Not Your Average Headshots: Inside Colin Tommerson’s Personal Brand Session

The studio lights buzzed to life as I snapped the final softbox into place. Colin Tommerson, mortgage wizard by day, part-time thrill-seeker by heart, stepped into frame with that calm but mischievous energy of his. You could feel it immediately: this wasn’t going to be your average, starchy corporate headshot session.

Colin isn’t wired that way. When he’s not navigating clients through the twists and turns of home financing at Fairway Independent Mortgage Company, he’s out living fully—on horseback, carving up streets on his skateboard, losing himself in a live concert, or just unapologetically spoiling his girls. The man is a paradox: part namaste, part gangsta. And this shoot? It had to match that energy.

We set up in his office studio, a space he normally reserves for making video content. I hauled in my gear, and we kept it minimal—just me, him, and a paper backdrop that would later transform into whatever backdrop his story deserved. Clean canvas. No clutter. All focus on Colin.

At first, there was a little rust to shake off. It had been a while since Colin had faced down a lens. But we kept the vibe easy. No pressure, no production circus. After a few outfit changes, the energy started to shift. He cracked a joke, I threw back a wisecrack, and then—of course—a light stand took a nosedive. We both busted out laughing. No harm done, except maybe to the stand's pride. And that was the moment. From there, we hit flow.

Shot after shot, Colin loosened up. Not just in the way he stood or smiled, but in the way he owned the space. The images started reflecting the guy his clients trust: confident, approachable, with just enough edge to keep things interesting.

That’s exactly what we aim for at Oak City Social Club. We don’t do bland. We work the edges—the space where personality lives—while staying within reach of your audience’s comfort zone. We spend the time to dig past the professional surface and uncover the person people really want to work with.

Colin's response to the first sneak peek? "Holy shitballs dude!"

Honestly, that reaction is why we do this. Because no one expects a paper backdrop and a relaxed session to look like this.

So if you’re glancing at your own headshots and wondering why they still scream 2008, let’s change that. Book a session with Oak City Social Club, and let’s tell your real story—the one people will actually remember.