ERAS and Residency Headshots

Your ERAS photograph is a small but important part of your residency application. It should look professional, current, and appropriate for the medical field without feeling stiff or impersonal.

We create ERAS headshots for medical students, residency applicants, fellowship applicants, and other healthcare professionals. During your session, we will help you choose an expression, posture, background, and crop that present you as confident, capable, and approachable.

You do not need to arrive knowing how to pose. We will guide you through subtle adjustments in posture, head position, expression, and body angle while reviewing the photographs with you throughout the session.

The goal is not to make you look like someone else. It is to create a polished photograph that still feels natural and authentic.

ERAS-Ready Image Preparation

After you select your final photograph, we can prepare a version specifically for your ERAS application.

Current AAMC guidance states that applicants upload their own photograph through MyERAS. The photograph must have the face centered and meet the applicable file-format and file-size requirements. Because technical requirements may change between application cycles, applicants should always confirm the current specifications through MyERAS or the AAMC before submitting. (Students & Residents)

We can provide:

* A professionally retouched high-resolution image

* An ERAS-formatted version prepared for upload

* Appropriate cropping and file sizing

* Additional versions for LinkedIn, hospital profiles, professional directories, and social media

Happy Clicker Studios is an independent photography studio and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Mayo Clinic, the AAMC, or the ERAS program.





Headshots for Physicians and Healthcare Professionals

A professional medical headshot may appear on a hospital profile, clinic website, research publication, conference program, speaking announcement, professional directory, or academic biography.

We create headshots for:

* Physicians

* Residents and fellows

* Medical students

* Nurses and advanced-practice providers

* Researchers and educators

* Therapists and healthcare specialists

* Clinic and administrative professionals

Your portrait can be created with a traditional professional appearance or with a warmer, more approachable style. We will discuss your role, audience, workplace, and intended use before deciding on the best background, lighting, wardrobe, and expression.

White coats may be included when appropriate, but they are not required. Many healthcare professionals choose to create several options during the same session, such as a formal portrait in professional clothing and a second image wearing a white coat.



Professional Headshots for Business and Personal Brands

Your headshot should support the way you want clients, colleagues, and collaborators to perceive you.

Some professions call for a formal and authoritative portrait. Others benefit from an image that feels warm, conversational, creative, or energetic. We tailor the session to your profession rather than applying the same pose, lighting, and expression to everyone.

Professional headshot sessions are available for:

* Business owners and executives

* Corporate and nonprofit professionals

* Consultants and independent professionals

* Attorneys and financial professionals

* Educators and academics

* Actors, performers, and creatives

* Speakers and community leaders

* Job seekers and career changers

* Company teams and staff directories

Headshots can be created for company websites, LinkedIn, professional directories, press releases, conference materials, advertising, social media, and printed marketing materials.



Realtor Headshots

For a realtor, a headshot is often part of nearly every client interaction.

Your portrait may appear on property listings, yard signs, business cards, advertisements, websites, social media profiles, email signatures, and printed marketing materials. It needs to feel polished enough to communicate professionalism while remaining friendly and approachable.

We can create a clean studio headshot, a more relaxed personal-brand portrait, or a combination of both. Your session may include different expressions, clothing changes, crops, and compositions so that you have images suited to multiple marketing formats.

Vertical, horizontal, and square versions can also be created when needed for websites, social platforms, advertisements, and printed materials.



Author and Speaker Headshots

An author portrait does more than show what you look like. It helps establish the tone of your work and introduces you to readers before they open the book.

We create author photographs for:

* Book jackets

* Publisher websites

* Author biographies

* Media kits

* Interviews and press releases

* Speaking engagements

* Festival and conference programs

* Social media and promotional campaigns

Your portrait may be warm and conversational, refined and traditional, or dramatic and editorial. The right approach depends on your subject matter, intended audience, personality, and personal brand.

Speakers, educators, consultants, and other public-facing professionals may also benefit from having a combination of traditional headshots and wider personal-brand portraits available for different promotional uses.



A Headshot Session Built Around You

You do not need professional modeling experience, and you do not need to know what to do in front of the camera.

