I worked with Ars Nova and Joe to get some last minute headshots and it was a great experience. He was responsive, organized, and has a great eye for portraits. We were able to schedule an appointment for the photos within 48 hours of me reaching out. During the appointment he helped me evaluate which outfit worked better and to figure out a good pose. We then selected the best photos afterwards. I really appreciated how professional and easy to work with he was. Great experience! read more

Very responsive via email, great studio setup, took plenty of shots and worked with me to pick the best. Overall very happy with the photos and the experience! read more

Joe was easy to contact and provided all information I needed in prep for the appointment. Was very pleased with the outcome and I would highly recommend. read more

Thank you Yelpers!! Without your recommendations I never would have found Joe. The guy is great. In my case, he took sows ears and turned them into a silk purse. In an hour Joe had taken over 60 shots. He and I worked to reduce the number to five. By the time I got home they were in my in-box. Excellent, work, quick, reasonable price. I am a very happy customer. read more

Joe is phenomenal. He takes photos in the comfort of his beautiful townhome. He was easy to coordinate with. My company had hired him to take our professional headshots and we were all extremely impressed. He makes the process seamless and places you at ease. It is clear he is skillful and enjoys what he does! The turnaround time was extremely quick (~24 hours) and he made me look years younger! (just kidding, it looked naturally touched up). I would refer him to anyone who asks! He should consider doing wedding photography ;-) read more

I had a great experience with Ars Nova Images when I needed a headshot for work. Joe was responsive about scheduling and our appointment was easy and efficient. He listened closely when I explained what it was I wanted and helped me pose effectively to achieve the desired result. He went through the images with me so I could select the best ones for editing. Highly recommend! read more

I found it surprisingly difficult to find a photographer to do a professional head shot that would do the shoot, retouch the photos, and simply give me the digital photos with which to do as I pleased. Some places were "too artsy" and wanted me to pay $1,000-2,000 for a session and have to buy the prints through them. Other options were "too simple," or also required you to purchase prints through them, etc. Ars Nova Images is the perfect combination of the two. You get quick, professional work. Plus, you pay a reasonable fee for as little or as much retouching as you like. The downtown DC location was also convenient. Joe was very easy to work with, suggesting a variety of poses and postures. My work was also done in a very timely manner. Best of all, I was able to simply download my high-resolution images to use as I please. If you're looking for reasonably priced professional photos, done right, without the hassle of other services, Ars Nova Images is definitely a great choice. read more

If you are looking for top quality, don't look any further Ars Nova provided our firm with the highest-quality headshots in the DC area. Joe's professionalism and photography skills are outstanding. read more

I needed a formal business and a casual business headshot and I followed people's advice on here to contact Joe @ Ars Nova. I am very glad I did! The shoot was smooth and entailed his ideas and suggestions as well as my own. I'm very happy with the results and the price was right on the spot. I'll definitely be going back when I need updated shots! Oh and he had the touch-ups done ridiculously fast, within two hours. I'm sure he can't do that every time, but still his speed and efficiency are definitely to be commended. In addition to the touch-ups, you get access to the entire gallery of photos which is great. His set up is great as well, as soon as he snaps the photo he hands you an iPad where the photos pop up and you can make instant decisions on what you like and don't like. Very cool! read more

