Peter Hurley Headshot Photography

What Peter Hurley Headshot Photography does

Peter Hurley Headshot Photography operates as a premium headshot photography studio, a division of Hurley Media, Inc., headquartered in New York City with a secondary studio in Los Angeles. Founded in 2000 by Peter Hurley following a transition from modeling and Olympic sailing, the company provides professional headshot services for business executives, corporate teams, actors, athletes, and personal-brand clients. Its core differentiator is a proprietary methodology centered on the trademarked Squinch™ technique, a signature lighting setup designed for headshots, and a coaching approach that draws out authentic, confident expressions from subjects. The firm also operates the Headshot Crew community and the global Associate Photographer network — a worldwide ecosystem of photographers trained in Hurley's methods to deliver consistent headshots for distributed corporate teams.

The business operates across four revenue streams: individual photography sessions (Peter Hurley at $1,500 session fee plus $300 per image; Britney Young at $500 session fee plus $150 per image), corporate and group sessions with multi-year contracts and on-location options, video production services (a recent expansion), and education/workshops (The Headshot Intensive in-person workshop, Headshot Crew online community, Fstoppers tutorials, and a published book). Marketed through a mix of owned (YouTube with millions of views, Instagram, blog), earned (NYT, WSJ, Good Morning America, TEDx), and partner (Canon USA, Fstoppers) channels, the company serves a client roster that includes Fortune 500 enterprises (Google, Apple, Microsoft, Citibank, IBM, Deloitte, Oracle, GoDaddy, Liberty Mutual) and high-profile individuals (Bill Ackman, Marc Lore, Robert De Niro, Sofia Vergara, Alex Rodriguez, Katie Ledecky).

The company is privately held by Peter Hurley, with a small team of approximately five employees led by Hurley and in-house photographer/studio manager Britney Young. There is no external investment, no parent company, and no public listing. Revenue is undisclosed. The business model is fundamentally constrained by founder availability and has not pursued technology-led or capital-led scaling; instead, it extends reach through the Associate Photographer network and education/community products. The model is best understood as a premium personal-brand professional services firm rather than a high-growth technology business.

Name

Peter Hurley Headshot Photography

Legal name

Hurley Media, Inc.

Website

https://peterhurley.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Peter Hurley Headshot Photography is a premium New York and Los Angeles-based photography studio specializing in executive, corporate, and actor headshots, leveraging the proprietary Squinch™ technique and a global Associate Photographer network to serve Fortune 500 clients and high-profile individuals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Photography Services

NAICS

Photography Studios, Portrait (541921), Commercial Photography (541922)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Photography & Photo Production (BPAFAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Photography & Still Production (Stills, Product, Lifestyle) (MPAAAMAI)

Keywords

• Professional headshot photography
• Corporate portrait services
• Actor headshots
• Personal branding photography
• Photography workshop education

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Photography Sessions: Flat session fee plus per-image pricing. Session covers direction, lighting, multiple looks, and on-the-spot image review. Final retouched images purchased separately with unlimited personal licensing.
2. Corporate/Group Headshot Sessions: Discounted group rates for organizations requiring consistent branding imagery. Can be conducted at studio or on-location at client offices. Includes coordination of multiple photographers across global locations.
3. Video Production Services: Brand video production including corporate videos, promotional content, and storytelling pieces. Covers planning, filming, and post-production editing.
4. Photography Education and Workshops: The Headshot Intensive in-person workshop, online coaching community (Headshot Crew), and Fstoppers video tutorials for photographers looking to learn headshot techniques.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Peter Hurley Headshot Photography is a professional headshot and portrait photography studio that delivers individual and corporate sessions using signature techniques—including the trademarked Squinch™ method and proprietary lighting—designed to capture confident, approachable expressions for executives, actors, entrepreneurs, and Fortune 500 teams. The studio also offers video production, in-person workshops (The Headshot Intensive), an online coaching community (Headshot Crew), and a global network of trained Associate Photographers for distributed teams.

Product overview

Peter Hurley Headshot Photography operates as a single-brand photography studio offering a unified suite of photography services centered on professional headshots and portraits. The core offering is professional headshot photography for executives, business leaders, actors, and personal branding clients, supported by video production services as a recent expansion. Educational products include The Headshot Intensive workshop, the Headshot Crew online coaching community, and a published book. Session types include individual sessions (with Peter Hurley or in-house photographer Britney Young) and corporate group sessions. A global Associate Photographer network extends the studio's geographic reach while maintaining consistent quality standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Headshot Crew: An online community and global network of photographers trained in Peter Hurley's signature headshot techniques, with weekly live video sessions, critiques, and contests.
• The Headshot Intensive

