What you are paying for, in order of cost

Time on the day. Fifteen minutes per person is a working portrait. Thirty is a considered one. Two hours is a portrait made for a boardroom wall or an annual report cover, and it costs accordingly because it occupies a day rather than a slot.

Retouching. This is the largest hidden variable. Volume operators deliver an automatic pass — skin smoothed uniformly, everyone rendered slightly plastic. Considered retouching is done frame by frame, keeps the texture of a face, and takes roughly twenty minutes per image. Ask any photographer what their retouching workflow is; the answer tells you more about the final image than their equipment list does.

Usage. A portrait for a LinkedIn profile and a portrait for a national campaign are not the same commercial object, and no honest photographer prices them identically. Most corporate work is licensed firm-wide and in perpetuity, which is what you want; be careful of quotes that look low and turn out to be twelve months.

Location. On-site costs more than studio for small groups — I am transporting and building a set — and less for large ones, because we are not moving forty people across the city.

What makes it cheaper

Group size, straightforwardly. The set-up is the same for eight people or thirty-eight, so per-head cost falls sharply with volume. Booking a full day rather than a half. Consolidating: three departments photographed on one day rather than three separate visits over a year, which is how most firms accidentally spend twice what they meant to.

What makes it more expensive, legitimately

Multiple locations. Multiple set-ups — a seated portrait and an environmental portrait are two different builds. Same-day delivery. Executives who can only give you a fixed twelve-minute window at seven in the morning, which is a scheduling cost rather than a photography one.

The number nobody calculates

How long the portraits last. A cheap set gets replaced in eighteen months because nobody likes them and the firm quietly stops using them. A properly made set is still on the website in six years, still being sent to conference organisers, still on the pitch deck. Divide the cost by the years and the comparison stops being close.

I have made portraits that entered the permanent collections of the National Portrait Gallery and the Royal Collection. That is not a reason to charge more for a LinkedIn photograph. It is a reason to expect the photograph will still be worth looking at when the person in it has moved on.

How to brief a quote properly

Send: number of people, seniority mix, city, preferred dates, on-site or studio, and what the images are for. That is enough for a real number. A quote given without those five things is a guess, and it will change.

Corporate and executive commissions in Los Angeles, New York and London are quoted individually. Email RL@rorylewis.studio.

Six weeks out — pick the room, not the date

The most common mistake is booking the date first and finding the room second. What is needed is a space roughly five metres by four with a ceiling above two and a half metres, a door that closes, and mains power. A boardroom is usually perfect. A reception area never is.

I light entirely with studio heads, so the room does not need windows and it does not matter what the weather does. That is the point of working this way: February in the City looks identical to June, and the partner photographed in the morning matches the one photographed at four.

Four weeks out — build the schedule in blocks

Allow fifteen minutes per person for a standard partner portrait, and thirty for anyone whose image will carry the firm — managing partner, chairman, practice heads whose faces go on pitch documents.

Do not schedule continuously. Build in a fifteen-minute gap every two hours; someone will be in a call that overruns, and without slack that one delay cascades through the afternoon and the last four partners get a rushed portrait. Those four are usually the most senior, because senior people book last.

Send calendar invitations with the individual's time slot in the subject line. A list on a noticeboard is not a schedule.

Three weeks out — the wardrobe email

This single email decides how consistent your leadership page looks. It should say: mid-to-dark tones, minimal pattern, bring two options, jacket if we are a jacket firm. That is enough. There is a fuller guide in the previous post you can forward wholesale.

One week out — the awkward questions

Settle these before the day, because settling them on the day costs time:

• Are we photographing everyone, or partners and counsel only?

• What happens to portraits of people who leave? (Usage is typically firm-wide and perpetual, but agree it.)

• Do associates get the same treatment as partners? (They should. Inconsistency shows.)

• Who signs off the selects, and how fast can they do it?

That last one is where headshot days actually stall. If sign-off has to reach a managing partner who is in trial, agree a deputy now.