Ars Nova Images Headshot Studio - Session Photography Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Ars Nova and Joe are fantastic! I conducted an extensive search for headshot photographers in the DC area. Even though it was a modest distance from where I live (in Rockville), I chose Ars Nova. I contacted Joe about setting up an appointment, and I was in his studio later that week, which is a 5-minute walk from the Navy Yard/Ballpark metro station. I knocked on the door, and he opened it and greeted me with a warm smile. And when Joe welcomes you into his studio, he's also welcoming you into his home, as he uses the first floor of his house as his studio (which also helps keep his costs down). Joe has a great iterative process that makes it easy to shoot and choose the right images. If you try a few shots with one background, and decide to change it, you can do that. If you'd like some shots with a different pose or facial expression, Joe can accommodate that. After you take a bunch of shots, he'll go through them one by one with you to decide which ones to keep. And if you want to ask some friends or colleagues for advice about which one(s) to get retouched (beyond the basic retouching that is done on all of the keeper shots), no problem. Everything on his website is 100% accurate: from the prices (no hidden fees), to the fast turn-around time, to the unlimited keeper images, to the link to the private gallery that's sent to you for downloading. Overall, Joe seems genuinely interested in giving his clients an excellent set of headshots at a good price, and he's a real pleasure to work with. Getting those headshots taken was such a great investment! I'll be sure to think of Joe first if I ever have a need for more headshots, and I'm sure I'll be referring friends and colleagues to him for a long time to come. Thanks again Joe for your service, professionalism, and friendly demeanor! read more

Joe @ Ars Nova Images does amazing headshots. He did the one that I have on my profile. He is very professional, he helped me with hair and clothing choices, and was great at making me feel comfortable. Which is HUGE because I hate having my photo taken. He made it SO much fun! I would highly recommend Ars Nova Images if you're looking for a headshot photo. read more

I was browsing Yelp and came across Ars Nova. I had a few hours to kill while waiting for my flight back -- I was in DC for a short business trip -- and was so impressed by the website and Yelp comments that I figured "what the heck, I could use a head shot." Joe was incredible. He should be the role model for how all business should happen in the 21st century -- and I think it is so fitting that the business is called "Ars Nova." (New Arts) From scheduling to shooting and delivery, the process was as smooth and hassle-free. I was in and out of there in under 2 hours, made my plane, and by the time I was home I had incredible shots. I look forward to using them for years to come. Thank you Joe! read more

I was looking for a head shot for publications and press books and needed one pretty quickly - I emailed Joe on Tuesday and had everything done by Thursday afternoon. The shoot itself was easy and Joe spent much more time than I was anticipating helping to get a great look and shot together. Afterwards, we spent a while going through every shot and picking out the best ones, which were quickly uploaded to an easy to use site. We picked one photo to retouch, but Joe actually sent me three versions of it with different backgrounds. I had a head shot done by a more expensive photographer one week prior in NYC and the results were absolute garbage, nothing that I would want sitting next to my name in public. Joe was a real professional and it showed that he actually cared about his work. He was very friendly as well, and made the whole process as easy as could be. I would highly recommend his services, and will call him again next time I need some work done! read more

Joe at Ars Nova Images is fantastic! I'd give six stars if I could!! I needed a quality headshot for upcoming public events. Joe really took time to get the shots just right, communicating about the process and showing the shots along the way. After the shoot, we spend time going through each image to pick the best and Joe's got a great process for selecting that one. He also emailed the other favorites from the session. All same day turnaround from a late afternoon session! Very impressed, great pricing, easy to work with - I'd recommend Ars Nova to anyone looking for high quality photography. read more

I would recommend using this service to anyone that asks!! Joe is a talented photographer, very easy to work with, and professional with his business. The photos came out looking great, Joe is very good at suggesting positioning and giving feedback during the shoot itself. He also was great in helping to identify which photos came out looking the best to fit my goals. The entire process was very professional and exactly what I was looking for. Joe delivered a great product, was accommodating and responsive and his prices are more than fair. read more

Thank you Joe for helping me meet a very short deadline. This was absolutely the easiest appointment set-up, contract signing, and payment possible. I was most impressed with how quickly Joe responded to my emails and was able to take my picture and provide me with a final touch-up photo in less than two hours. Taking the photos and choosing the shots took less than 45 minutes and Joe completed the photo touch-up within the hour. After a few shots Joe would show me where we were at with my photos on an iPad. I believe from the moment I walked into his studio until I received a link with the final photos was less than two hours. Terrific services! Joe was not only friendly but made me feel very comfortable and had a lot of great tips for getting the right shot. He took about 150 shots and we narrowed them down to 15 photos and the best two photos for final touch-up. This is the guy to go to for headshots! read more