Products and services

• Peter Hurley Individual Headshot Session One-on-one headshot session with Peter Hurley featuring personalized subject direction, signature lighting, multiple looks, and on-the-spot image review. Session fee: $1,500; image fee: $300 per image with professional retouching and unlimited personal-use licensing. Portrait sessions (minimum 3 hours, full-body shots) also available.
• Britney Young Individual Headshot Session One-on-one headshot session with in-house photographer Britney Young. Session fee: $500; image fee: $150 per image with professional retouching. Portrait pricing: $1,000 session, $400 per image.
• Corporate & Group Headshot Sessions Group headshot sessions for organizations requiring consistent branding imagery, available at studio locations or on-site at client offices. Pricing varies based on photographer, number of subjects, and photos needed; on-location shoots include $1,000 daily location fee plus travel expenses; 50% deposit required upfront. Trusted by Fortune 500 companies including Citibank, Microsoft, IBM, Google, Apple, Oracle, Deloitte, GoDaddy, and Liberty Mutual.
• Video Production Services Brand video production services including corporate videos, promotional content, and storytelling pieces, with full-service planning, filming, and post-production editing.
• Global Associate Photographer Network Sessions World's largest network of trained headshot photographers delivering consistent, professional headshots for distributed organizations worldwide with the same lighting, editing standard, and look. Custom pricing based on project scope.
• The Headshot Intensive Workshop In-person educational workshop for photographers covering Peter Hurley's signature headshot techniques, including lighting, posing, directing, and client rapport.
• Headshot Crew Online Coaching Community Online community where Peter Hurley shares techniques, provides critiques, runs contests, and identifies top talent for the Associate Photographer team; subscription-based access with weekly live video sessions.
• The Headshot: The Secrets to Creating Amazing Headshot Portraits (Book) Peter Hurley's published instructional book detailing his techniques for lighting, posing, and directing clients to capture compelling headshot expressions, including the signature Squinch™ method.
• Women's Hair and Makeup Add-on Optional $300 add-on for women's makeup and hair styling during the session; light grooming for men available on request at additional cost.

Quantifiable outcome

• LinkedIn profiles with headshots receive 21 times more views
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers33 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Vilcek FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2010Collaboration on LOST Exhibition at the United Nations showcasing work of immigrant and first-generation contributors to ABC's LOST TV series. Peter photographed cast and crew members for the exhibition celebrating diversity in entertainment.
• Headshot CrewcoreOthersPeter Hurley's own online community and network of trained photographers. Serves as the ultimate training ground for photographers looking to hone their craft, with weekly live video sessions, critiques, contests, and insider tips. Top performers may earn spots on the elite Associate Photographer team.
• Leading Authorities Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpeaking engagement booking agency representing Peter Hurley for speaking opportunities. Contact point for event organizers seeking Peter for speaking engagements.
• FstopperscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Fstoppers to produce in-depth video tutorials on headshot photography. Videos cover lighting, posing, directing, and business-building aspects of headshot photography. Valuable resource for photographers at any stage.
• Canon USAcoreTechnology or IntegrationNamed Canon Explorer of Light, recognizing Peter as an innovative photographer whose approach is recognized at the highest level by Canon. Peter shoots with Canon EOS R and has designed Westcott Flexkit lights.
• Sailing World MagazineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMagazine assignment to photograph Bruce Kirby, designer of the Laser sailboat. Personal project connecting Peter's sailing background with professional photography career.
• TEDxcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTEDx Cambridge speaking platform for Peter Hurley's talk 'Bridging the Self-Acceptance Gap' co-presented with psychologist Dr. Anna Rowley, introducing 'psyphotology' concept.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Secta Labs: AI headshot platform producing hundreds of professional images from casual selfies, with editing styles tailored for LinkedIn and corporate profiles. Targets the same professional and enterprise segments as Peter Hurley Photography, eroding the value of in-person sessions.
• HeadshotPro: AI-powered headshot generation service that produces professional-looking corporate and actor headshots from uploaded photos within minutes. Directly competes with Peter Hurley Photography on the same customer use cases (LinkedIn, corporate profiles, acting headshots) at a fraction of the price and turnaround.
• BetterPic: AI headshot service delivering studio-quality professional headshots from user-uploaded images for LinkedIn, resumes, and corporate use. Competes directly with Peter Hurley Photography for the same corporate and personal-branding use cases at materially lower price points.
• Aragon AI: AI headshot generator targeting professionals and teams that delivers dozens of retouched headshots from a handful of selfies. Competes head-on with Peter Hurley's core headshot offering for executives and corporate users, with significantly lower price points and faster turnaround.

Direct peers

• Snappr: On-demand photography marketplace connecting businesses and individuals with professional photographers across categories including headshots, corporate, and events. Closest direct competitor in business model — both operate as booking/photography platforms rather than AI services — but Snappr is broader and less brand-led.

Broad incumbents

• Shutterfly: Consumer-focused photo printing and personalization platform with on-demand portrait services through its Lifetouch and Shutterfly Studio offerings. Competes indirectly in the broader portrait photography market but is oriented to mass-market consumers rather than premium executive headshots.
• Getty Images: Global commercial stock and editorial photography platform with a vast contributor network spanning portrait, editorial, and corporate photography categories. Operates at much larger scale but in the broader commercial photography space rather than the dedicated headshot niche Peter Hurley dominates.
• Adobe (Photoshop / Firefly): Adobe's Photoshop and Firefly generative AI tools enable users to retouch and synthesize professional headshots directly. Represents a broader, well-funded incumbent in the image-editing space whose AI tooling could enable low-cost DIY alternatives to professional headshot services.

Others

• VSCO: Photo editing app and creator platform used by professional and aspiring photographers for portrait retouching and aesthetic presets. Adjacent rather than directly competing, but enables self-serve alternatives to the professional retouching Peter Hurley bundles into session pricing.
• Fstoppers: Online photography education platform that publishes tutorials and runs courses on lighting, posing, and business-building for photographers. An existing strategic partner of Peter Hurley via co-produced tutorial content, and a competing channel for the same pool of photographers seeking headshot education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/PeterHurleyPhotography
• Instagraminstagram.com/peter_hurley
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peter-hurley-photography

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Peter Hurley Headshot Photography