On the day

I arrive ninety minutes before the first sitting to build the set. Each person gets their fifteen minutes and sees their frames on a tethered screen before they leave the room — nobody walks away uncertain about what was taken. Someone from marketing in the room for the first hour is useful; after that it tends to slow things down.

Afterwards

Selects go out as a proofing gallery within three working days. Retouched files follow within ten of sign-off, delivered in web-resolution and print-resolution versions, correctly named to whatever convention your website requires. Ask for that convention up front — renaming forty files afterwards is a genuinely miserable afternoon for whoever inherits it.

One thing worth deciding early

Whether the managing partner sits for the same portrait as everyone else or for something more considered. Most firms want consistency across the partner grid and something distinct for the person who represents the firm publicly. Both are possible in the same day; it simply needs to be decided before the schedule is built rather than discovered at four o'clock.

Law firm commissions in Los Angeles, New York and London are quoted individually. Email RL@rorylewis.studio with your firm size and preferred window.

What works

Solid, mid-to-dark tones. Navy, charcoal, deep grey, black, forest, burgundy. My studio is lit from a single dominant source with a great deal of shadow, which means darker cloth does something useful: it lets the light fall on the face rather than competing with it. That is not a stylistic preference. It is the reason a Van Dyck portrait puts a white collar against a black doublet — the eye is being directed, deliberately.

Texture reads beautifully. Wool, tweed, heavy cotton, good knitwear. Under directed light, texture gives a surface something to do. Flat synthetic fabric tends to go dead.

Good tailoring matters more than expensive tailoring. A well-fitted jacket from the high street will photograph better than a costly one cut for someone else's shoulders.

What causes problems

Tight patterns — narrow stripes, small checks, herringbone at scale — can interfere with the sensor and produce a shimmering effect that no retouching removes cleanly. Bring the pinstripe if you love it, but bring an alternative too.

Bright white on its own tends to pull the eye off the face and can be difficult to hold detail in. White under a jacket is entirely fine and often excellent.

Large, current-season logos date a portrait fast. These images should still be usable in six years.

Very light or very bright block colour — pale blue, red, lime — will cast onto the underside of your jaw. It is correctable, but it costs time we would rather spend on the portrait.

Bring options

Two or three. Almost every executive who brings choices ends up using the second thing they brought. For a leadership team, the marketing lead should send everyone the same short brief — dark or mid-tone, minimal pattern, jacket if it is a jacket culture — a fortnight ahead. Consistency across a leadership page is achieved in the wardrobe email, not in post-production.

Grooming

Ordinary haircut a week out, not two days out. If you wear glasses, wear them; we control reflections with light placement, not by asking you to remove the thing your colleagues recognise you by. Shave or don't, but do whichever you usually do — a portrait should look like a Tuesday, not a wedding.

The thing nobody mentions

Sleep matters more than any garment in this article. A well-rested face lit properly needs almost no retouching. A tired one needs a great deal, and retouching is where portraits start to look like someone else.

Sittings for executives and leadership teams are booked through the studio in Los Angeles, New York and London. Email RL@rorylewis.studio.

Why New York gets so little of the year

Because the studio is shared between three cities and there are only so many weeks in a diary. London holds the institutional work, Los Angeles holds the screen work, and New York gets the concentrated middle — three or four days at a time, booked solid, and then gone.

That scarcity is not a marketing device. It is simply how the year divides. But it does mean that if you have been meaning to sit for a portrait in Manhattan, September is the appointment to make rather than the one to consider.

What comes out of these three days

Two kinds of work, mostly.

The first is theatrical. New York actors carry themselves differently from Los Angeles actors — there is stage in the posture, and a willingness to be looked at properly rather than prettily. That suits how I light. One dominant source, deep shadow, and a face that has to hold its own ground. Casting directors on both coasts respond to it because it looks like a still from something rather than a photograph of somebody.

The second is executive. Midtown is eight blocks from more institutional capital than most countries hold, and almost all of it is represented online by portraits that could belong to anyone. Finance, law, media leadership — the people who commission these portraits are usually the ones with the most to say and the least said about them visually. A properly made executive portrait is not a nicer headshot. It is a statement of standing, and it lasts about ten years.

