A private photo studio in Signal Hill
Look Gross Studio — you may also know us as Gross Photo Studio, or by the neon sign on the wall — is a private photography studio in Signal Hill, California. Signal Hill is a small city completely surrounded by Long Beach, so for most people it's simply “the Long Beach studio,” about fifteen minutes off the 405 and 710 with easy access from LA and Orange County.
It's a two-person operation. Nani is behind the camera; Misty directs posing and expression the whole time. The studio is where we do all of our work — portraits, headshots, couples, boudoir, dancers and artist press — because a controlled room is the only way to get the same quality of light and the same easy, unhurried feel every time. (We shoot primarily in the studio; we'd rather do one thing well than haul a fraction of this to a parking lot.)
The studio is by appointment only, and the exact address goes out once your booking is confirmed, so it stays a private, comfortable place to shoot rather than a drop-in.
The shooting area: seamless backdrops and light
The main room is built around seamless paper backdrops on an overhead roller system, with a high ceiling above and a clean floor below. White, black and red are hung and ready; a shelf of other colors — pinks, purples, greens, yellows — stays close for when you want something louder. Tell us what you're picturing when you book and we'll have it up before you arrive.
The light you'll see most is a large beauty dish with a honeycomb grid on a stand. It gives a crisp, sculpted look with real contrast, and the grid keeps it off the backdrop so the colors stay clean. From there we move — large parabolic and rectangular softboxes for softer headshot light, a continuous light on a stand, a second light for separation — but the principle is the same everywhere: you control the light, so the photo never depends on the weather or the time of day. That's the entire reason we shoot in a studio instead of at golden hour; we wrote about it in our portrait photography guide.
The backdrop does a lot of the talking. White or light grey is the safe, clean default for headshots and press photos. Saturated color — red, pink, a deep purple — is how you get a thumbnail that stops a scroll. Both are always available here; our actor headshot guide goes deeper on picking one.
Tethered monitors: see it as we shoot
The camera is tethered to a computer, with two monitors on swing arms on the studio wall. Every frame lands on a big screen seconds after it's taken, so you're never guessing. You see your light, your pose and your expression as we work, we pick the keepers together, and anything that isn't working gets fixed on the spot, not discovered a week later.
It also changes how a session feels. When you can see that something looks good, you relax; when you relax, the pictures get better. It's the single biggest difference between a studio session and being photographed on a phone and hoping.
The tether cable gives us room to move, so Nani can shoot from just about anywhere in the room — including, occasionally, flat on the floor with the screen held up, as above — and you still see every frame as it lands.
Dressing room, vanity and lounge
Every session includes use of the dressing room before the shoot. There's a vanity mirror ringed with bulbs, a table to spread out wardrobe and makeup, and enough room to change and settle in without feeling rushed. If you're bringing your own makeup artist, just give us a heads-up in advance so the space is ready for them — we don't provide makeup services, but you're welcome to bring yours.
Outfits are yours — bring whatever feels like you, and don't worry about it being perfect. Misty helps you sort wardrobe before we shoot: what goes with what, what sits right on camera, what to swap in for the next look. She stays hands-on once you're on set, too. We don't stock props, but you're welcome to bring your own.
Next to the shooting area there's a lounge — a deep purple velvet couch under LED strip light — for sitting down between looks, warming up before you start, or just breathing for a minute if it's your first time in front of a camera. If you're picturing a cold, clinical photo studio, this is closer to a very well-lit creative den.
Want to film some behind-the-scenes? Bring your phone — we have a phone stand and you're welcome to record throughout. We can also turn that footage into a short reel for you (more on that under pricing).
The Polaroid wall
Above the vanity, under the neon, there's a framed wall of instant prints from sessions in the room. We shoot Polaroid on set as an add-on: real instant prints you take home the same day, alongside your digital gallery. If you're curious about the nerdy side, we wrote up exactly how we sync a Polaroid I-2 with studio strobes.