As someone who is, well, not terribly photogenic--I dread such things. But my existing corporate headshot was awful, and after using it for a year, I decided to try for a better one. Boy am I glad I did. Joe is amazing--his whole approach is designed to put you at ease and to work with you to bring out the best possible looks for you. He's inventive and suggests different approaches, but also listens to your ideas and is completely open to trying anything. Multiple times I said " this may not work, but I'd just like to see how it looks" - he would work on the idea and add new ideas. By the time we were done, I felt completely satisfied that no stone had been left unturned and that we had absolutely found the best possible shots. And the resulting photos he delivered that same evening were just stunning. If you need a professional headshot, look no further! read more

I was in Dallas and needed some professional pictures. I reviewed all the wonderful comments made by other users and they were all spot on. I emailed him from Texas requesting a shoot on Christmas Eve (the only day and time that could fit my hectic Christmas schedule). Within mins , and I mean mins of me emailing him he quickly responded back confirming the 24th was good to go and the rest is history. He is the ONLY person to respond back to my email inquiries in a timely manor--I still have not heard from the rest. He is extremely professional and runs a 5 star business. From the initial email to the last email on Christmas day he was extremely helpful. I will never go elsewhere for professional pictures. I will never go anywhere else for photos and will recommend Ars Nova to anyone looking for photos. Thank you for your professionalism. read more

I know (I mean, I really know) how tempting it is to dismiss a complete 5 star review out of hand...how easy it is to think that it must be rigged in some way. And, in many cases, sure, I'm willing to join you in cynicism, but not this time. I had heard Joe's name mentioned in passing in a shoot for which I had to sign a(n) NDA so no more info about that here. But, because of that, I looked him up and saw the Yelp reviews and others. He is well worth every star he is given. (And, yes, I was taken slightly aback when he looked to be in the vicinity of the age of my mid-20s kid,) But, even though he has makeup artists with whom he has worked, he was more than willing to accommodate the schedule of the MUA with whom I was already comfortable. He more than happily worked with the schedule of a struggling actress who had (pretty much) last minute conflicts. He is happy (or if not genuinely happy, fakes it REALLY REALLY well) to work with your schedule. He kept in touch with me as my schedule(s) changed so he could meet my needs as they changed. On to the day of the shoot itself. I kinda feel that I'm nearing the point at which people's eyes start to glaze over when reading reviews, so.....we'll just go with: * this bullet point has changed places at least a dozen times during this review...I am a plus-sized 50-something (that's all you get, deal) woman. I never felt in any way dismissed or overlooked or in any way less than a person who deserved the best that he could give (and, if you are meet either and/or both of those criteria, you know how much that means) * he gives direction on how to pose really well. * he keeps you apprised as the shoot moves along how the images he has taken are looking * he has a terrific way of giving his opinion while respecting yours when it comes to narrowing down your final shots. * (the other point that has moved around somewhat) he does both corporate and acting headshots which, while they do overlap in some ways, do have different focuses and he understands that beautifully. * And, as others have noted, by the end of the night of the same day as the shoot, I had a link to the completed images as well as the runners up. Great job, Joe. PS Yelp gives you the opportunity of choosing pictures that you feel are representative of his work. I have deliberately NOT chosen one, as I feel that personal photographs are deeply subjective (which reminds me that while not every picture was worthy of *keeping* (he took almost 300), there were only a couple that I thought "Oh, God,NO"...and they were mostly a really stupid matter of timing (eyes closed, adjusting a top mid-shoot)... most of them were "Geez, I need to hire him to just follow me around and take pictures.") read more

Joe is awesome. He's a really nice guy and he does great work. I needed a professional shot for a new job, and I'll preface this by saying I am not comfortable in front of a camera. Joe immediately put me at ease with his relaxed but professional style and he did a great job of managing the shoot without being overly controlling or pushy. He took over 100 photos, which he helped me cull down to 5-10 options for the final shot. I emailed him late that night selecting a photo for retouching, and the retouched photo was in my inbox early the next morning. Excellent customer service, and a very reasonable price (I shopped around for a while). Highly recommended. read more