I also take legacy commissions in New York when the diary allows: portraits made because a person is worth recording. Those need the full two hours and should be booked well ahead.

The tradition behind it

I read Medieval History at King's College London before I read a light meter, and it shows. The frameworks I work from are tenebrism and chiaroscuro — the Old Masters' understanding that a portrait is made in the shadow as much as the light. Seven of my portraits hang in the National Portrait Gallery's permanent collection. Sixteen are in the Royal Collection. That lineage is the whole point of sitting for me rather than for someone closer to your office.

The studio

580 8th Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Garment District, a short walk from Times Square and Bryant Park.

Booking

45, 60, 90 and 120-minute sessions. Executive and legacy commissions quoted on application.

Email RL@rorylewis.studio with your preferred day. Three days is not many, and I would rather turn people away in August than in September.

Capturing history, one portrait at a time.

What you are actually booking

There are a great many people in this city who will photograph your face. There are rather fewer who were trained on Holbein and Van Dyck and who still light a sitter the way Caravaggio lit a saint.

Everything made in this studio is lit — deliberately, from a single dominant source, with the shadow doing as much work as the light. That is not a stylistic flourish. It is how portraiture worked for four hundred years before photography arrived and quietly forgot it. A face modelled that way holds the eye. It reads at thumbnail size on a casting platform and it reads at forty inches on a boardroom wall, which is a harder trick than it sounds.

Twenty-three years of practice sit behind that. Seven works in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery. Sixteen in the Royal Collection. More than a hundred and fifty acquired by the National Army Museum. Five British Prime Ministers. Reigning monarchs. Oscar and Emmy winners who came through this room and left with something their grandchildren will keep.

Who this month is for

Actors. The autumn casting cycle begins the moment Los Angeles comes back from August. If your headshot was made two years ago, or made by someone chasing a pretty picture rather than a castable one, the next six weeks are when to fix it. A headshot is not a flattering photograph. It is a piece of casting information, and it should tell a casting director in half a second what you can carry.

Executives and founders. This is the work I would most like more of in Los Angeles, and it is the work this city photographs worst. The standard American corporate headshot — flat, bright, evenly lit, indistinguishable from the next one on the leadership page — communicates nothing except that a photographer attended. An executive portrait ought to say something about the person's authority and their judgement. Boards, funds, law firms, studio leadership: these are portraits that get used for a decade.

Legacy sittings. Portraits made because someone is worth recording, not because a platform requires an image. Family principals, founders at the end of a career, collectors. These are the sittings I care most about.

Photographers. One-to-one tuition in the studio. Lighting, direction, and the business of the thing.

The studio

Downtown Los Angeles, in the Farmers & Merchants Bank building — 1905 marble, twenty-foot ceilings, and a room built long before anyone thought a portrait should be made against a white cyclorama.

Booking

Sessions run 45, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. Corporate, executive and legacy commissions are quoted individually.

Email RL@rorylewis.studio with the date range you are looking at and what the portrait is for. Five weeks fill quickly, and the last week before I leave for New York always goes first.

A headshot taken in a generic photo studio in any suburb of any city tells the viewer nothing about its subject's context. A headshot taken in Midtown Manhattan, with the visual and tonal vocabulary of the island built into the file, places the sitter inside a particular world. It says: I work here. I move here. I am part of this current.

The May window is not accidental either. New York is at its most photographable in the last week of May. The light is long, the air still has spring in it, the crowds have thinned slightly before the summer tourist surge, and the city's working population is at full pace before the August lull. For anyone whose professional life is anchored here — finance, media, theatre, fashion, technology, law, publishing, academia, medicine — this is the right week to be photographed properly.

Rory's relationship with the city has grown over successive visits. His clients here include actors moving between Broadway and the screen, executives running global divisions out of Park and Madison Avenue offices, founders building companies from co-working spaces in the Flatiron, and private sitters who simply want one excellent portrait that doesn't have to be retaken in three years. The portfolio that has emerged from these visits is recognisably New York and recognisably Rory. It is not a London style transposed. It is a real conversation with the city.

