A memoir asks the writer to be fully present on the page, so the author photo has a big job. It’s the first time a reader sees the person whose story they’re about to read, and it should feel like her. When Toni Snow asked me to photograph her for her upcoming memoir, Bending Toward the Light: Stories of Grit and Grace, we talked first about what readers should feel when they see her. Not polished and distant, but warm, curious, and a little bit mischievous. Her portraits needed to sound like her voice.

Smiling older woman with short gray hair and glasses wearing a gray knit cardigan, seated near a purple orchid in a bright room.
Smiling older woman with short gray hair and glasses wears a green knit cardigan, seated indoors near a purple orchid and leafy plant.
Smiling woman with short hair and green glasses wears a sage knit cardigan, seated with hands folded beside a purple orchid.
Smiling older woman with short gray hair and glasses sits in a sage green knit cardigan beside a purple orchid.

Starting in soft daylight


We began by a window, with soft natural light, a bright wall behind her and an off camera flash for fill. A purple orchid in the corner added the only pop of color, and it picked up the plum of her lipstick. Toni wore a textured sage cardigan with gold jewelry and her bold teal-and-chartreuse glasses, which are a great detail on their own. I like to keep the first stretch of a session easy. We talked about [her book, her writing routine, how she felt about being photographed], and the posed smiles gave way to real ones.

Smiling older woman with short gray hair and colorful glasses wears a sage green knit cardigan while looking down at her clasped hands.
Smiling older woman with glasses and a gray knit cardigan rests her hand on her chest beside a purple orchid.

I like to keep the first stretch of a session easy. We talked about her book, her writing routine, how the book came to be, and the posed smiles gave way to real ones. These two are my favorites from this part of the shoot. She was mid-story in both, and the hand on her chest and the downward glance show more personality than any posed headshot could.


Moving into lamp light


For the second setup, we moved to a warmer corner lit by a table lamp, with a white orchid and a bronze sculpture in the background. The light changes the mood completely, from bright and open to intimate and reflective. A memoir isn’t all laughter, so I wanted portraits with some depth too. The head-on-hand frame has a quiet, thoughtful quality that suits a woman reflecting on her life.

Smiling older woman with glasses and short hair rests her chin on her hand, wearing a green knit cardigan beside a glowing lamp.
Smiling older woman with short gray hair, teal-framed glasses, gold earrings and necklace, wearing a soft teal knit sweater.
Portrait of an older woman with short gray hair, teal glasses, a gold necklace and a sage green knit cardigan, softly lit indoors.

A change of color


Toward the end, Toni changed into a bright red sweater with a soft floral scarf. Against the warm lamp light and the blue leather chair, it gave us a bolder, more playful look. I also asked for a few tighter frames, because an author photo is often cropped small on a book jacket, a website, or a social profile.

Smiling woman with short hair and glasses sits on a teal armchair in a red sweater and floral scarf beside a lamp and orchid.
Smiling woman with short hair and glasses wears a red sweater and floral scarf while sitting on a teal armchair beside a lamp and orchid.
Portrait of an older woman with short gray hair, teal-framed glasses, gold hoop earrings and a gold necklace, smiling softly at the camera.
Smiling woman with short brown hair, colorful glasses, gold necklace and a gray-green cardigan sits indoors in warm, soft lighting.

Why author portraits are worth the time


Readers connect with authors long before they finish a book. A strong author photo works on the jacket, in press kits, on your website, and in interviews. Having a few different looks, one warm and bright, one reflective, one bold, gives you options for every use.


If you’re writing a book and want portraits that feel like you, I’d love to hear about your project.