Draper Studios · Downtown Denver
Fifteen years directing actors in Los Angeles. Now photographing Denver.
Headshots, portraits, and personal branding for actors, professionals, founders, and teams. Every session is fully directed — you'll never be left wondering what to do with your hands.
Downtown Denver studio On-location available across the metro
Selected Work
Different people. Different jobs. One standard.
A casting headshot, an executive portrait, and a brand library shouldn't look the same. What stays constant is the direction behind them.
Choose Your Session
Start with what the photograph has to do.
A casting submission, a company directory, a website launch, and a hundred-person team are four different problems. Pick the one that sounds like yours.
For professionals
Professional Headshots
One directed session for LinkedIn, company profiles, press, and speaking. Same-day proofs, finals in 48 hours.
For actors and performers
Actor Headshots
Cinematic, casting-focused sessions built around your lanes. Film, television, theatre, commercial, and representation submissions.
For founders, experts and public-facing professionals
Personal Branding
A strategically planned image library for a website launch, speaking, press, publishing, and ongoing marketing. Studio and location.
For companies
Team Headshots
A full studio brought to your office. Teams of 5 to 100+, one consistent look, employees pick their favorite before I leave.
Not sure which fits? Tell me what the photographs are for and I'll point you at the right one — including the smaller one, if that's what you actually need.
Meet Your Photographer
What fifteen years with actors taught me about everyone else.
Matt Draper Photographer · Director · Former audition coach
Actors are trained to be looked at, and most of them still tense up the moment a camera comes out. Everyone else — the executive, the founder, the person who just needs one good photo for a company directory — arrives with exactly the same problem and none of the training.
The fix is the same either way. Direction. Specific, continuous, playable direction: where your weight goes, where you're looking, what you're thinking about a half-second before the shutter. That's the difference between a photograph of someone posing and a photograph of someone present.
I spent fifteen years in Los Angeles learning it — coaching auditions, directing scenes, cutting demo reels, and making films — before I opened a studio in Denver.
Your job isn't to perform for the camera. My job is to create the conditions where you can stop thinking about it.
Every session is photographed by me. Not an associate, not whoever happens to be free that week.
Photographed for
Client Notes
People come back. And they bring their teams.
The finished photographs matter. So does the hour it took to make them — especially for the many people who arrive certain they aren't photogenic.
Professional, fast, and the quality is unreal. I booked him for my team after my session — everyone loved their photos.
Within days of my updated headshot, I was able to secure a modeling gig with a new client. He makes you feel incredibly comfortable in front of the camera.
Our firm hired Matt twice to shoot our staff photos — he did phenomenal work. He made sure all our members felt comfortable and that everyone was satisfied with their pictures. Matt's our guy.
Questions
What people usually ask first.
How much does a professional headshot cost in Denver?
Most Denver headshots run $150 to $500 or more, depending on how much direction, retouching, and how many finished images you get. The cheapest session isn't always the cheapest photo, especially if you end up paying again for one you'll actually use.
Here, professional and actor headshots start at $325 with one fully retouched image, and additional images are $50 each. Personal branding starts at $425, and on-site team sessions at $895.
I hate having my photo taken. Will this work for me?
Most people who book with me say the same thing. That's normal, and it's the part I'm best at.
Every session is fully directed: where your weight goes, where you're looking, what to think about right before the shutter. You don't need to know how to pose. That's my job, not yours.
What should I wear?
Solid colors in mid to dark tones, and clothes that fit well through the shoulders. Skip busy patterns, logos, and anything you'd keep adjusting.
Bring a couple of options. We'll pick what works best on camera before we start, and I'll send a short prep guide once you book.
Should I smile in my headshot?
We'll photograph both. A genuine smile reads as approachable, and a quieter expression reads as confident and focused. Most people are surprised which one they end up choosing.
The goal isn't a forced grin or a stern look. It's the version of you people actually meet.
How fast do I get my photos?
You'll get a private proof gallery the same day as your session. Once you choose your favorites, finished images are delivered within 48 hours, including weekends.
Where is the studio, and do you come to us?
Individual sessions happen at my private studio at 816 Acoma Street in downtown Denver, with free street parking nearby.
For teams, I bring the studio to your office anywhere in the metro, including Cherry Creek, the Tech Center, Boulder, and Broomfield, with no travel fees.
More answers on the FAQ page, or ask me directly.