Joe was extremely accommodating to my schedule and got the contract/admin part of the deal taken care of quickly. He didn't bat an eye when I had to bring my 5 year old daughter with me to the shoot at the last minute. He even took a few pictures of the two of us together at the end, which my daughter loved. My headshots came out great and I was in and out within an hour. I had the retouched images by the end of the day (a Saturday). Good price. Highly recommend. read more

Ars Nova Images is a stellar, stellar service for an amazing price. Joe is extraordinarily talented, highly professional, and sets you completely at ease. From initial email to finished product - the whole process was a pleasure and a breeze. His studio and setup are great, and it's quite obvious that Joe is strongly invested in ensuring that you walk out of his studio with a headshot you are happy with. He quickly grasped the feel I was going for, and gave excellent feedback during the photoshoot - including using his iPad to let you see the shots every few minutes so you can continually adjust what you are doing. He also has a great process to help you narrow down your favorites - and it never felt like he was rushing me even though we had a lot of shots to compare. His turnaround time for retouching is quite fast as well. Superb service, start to finish. I could not recommend Joe LeBlanc at Ars Nova Images more highly! read more

I agree completely with the other reviewers who raved about Joe's work at Ars Nova. He did a great job on short notice, and made me feel comfortable, both with the photo shoot and choosing a head shot to use. Also just a short walk from the Metro (Navy Yard/Nats Park). I plan to recommend him to my friends, although then it might be harder for me to get in next time! read more

I was traveling when I learned I needed a "corporate" portrait, and Joe did an excellent job. He has a high tech set up that allowed us to review and compare photos instantly on a tablet as we went along. So the photos improved to the point where the last ones were really excellent. We then went through all 100 shots on a big screen, making it quick and easy to choose the best. Joe is easy to work with, and the process and results were thoroughly professional. Very highly recommended. read more

I could not be happier with Ars Nova. Joe, the owner and photographer, came to our office to shoot headshots for 11 people. He was fast, professional, and everyone was thrilled with the results. The whole process from start to finish was fantastic. I can't recommend highly enough. read more

Joe's great. He gives great direction - confident, fast, not too pushy, keeps things moving but not rushed, and doesn't stop until you feel satisfied that you've gotten a good shot. The images are the highest quality, and made me look way better than IRL. Proofs arrived the day of the shooting, and touch-ups within a day of selecting favorite shots. The finishing touch-ups were spot on: subtle & natural. I highly recommend Ars Nova for headshots. read more

My husband and I both did headshots with Ars Nova, and were equally pleased. I tend not to take good posed shots, however, Joe's method and photography skill created an array of beautiful, crisp, highly professional images. I sat for the images in the morning, and by that afternoon, I already had my final, retouched shots delivered to my inbox. If you are looking for quality, professional headshots, this is the place to go! read more

ARS Nova (Joe) did excellent work for my company - he was very responsive, professional, and did a wonderful job of taking great headshots. We hired him for an onsite shoot and he surpassed my expectations - he took the time to look at the location and plan the shoot. He came 30 minutes early the day of the shoot. Everyone was impressed by the outcome. I cannot say enough about how great everything turned out- I'm really picky about quality and service and he was able to deliver on both. His fees are very competitive and worth every penny. read more

Wow! Words cannot describe how wonderful Joseph is! He is truly a professional and knows what he is doing! He has a beautiful studio that has the latest equipment. As soon as you take a photo, it pops up on the ipad and the desktop. He works with you to find your best pose/best side and since the photos show up immediately on the ipad, you can easily tweak certain things to capture your best smile. Then he goes through the 100+ images you took to select the best picture with his awesome ranking system. Then you finally select "the one" and he retouches the image. The turn around time is fast- 24 hours for an edited headshot. I will definitely be referring more clients to Joseph! You will not be disappointed. read more