We provide clear, calm direction throughout the session. Small changes in posture, shoulder position, chin placement, and expression can make a substantial difference. We work through those adjustments with you rather than expecting you to arrive knowing how to pose.

During the session, we can explore:

* Different expressions

* Subtle pose and angle changes

* Multiple backgrounds

* Clothing or jacket changes

* Vertical, horizontal, and square compositions

* Traditional and more relaxed options

You will have an opportunity to review images during the session so we can adjust the direction and make sure we are creating photographs that feel right for you.



What Should I Wear for a Professional Headshot?

Choose clothing that fits well, feels comfortable, and reflects how you normally present yourself professionally.

Solid colors and subtle patterns generally keep attention on your face. Jackets, blazers, sweaters, collared shirts, blouses, dresses, and simple layered combinations can all photograph well.

Consider bringing more than one option, even when you expect to use only one outfit. Seeing clothing under studio lighting can help us determine which colors, necklines, textures, and layers work best.

Try to avoid:

* Very small or tightly spaced patterns

* Clothing with large logos or prominent text

* Wrinkled garments

* Clothing that feels unusually formal or unlike you

* Distracting accessories that compete with your face

For an ERAS or medical headshot, professional and understated clothing is usually the safest choice. A suit or jacket can work well, but it is not mandatory. The most important considerations are fit, neatness, and whether the clothing feels appropriate for the role you are pursuing.



Natural, Professional Retouching

Professional retouching is intended to polish the image without changing who you are.

Basic editing may include adjustments to exposure, color, contrast, cropping, and minor temporary distractions. Our goal is to preserve natural skin texture and recognizable features while creating a finished, professional photograph.

We do not change body shape or size, and we do not automatically remove permanent features such as scars, birthmarks, or other characteristics that are part of your appearance.

More extensive editing can be discussed when requested.



Headshots for Teams and Organizations

Consistent professional headshots help an organization present a polished and cohesive identity.

We can photograph teams at our Rochester studio or discuss creating headshots at your office or workplace. Existing company photography guidelines can be followed when your organization requires a particular background, crop, lighting style, or wardrobe standard.

Team headshots may be appropriate for:

* Medical and dental practices

* Law firms

* Real estate offices

* Corporate teams

* Nonprofit organizations

* University departments

* Small businesses

* Boards and leadership groups

We can also create a repeatable visual setup for organizations that expect to add new staff members over time.

Contact us for team availability and a custom quote.



Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a headshot session take?

The length of your session depends on the number of clothing changes, backgrounds, and final images you need. A straightforward ERAS or professional headshot session may be relatively brief, while personal-brand or multi-look sessions require more time.

Can I see the photographs during the session?

Yes. Reviewing photographs during the session helps us refine your expression, posture, clothing, background, and overall direction.

Can you prepare my image for ERAS?

Yes. We can provide a version cropped and sized for ERAS based on the current specifications available at the time of your session. You should still verify the final application requirements through MyERAS or the AAMC before uploading.  We can email you your final, application ready image in addition to providing you your full-size version in a private gallery for later use on social media, or job sites like LinkedIn.

Can I use the same photograph for LinkedIn?

Yes. We can provide additional crops or file versions suitable for LinkedIn, professional websites, directories, email signatures, and social media.

Can I bring more than one outfit?

Yes. Bringing a few options is encouraged. The number of outfits we photograph will depend on the session selected and the amount of time available.

Do you photograph people who are uncomfortable in front of a camera?

Yes. Most clients do not feel naturally comfortable being photographed. Clear direction, image review, and a relaxed pace are built into the session.

Do you offer headshots for an entire company or team?

Yes. Team headshots can be created at our studio or, when appropriate, at your workplace. Contact us with the approximate number of people and the style your organization needs.



Schedule Your Headshot Session

Whether you need an ERAS photograph, a new physician profile, an updated LinkedIn image, a realtor headshot, an author portrait, or a polished photograph for your business, we will help you create an image that feels professional without losing your personality.

Our downtown Rochester, Minnesota studio is conveniently located on 1st Ave SW near Mayo Clinic and serves individuals, businesses, and organizations throughout Rochester and southern Minnesota.