The Midtown studio location for this residency has been chosen for accessibility and for light. Sitters travelling in from the Upper East and West Sides, the Village, Brooklyn Heights, Long Island City, Hoboken, Jersey City, and the New Jersey commuter belt can all reach it within a comfortable journey. Out-of-town sitters flying into JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark are within easy distance of the major Manhattan hotels, which positions the studio well for clients combining the sitting with other meetings during the same trip.

A small number of outdoor and on-location options will also be available across the week for sitters who wish to incorporate Manhattan more explicitly into their portrait — rooftop, terrace, or street setups, weather permitting, with the same lighting discipline that defines the studio work.

Whatever the configuration, the principle remains constant: the city is a collaborator, not a backdrop, and the portrait that results carries something of the place inside it.

Enquire at rorylewis.studio/contact. Limited availability across the week of 25–31 May 2026.

This distinction matters more than it first sounds. The bulk of professional headshot photography in New York and London is built around a production model — bright, even, frontal lighting, a plain backdrop, a repeatable formula. The work is competent and the turnaround is fast, but the image is rarely memorable. Run a hundred LinkedIn pages side by side and they begin to blur into each other.

Rory's approach inverts that model. He works in low key. The light is shaped, not flooded. The background recedes into shadow rather than competing for attention. The subject is built up out of the dark, the way a sculptor reveals a figure from stone, and the eye of the viewer is drawn first to the eyes of the sitter, then to the line of the jaw, then to the hands, if the hands are in frame. Nothing else is allowed to interrupt.

This is the same vocabulary Rory uses when he photographs members of royal households, decorated military officers, FTSE chief executives, and the actors whose faces are familiar from screen and stage. The aesthetic does not change because the title on the call sheet changes. The dignity of the treatment is the same whether the sitter is a head of state or a first-time founder. That consistency is, in part, what has built the practice.

For the 25–31 May 2026 New York residency, the same studio approach travels with him to Midtown Manhattan. Lighting is built from a small, controllable source rather than a wall of softboxes. The colour palette is warm — charcoals, deep browns, soft golds — and the final files are graded with the kind of restraint that allows a portrait to sit comfortably on a magazine page, a corporate website, and a printed annual report without any of those contexts feeling like a compromise.

Three things tend to surprise sitters when they meet Rory in person. The first is how much time is spent talking before the camera comes out. The second is how few frames he takes — quality is found in the moment, not the multiplication of frames. The third is the quietness of the room. There is no music thumping, no rolling banter, no parade of assistants. The studio is calm because the work requires calm.

A headshot made this way does more than fill a profile field. It signals seriousness. It signals self-respect. And, in a city like New York, where so many people are competing for the same attention, a portrait that refuses to look like everyone else's is itself a competitive advantage.

Limited sittings remain available across the residency week. Enquiries through rorylewis.studio/contact.

For one week only, celebrity and royal portrait photographer Rory Lewis returns to New York with a limited series of private headshot sessions running from Sunday 25 May through Saturday 31 May 2026. Based in a Midtown Manhattan studio, this will be Rory's most concentrated New York residency to date — and with only a small number of sittings available across the seven days, places are expected to be claimed quickly.

Rory's reputation has been built quietly, over more than a decade of photographing actors, executives, military officers, and members of royal households in his signature low-key, painterly style. His images sit somewhere between portraiture and cinema — lit like a film still, framed like a Renaissance painting, edited to last. Clients fly in from across the United States and Europe to be photographed by him, and his New York visits have, in previous years, sold out within days of being announced.

This residency is built around the same principles that govern his London studio. Each sitting is unhurried. There is conversation before there is a camera. Wardrobe is reviewed, posture is coached, and the lighting is shaped to flatter the architecture of the individual face, not a generic template. The result is a headshot that doesn't look like a headshot. It looks like a portrait, and it ages well.

Manhattan is uniquely suited to this kind of work. There is something about the energy of the island, the way the light cuts between the towers in late spring, the speed at which professionals here operate, that demands a portrait equal to it. A weak headshot lets a New York résumé down. A strong one carries a person across boardrooms, billing pages, casting calls, magazine bylines, and conference programmes for years.