Take the studio tour
If you'd rather see it than read about it, here's a quick walk-through of the studio:
What we shoot here
A short, deliberate list — and nothing outside it:
- Portraits & headshots — editorial portraits and actor headshots, directed and fully coached.
- Boudoir — confident, cinematic sessions with a dressing room and a calm, private space.
- Couples — a studio hour for two, directed and fully coached.
- Dancers — pole, burlesque and stage, with room to move and a ceiling high enough for it.
- Artists & bands — press photos and EPKs for musicians in Long Beach and across LA.
Getting here from Long Beach, LA and OC
Because Signal Hill sits in the middle of Long Beach, you're close from just about anywhere in the city — Downtown, Belmont Shore, Belmont Heights, Bixby Knolls, Cal Heights, Naples — and the 405 and 710 are both about fifteen minutes away. It's also an easy trip from across LA County and Orange County, and you get a proper private studio without driving into central LA.
We send the full address, and any arrival notes, as soon as your date is confirmed.
What a session in the studio costs
| Package | Time | What's included | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half Hour Session | 30 min | A simple setup — great for headshots and quick portraits. 5 edited photos | $250 |
| Full Hour Session | 1 hour | Time for a few looks. 10 edited photos | $450 |
| The Full Treatment | 2 hours | More looks and more wardrobe changes. 25 edited photos | $750 |
Every session includes Nani photographing, Misty coaching posing and expression, use of the dressing room and tethered monitors. Add-ons are simple: additional edited photos are $15 each beyond the number included (you pick favorites after you see the gallery), a Polaroid pack is $75, a roll of medium format film is $95 (10–12 frames, scans delivered digitally), and a behind-the-scenes reel is $123 (raw footage plus an edited 30-second reel for Instagram or TikTok). A 50% deposit holds your date and the balance is due on the day of your shoot; payment plans are available for premium packages.
How to book
- Send an inquiry. Use the booking page — three quick questions, no long forms.
- We reply within 48 hours to talk through what you're after and lock in a date.
- Your 50% deposit holds the date. We send a Venmo request once your inquiry is confirmed, and the balance is due on the day of your shoot. The FAQ covers rescheduling and the rest of the policies.
- We send the address once it's confirmed. Show up, change, and we take it from there.
Photo studio FAQ
Our private studio is in Signal Hill, California — a small city completely surrounded by Long Beach, about fifteen minutes off the 405 and 710 with easy access from LA and Orange County. We send the exact address once your booking is confirmed.
The Half Hour Session is $250 for 30 minutes with 5 edited photos, the Full Hour Session is $450 for one hour with 10 edited photos, and The Full Treatment is $750 for two hours with 25 edited photos. Every session includes Nani photographing, Misty coaching posing and expression, use of the dressing room and tethered monitors. Additional edited photos are $15 each, a Polaroid pack is $75, a roll of medium format film is $95 and a behind-the-scenes reel is $123. A 50% deposit holds your date.
A shooting area with seamless paper backdrops (white, black and red hung and ready, with other colors on hand), studio lighting including a beauty dish with a honeycomb grid, tethered monitors on swing arms, a dressing room with a bulb-lit vanity mirror, a lounge with a purple velvet couch, and a Polaroid wall.
Yes. The camera is tethered to monitors on the studio wall, so you see each frame seconds after it's taken. We pick the keepers together as we go and fix anything that isn't working on the spot.
Yes. Every session includes use of the dressing room and its vanity mirror, and there's a lounge for waiting or resting between looks. You're welcome to bring your own makeup artist — just tell us in advance so the space is ready. We don't provide makeup services.
White, black and red seamless are hung and ready, and we keep other colors on hand — pink, purple, green and more. Mention what you're picturing when you book and we'll have it set up before you arrive.
Yes. Bring your phone — we have a phone stand — and record as much as you like. If you want a polished version, our behind-the-scenes reel add-on is $123: raw footage plus an edited 30-second reel for Instagram or TikTok.
We shoot primarily out of our private studio in Signal Hill. The controlled environment — the lighting, the backdrops, the setup — is what makes the photos look consistent and intentional.
