About Reem Abousaif
Graphic designer by degree.
Photographer by skill.
I’m Reem Abousaif, a headshot, portrait and personal-branding photographer with a studio in Irvine. I’ve been behind a camera for more than 18 years, and since 2015 I’ve photographed Orange County professionals: attorneys, physicians, financial advisors, real estate agents, executives and business owners.
Almost everyone tells me the same thing before we start: “I’m not photogenic.” You don’t have to be. Directing you is my job.
18+ years
behind the camera: portrait, fashion and editorial
Since 2015
photographing Orange County professionals
Headshot Crew
trained in Peter Hurley’s headshot method
Fashion weeks
New York, Los Angeles, Dubai and OC
My story
From graphic design to the headshot studio
I studied graphic design before photography became my work, and I still think like a designer. A headshot is a designed object: the crop, the color, the space around your head, and the place it’s going to live, whether that’s a firm website, a small LinkedIn circle or a conference program.
For seven years I photographed fashion: runways in Los Angeles, New York and Dubai, OC Fashion Week, and editorial shoots for designers and magazines. I was house photographer for LA Fashion Week powered by Art Heart Fashion, and I served as Editor-in-Chief of Runway LA magazine, which taught me to choose images, not just make them. My work has appeared in magazines in the US and abroad, including STYLÉCRUZE, Runway Dubai and Runway LA.
Fashion taught me to read light fast and to direct people clearly and calmly. A magazine cover has about a second to stop someone. So does your photo on a firm website or LinkedIn. That’s the standard I bring to every session in my Irvine studio.
How I work
What a session with me is like
01
You don’t need to know how to pose
I set the light and the angle, then coach your expression in small, specific steps: chin, shoulders, eyes. The Peter Hurley method I trained in is built for people who don’t feel natural in front of a camera.
02
Every image is planned for where it will live
A crop that holds up in a small LinkedIn circle, a background that matches your team page, and room for a designer to set your name beside it.
03
You choose before you leave
You see the images on screen as we go, and we pick your favorites together. No waiting for a proof gallery. Retouched images arrive within 7 business days.
04
It’s just me
The person you email is the person who photographs you, directs you and delivers your images.
Glasses stay on: your frames get angled slightly and the lights move off-axis, so your eyes stay clear. Wearing a hijab or other head covering? My What to Wear guide has tips on color and fit.
Who I photograph
Headshots, portraits and personal branding in Orange County
Most of my clients are people whose face is part of their business. I photograph them in my Irvine studio, and I bring the studio to firms and practices across Orange County.
Attorneys & law firms →
Firm bios, LinkedIn and speaker programs, in one matching look.
Physicians & medical practices →
In a white coat or scrubs, in my studio or at your practice.
Financial advisors →
For your firm site, LinkedIn and client materials: approachable, credible and current.
Real estate agents & brokers →
For listings, signs, cards and your brokerage page.
Executives & business owners →
Ninety minutes in my Irvine studio, directed the whole way.
Corporate teams →
One look for the whole team, photographed at your office, with new hires matched later.
Portraits →
The photograph you want of yourself, made in the Irvine studio.
Personal branding →
A planned set of images for coaches, speakers, authors and entrepreneurs.
Book your session
Let’s make a headshot you’re proud to share.
Book a session in my Irvine studio, or email me at abousaif@icloud.com with any questions. Firms and teams start with a 20-minute planning call.