The 25–31 May window has been chosen deliberately. Late May in New York is one of the year's most flattering periods — warm but not yet humid, golden in the afternoons, alive in the evenings. It is also a natural moment to refresh professional imagery before the summer media cycle and the autumn campaign calendar.

Sittings are available for actors preparing for pilot season callbacks, founders raising new rounds, executives stepping into bigger roles, authors releasing books, and private clients who simply want to be photographed properly, once. Royal and celebrity sittings are not discussed publicly, but the same care is extended to every chair that sits in front of the camera.

To enquire about booking, contact the studio at rorylewis.studio/contact. Sessions are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

Michael Richardson stepped into the studio for a set of striking model digitals that highlight his natural presence and versatility. With clean lines, sharp features, and effortless style, Michael’s digitals provide agencies with exactly what they need: unfiltered, authentic images that showcase his potential across fashion, lifestyle, and commercial work.

At Rory Lewis Photography, we know agencies are looking for clarity, confidence, and professionalism in your digitals. That’s why every session is designed to remove distractions and focus on what matters most: you. From carefully directed posing to expert lighting, the results are clean, industry-standard images that open doors with agencies and casting directors.

📸 Ready to take the next step in your career? Book your digitals today and invest in images that set you apart from the crowd.

Through my Non Profit Heroes in Focus, Rory Lewis is dedicated to preserving the faces and stories of those whose courage defines our shared history. It was an honour to have captured the portrait of Mike Pratt, GC, whose bravery and humility stand among the finest examples of service.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, and serving with the Victoria Police, Pratt received the George Cross in 1978 for his remarkable courage during an armed robbery in Clifton Hill. Despite suffering life-threatening injuries, he subdued the gunman and saved many lives — an act that continues to resonate as a symbol of duty and sacrifice.

Through portraiture, Heroes in Focus ensures that the legacy of extraordinary individuals like Mike Pratt endures — not just as a record of service, but as an inspiration for generations to come.

During our London sitting, I wanted to capture the quiet intensity and introspective poise that define his performances. Ben’s presence before the camera was calm, deliberate, and precise—qualities that translate beautifully in portraiture. Working within a classical framework of Caravaggisti lighting, I aimed to balance strength with stillness, crafting images that reflect both the discipline and humanity beneath his characters.

The session unfolded in three acts:

• a chiaroscuro-inspired close study, drawing focus to expression and gesture;

• a traditional seated composition, echoing Renaissance portraiture;

• and a minimalist, neutral background portrait, allowing his natural character to lead.

Each frame reveals a different aspect of Ben’s artistry—the gravitas of Cromwell from Wolf Hall, the modern resolve of his Andor persona, and the timeless spirit of a performer deeply connected to his craft.

Ben’s portrait joins my ongoing series exploring distinguished figures in film, theatre, and leadership—artists whose work continues to shape cultural narrative across generations.

With over two decades of experience, Rory Lewis is one of the UK’s leading photographers, celebrated for his exceptional skill in crafting actors’ headshots that open doors and define careers. His London studio has welcomed hundreds of talented performers—each session tailored to reveal the individuality and emotional range that casting directors are searching for.

During his recent sitting, Brad Dibben brought a dynamic energy to the lens—confident, grounded, and cinematic. Through carefully directed expressions and subtle tonal shifts, Rory captured the versatility and presence that make Brad’s portfolio stand out in today’s competitive acting industry.

Elevate Your Acting Career with Rory Lewis Photography

Renowned for his distinctive cinematic style and trusted by some of the most iconic names in film, television, and theatre, Rory’s work has defined the visual identity of leading performers such as Sir Patrick Stewart, Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Derek Jacobi, David Warner, Natalie Dormer, Iain Glen, and Julian Glover.

A session with Rory is more than a photoshoot—it’s a collaborative process designed to uncover your truest self. His expert direction and keen sense of storytelling ensure each image reflects not just your look, but your personality and potential.

