lived in Alabama— I’d run around with my friends and take photos of us in cool vintage clothes we found or shoot some real artsy stuff like sitting in shopping carts on the side of the road (so cool, right?) and so when I moved to LA to pursue acting, my trusted sidekick, a Canon Rebel XT, I believe, came along.
Honestly, I never intended to have this business. I came to LA on a one track mind thinking I would be the next Emma Stone (cause she makes it seem so easy in LaLaLand). BUT of course the first thing people ask for is headshots which I didn’t have and couldn’t afford with the tiny savings I brought along with me so I started playing around with my camera to take my own headshots… it took a LOT of testing (and failing) but eventually I got the hang of lighting and posing and started going to auditions thanks to these new headshots I didn’t pay for, SCORE!
So after a while, my friends were annoyed that I was going out all the time with free headshots, whereas they went to the big wig photogs in the area and paid $800 for photos they never really loved. So one of my friends, in particular, came to me for us to just play around and after she sent our session to her manager, he reached out to her and exclaimed ‘okay who the *bleep* took these photos?! They look like you, they’re not too photoshopped and they show your personality, tell me now!’
So he reached out and said ‘hey get a website together and an Instagram, I’m sending you 15 clients.’ And I was all, ‘whoaaah no, I’m an actor and I just play around for fun with photos’ and he said he didn’t care and that I should do it —so if someone tells me to do something, I do it— so I did, and sure enough, he sent me 15 clients within two weeks and then they sent their friends than their friends and so on… and now 3 years later, I work with at least 10-15 well-known agencies, quite a few management companies and even a couple publicists. Thank goodness I listened to him!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would say for the most part yes, it’s been pretty smooth. However, I think what I struggled the most with was feeling like a fraud, like I wasn’t as good as the famous LA headshot photographers—that my gear wasn’t good enough or that I didn’t know enough technical aspects about it all.
Please tell us about Huebner Headshots.
I’m a headshot photographer – I specifically only shoot actors because I love helping people find their most ‘them’ in all the characters they could potentially play, and I get to help them from the ground floor in building their brand.
I would say that what sets me apart from other photographers is the sense of play that is brought to the shoot. I always tell actors that this is not a modeling session so let’s not worry about posing—let’s listen to music, have fun and bring our inner children to the shoot—and I think that is what is reflected in my photos. I’m also the biggest fan of colors and patterns and making sure the photos POP!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Ah good one. Hm, I think my best childhood memory was when I was finally old enough to ride my bike to dollar general all by myself. I would spend forever walking up and down the aisles trying to figure out what to buy with my little allowance (I say little because I would never get the FULL allowance since I didn’t usually fulfill all my chores) but I would always settle on the candy aisle…I thought that made me so ‘adult’ to be able to choose ANYTHING I wanted. (Of course, I would go for those neon off-brand pixie sticks. #classy).
Pricing:
- $350 2 hours unlimited look session (usually gets 7-8)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.huebnerheadshots.com
- Phone: 2565035686
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Huebnerheadshots
Image Credit:
Huebner Headshots
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
