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Notes from the studio

The Look Gross Blog

Straight answers about getting photographed in our Signal Hill, Long Beach studio — what a session costs, what happens in the room, how the posing coaching works, and why dancers and performers keep coming back. Written by the two people who'll be shooting you.

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Five-piece rock band press photo on a white backdrop, drummer holding sticks overhead — Look Gross Studio, Signal Hill Long Beach
Artists & Bands  ·  3 min read

Band Press Photos & EPKs: What You Actually Need

The handful of photos every band needs for press, booking, and Spotify, and how to make them look like you sound.

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Commercial actor headshot with bright pink hair on a grey backdrop — Look Gross Studio, Signal Hill Long Beach
Headshots  ·  5 min read

Actor Headshots in Long Beach: What Casting Actually Wants

Theatrical and commercial, white backdrop or colored to stand out, light retouching, and files sized for Actors Access and Casting Networks.

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Studio couples portrait with a holiday concept at Look Gross Studio, Long Beach
Couples  ·  5 min read

Couples Photography in Long Beach: The Studio Session for Two

A directed, fully coached studio hour for two — custom-lit backdrops, a dressing room on site, your props or ours. Not weddings, not engagement minis.

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Instant film portrait shot on a Polaroid I-2 with studio strobes at Look Gross Studio, Long Beach
Behind the Scenes  ·  5 min read

Polaroid I-2 + Studio Strobes: How We Sync Flash

The exact 2.5 mm-to-3.5 mm sync cable, the Manual-mode camera settings, and the digital-camera trick we use to nail instant-film exposure.

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Dancer in thigh-high boots under teal and red stage lighting at Look Gross Studio, Long Beach
Dancers & Performers  ·  6 min read

Working With Dancers Is What We Do Most

Pole, burlesque, aerial and stage. Shooting movement instead of poses, lighting that reads like a stage, and staying anonymous if you need to.

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Boudoir portrait lit with a warm orange gel at Look Gross Studio, Signal Hill Long Beach
Boudoir & Editorial  ·  6 min read

Boudoir That Actually Feels Comfortable — How We Shoot It in Long Beach

A closed set, a posing coach who never leaves your side, every body welcome, and total control over where your photos end up.

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Editorial studio portrait on a teal gradient backdrop — portrait photography in Long Beach, CA
Portraits  ·  7 min read

Portrait Photography in Long Beach: What a Studio Session Actually Looks Like

The room, the lighting, the hour itself, what to bring, what it costs, and what lands in your gallery a week later.

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What we shoot

Signal Hill · Long Beach, CA

Look Gross Studio is a private photography studio in Signal Hill, California, in the heart of the Long Beach area with easy access from Los Angeles and Orange County. We shoot portraits, boudoir and editorial, artist and band press photos, and a great deal of dancer and performer work — all of it in-studio, with Nani behind the lens and Misty directing posing and coaching.

Sessions start at $400 for an hour, including your full styled and edited gallery. Everything about pricing, deposits, timelines and add-ons is spelled out on the FAQ page, and you can send an inquiry here — we answer within 48 hours.

Ready to book your session?

Book a Session Read the FAQ first →