Why Choose Rory Lewis for Your Headshots?

🎬 Unrivaled Expertise
Two decades behind the lens, photographing icons across film and theatre, make Rory a trusted name in actor portraiture.

📸 Relaxed, Professional Sessions
Rory’s calm, focused approach puts every actor at ease, allowing authentic expression to shine.

🎭 Tailored Direction & Creativity
Each session is shaped to your individual goals—whether dramatic, commercial, or theatrical—ensuring a diverse and impactful portfolio.

⭐ Endorsed by Industry Leaders
Recommended by Mandy, Spotlight, and Backstage, Rory’s work continues to set the standard for professional actor headshots in London and beyond.

👕 Wardrobe Guidance & Studio Comforts
The London studio includes a clothing rack, steamer, private changing room, and refreshment bar. You’ll also receive personal wardrobe advice to ensure each look enhances your casting potential.

💻 Online Gallery & Retouching
Access your unedited proofs conveniently online. Final images are meticulously retouched and delivered in high-resolution, ready for Spotlight, IMDb, or agent submission.

💄 Makeup & Styling Options
Optional professional makeup and light hair styling can be added to any session for a natural yet polished result.

Transform Your Portfolio

Your headshot is your calling card—it’s what casting directors see first. With Rory Lewis Photography, you’re investing in images that capture your artistry, professionalism, and individuality.

📍 London Studio — Farringdon
📧 Email: RL@RORYLEWIS.STUDIO

Jennifer’s career has flourished across some of television’s most acclaimed productions. From her haunting performance in The Walking Dead (AMC) and tense turns in The Purge (USA Network) and House of Cards (Netflix), to her warm and grounded presence in Nashville (ABC/CMT), she continues to captivate audiences with her dynamic screen presence.

Earlier credits include memorable guest roles in Castle, Monk, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Criminal Minds, and the Golden Globe-winning Mad Men, each underscoring her ability to adapt seamlessly between drama, comedy, and thriller genres.

Beyond screen performance, Jennifer’s voice work reveals another layer of her artistry. With her calm authority and emotional resonance, she’s become a sought-after voiceover and narration talent—lending her voice to documentaries, commercials, podcasts, and audiobooks. She currently narrates the children’s podcast Otter Space and has brought depth to audiobooks such as Cold Blooded and The Lake Contract.

Her vocal range stretches from warm and alluring commercial tones to gritty, authoritative reads—embracing projects from IKEA and Volvo to Harley Davidson and Cointreau. Fluent in American and Russian accents, Jennifer’s heritage and skill make her a unique voice across international storytelling.

Our session in the London studio was all about authenticity and texture—drawing out the facets of a performer whose face tells a story before she even speaks. Jennifer’s expressions moved effortlessly from quiet reflection to commanding strength, each frame revealing a different layer of her emotional range.

Her natural ease before the camera made the shoot fluid and inspired. I worked with subtle directional shifts to capture the balance between authority and empathy, mirroring the qualities that make her performances so resonant both on-screen and in voiceover.

Jennifer Riker is the definition of a multi-dimensional performer—an actress whose voice, expression, and spirit align to create unforgettable characters. It was a privilege to capture her at this exciting chapter of her career, blending classical lighting with contemporary nuance to produce portraits that feel cinematic yet deeply personal.

Field Marshal David Julian Richards, Baron Richards of Herstmonceux, GCB, CBE, DSO, DL—appointed Honorary Field Marshal by His Majesty The King in June 2025—sat for my non-profit archive, Heroes in Focus, on Monday, 6 October 2025. This portrait marks a significant addition to our mission to document the living history of Britain’s senior military leadership.

Lord Richards’ distinguished career spans command in Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, and his tenure as Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces. In Sierra Leone, his decisive, morally clear actions helped avert catastrophe and safeguard countless lives—cementing his reputation as one of Britain’s most capable and compassionate commanders.

As Major General Alastair Bruce notes, the modern conferral of five-star rank is an honorary sovereign appointment—revived after the 1990s suspension of the substantive rank. The King’s elevation of Lord Richards and Lord Houghton of Richmond recognizes a lifetime of service at the very summit of command, awarded only after a suitable period in retirement to underscore its symbolic nature.

The rank’s heritage runs deep: from medieval marshals to the 18th-century Field Marshal, the tradition is embodied by the baton—a sovereign’s gift, historically signifying supreme military trust. In due course, Their Lordships will receive a baton of red velvet topped by St George slaying the dragon, inscribed with their names and that of the King.

For this portrait I worked with restrained, sculptural light—chiaroscuro that draws the eye to character and command. The intention was simplicity with weight: to let presence speak, to honor service over spectacle, and to place Lord Richards within a lineage that stretches from campaign portraits of old to contemporary service at the highest level.

From early service with the Royal Artillery through command of ISAF in Afghanistan, to the office of CDS and later contributions in the Lords, Lord Richards’ career maps the arc of Britain’s modern military story. This portrait joins our growing Heroes in Focus archive—an educational, non-profit resource preserving the faces and testimonies of those who lead.

Only a handful of Field Marshals remain today, and with His Majesty The King’s appointment of two new holders of the rank in 2025 — both of whom I also had the honour to photograph — this portrait becomes part of a rare and significant visual archive documenting Britain’s highest military leadership.

Lord Houghton’s distinguished career reflects the evolution of the modern British Army. Commissioned into the Green Howards in 1974 after graduating from St Peter’s College, Oxford, he went on to command his battalion in Northern Ireland during The Troubles and later served as *Senior British Military Representative and Deputy Commanding General, Multi-National Force – Iraq. His leadership culminated in his appointment as Chief of the Defence Staff in 2013, overseeing the Armed Forces during a critical period of transition following the Afghanistan campaign.

Promoted to Field Marshal in June 2025, alongside his predecessor The Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, Lord Houghton remains a figure of immense respect and reflection within the Armed Forces and the House of Lords, where he serves as a crossbench peer.

Our 2025 sitting sought to explore that evolution — from active command to elder statesmanship. The portrait captures not only the stature of a Field Marshal but also the calm wisdom of a man whose service has spanned war, reform, and ceremony. Rendered in my signature chiaroscuro style, the image emphasizes depth, restraint, and the gravity of leadership earned through experience.

To photograph Lord Houghton once again, now bearing the baton of Field Marshal, was to complete a narrative — one that began in uniformed service and continues in reflection and legacy. Through Heroes in Focus, I aim to ensure that such stories endure, preserving for posterity the humanity and history behind the rank.

At our Downtown Los Angeles studio, I recently had the pleasure of photographing Saint, a promising young actor whose natural confidence and expressive presence made for a truly engaging headshot session.

Saint approached the session with professionalism beyond his years — effortlessly transitioning between bright, joyful expressions and more contemplative, cinematic looks. Working with child actors like Saint is always a rewarding experience; each image becomes an opportunity to reveal the personality and potential that casting directors look for in the industry.

As a Royal and Celebrity Portrait Photographer with over two decades of experience, I have captured countless performers across stage and screen — from legends such as Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen to rising young talents like Saint. My approach to children’s headshots is rooted in patience, precision, and storytelling. Every image is carefully directed to highlight individuality while meeting the professional standards expected by agents, Spotlight, and Backstage casting.

Parents often remark that my sessions feel relaxed yet purposeful — a space where young performers can shine. For Saint, this meant capturing both his cheerful charm and his thoughtful side, resulting in a versatile set of headshots ready to open doors across film, television, and commercial work.

If you’re seeking to elevate your child’s acting portfolio, Rory Lewis Photography in Los Angeles offers a uniquely professional experience grounded in creativity, warmth, and expertise. From lighting that flatters every feature to direction that brings out authentic emotion, each portrait is crafted to make a lasting impression in Hollywood’s competitive casting world.

One of my long-standing aims has been to photograph The stars of the League of Gentlemen — that triumvirate of dark, brilliant British comedy. As a teenager, I relished their surreal wit and macabre charm, each sketch a masterclass in character, atmosphere, and audacity.

In 2024, I had the pleasure of photographing Steve Pemberton — one half of the genius behind Inside No. 9 and Psychoville. His portrait revealed a thoughtful, creative mind, with an intensity that translated beautifully on camera.

Last week in London, I had the opportunity to complete another part of the circle: Reece Shearsmith. A craftsman of character and tone, Shearsmith’s work has long fascinated me — his seamless balance of horror, humour, and humanity is nothing short of art. Capturing him in person was a true privilege.

Next, I hope to complete the set with Mark Gatiss, whose writing and performances have shaped so much of British television and theatre. But for now, two out of three isn’t bad — and I’m grateful for these encounters with artists who have shaped my creative imagination since youth.

As a photographer, I find comedy and performance to be rich terrain for portraiture. Beneath the laughter lies an intricate understanding of human nature — the same essence I strive to reveal through light, expression, and stillness.

About Rory Lewis
Rory Lewis is an internationally acclaimed portrait photographer based in Los Angeles, with studios in New York and London. His distinctive portraits have been featured in exhibitions worldwide and acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in London. Rory’s clients include royalty, political leaders, Hollywood actors, and senior military figures.

This latest work revisits him years after my first sitting in 2019. Time has softened the face but not the presence. The energy that once filled debating chambers has given way to contemplation—yet the sharpness of intellect remains. The portrait holds that duality: reflection and resilience, conviction and consequence.

Inspired by the chiaroscuro of Caravaggio and the painterly restraint of seventeenth-century masters, I approached this image as though painting with light. The illumination falls softly across Blair’s face and hand, fading gently into darkness—a modern echo of candlelight.

Using the Fuji GFX 100 and Westcott lighting, I sculpted the image to evoke warmth and gravity. Rather than dramatic contrast, I aimed for quiet tension—a balance between the seen and the concealed, between leadership and humanity. Every crease, every tonal shift, is left intact. Like brushstrokes on a canvas, these details remind us that power ages, but character endures.

Few figures embody the contradictions of modern politics as vividly as Tony Blair. Architect of reform, peace negotiator, and wartime leader—his legacy exists in chiaroscuro, a portrait of light and shadow. In the studio, I wasn’t seeking the politician but the man behind the mantle: a moment of stillness, of quiet reflection. The resulting image captures not dominance, but contemplation—a man looking inward at the cost and consequence of conviction.

His gaze is lifted slightly, meeting light as it grazes his features. The darkened background isolates him in space, allowing the viewer to meet the subject without distraction. The light traces the story written in the lines of his face—not the rhetoric of youth, but the gravity of experience.

It is a portrait that belongs as much to history as to the present—Caravaggio through the lens of political portraiture, an image suspended between power and penance.

It was a real pleasure to welcome actress, director, and creative force Ana Peralta Chong into my Downtown Los Angeles studio for a recent session of headshots and digitals.

Ana is a multi-talented professional whose work spans acting, directing, and producing. As Marketing Director, Creative Director, and Executive Producer, she has built a career both in front of and behind the camera. Known for her performances in Areth (2025), Casa De Abuela, and Curing (2018), Ana continues to expand her creative footprint in the industry, balancing artistry with innovation.

For her session, the goal was to create images that reflected Ana’s versatility and presence—something that spoke to her talents as both a performer and a director. I approached the shoot with a focus on natural expression, strong lighting, and subtle direction to allow her personality to shine through. The results were a series of timeless headshots and clean digitals that highlight her professionalism, strength, and cinematic presence.

As with every sitting, my Los Angeles studio offers a relaxed yet professional environment where actors, directors, and creatives can feel at ease. For someone like Ana—whose career bridges multiple roles within film and television—it was especially important to capture images that communicate her range and individuality.

With over 20 years of experience photographing actors, celebrities, and even royalty, I understand that headshots aren’t simply pictures—they are career tools. Ana’s portraits reflect her unique story, crafted to resonate with casting directors, collaborators, and audiences alike.

I’m honored to have collaborated with Ana Peralta Chong and look forward to seeing how her new portraits support the next chapters of her creative journey.