I was looking for a basic professional headshot, so I went to Ars Nova during the headshot special. The location of the studio, in downtown DC, was very convenient. Joe was easy to work with and had a lot of ideas on poses and such. When all was said and done, I got my pictures taken, color-balanced, and one photo retouched in the same day. Photos were uploaded to a website for download. I would definitely recommend Ars Nova for professional work with reasonable price and quick turnaround. read more

I highly recommend Ars Nova for any of your headshot needs. I could not be happier with my experience. I went to Ars Nova to get acting headshots after reading the positive reviews on Yelp and Google. The photography did not disappoint! Joe was a fantastic photographer - working with backgrounds, lighting, and poses to give me a huge selection of fantastic photos to choose from. Between sets of photos, I could also view the pictures on an iPad to see what I liked and what I didn't, so that I could adapt my poses and get an even bigger selection of "good" pictures. He provided constant feedback and made the experience comfortable and easy, while still remarkably effective. When the headshot session was over, we went through all the pictures to compare them against each other and choose the top headshots and, finally, my favorite headshot of the day. On top of it all, the price, convenient location, and quick turnaround could not be beat. I got my headshots taken in the afternoon and received a gallery of the best pictures, a retouch on my favorite picture, and 4x6 and 8x10 prints of my favorite picture by later that evening. read more

From start to finish, I had a DREAM experience working with Joe! During scheduling, he was extremely responsive (emailing back within minutes), and exceptionally accommodating of my busy schedule (willing to hold my shoot on a Sunday morning). During the shoot itself, he provided clear directions re: posing, and instantaneous feedback on how the images were looking. (As the shoot progresses, you view the photos on his computer to allow you to make any desired adjustments.) After shooting, he is extremely generous, and lets you keep all of the "runner up" images that don't make your final cut. My final images were stunning, and I received the retouched images that same day. His prices are very reasonable. I highly recommend Joe to anyone in need of a corporate/professional headshot! read more

Joe is SO EXTREMELY talented, professional and makes you feel comfortable. I am the art director at work and one of my jobs is to find and coordinate employee head shots. I've used a couple other companies in the past which were fine, but Joe is far superior. And he is quick and lets you choose your photo on the spot and give you 3 different sizes for different media needs. You will not regret hiring Joe, he is THE BEST. If I ever change jobs, I will still use him for my portrait needs. read more

I highly recommend Joe! I've got headshots done 3 times in the past and Joe is by-far the best -- and the costs were comparable. He's very detailed oriented and put in a lot of effort to make sure my hair, shirt, etc. looked good, as well as to find good angles early on. Also, he really knows what you need in terms of a corporate headshot. He gives you versions of the picture to match backgrounds from your firm, as well as different zooms and sizes for linked-in. I really appreciate not having to deal with any of that and to have a great set of pictures to choose from for whatever work occasion I need one! read more

Joe did a great job! I was impressed with how detail-oriented he was to make sure I got the best shot possible.

Brilliant Photographer. Envisionary Mindset. Overall Super-Nice Guy! I came in to Joe as a somewhat challenging customer, one not really knowing what I wanted. My purpose was not for business/networking etc, just for fun. Despite having/giving no direction of what I wanted, Joe managed to take the reigns and came up with his own idea. The overall result: I couldn't have been more pleased! It's like he read my mind. I am all for supporting local businesses that offer that little something extra, if you share that same sentiment, Joe is absolutely your man! read more

Very pleased with my experience with Ars Nova Images. The picture taking process took exactly 38 minutes from the time I walked in the door to the time I walked out of the door. The studio was easy to find and there was metered parking really close by. I got the retouched picture the same day. So, all in all, everything was very convenient. (The photography and lighting, which were great, speak for themselves.) read more

Once again I found another great professional on Yelp. Joe is a super nice guy (even if he is a U of Michigan Grad). He welcomed me into his studio and you immediately get the sense that photography is his passion. He has all of the lighting setup in his studio and really works to get what you want. I really liked how he used his iPad to speed the process of selection photos. He did retouching and worked with me until I was happy. I thought he went above and beyond. Most of all his prices are very reasonable. I would highly recommend him. read more

Joe LeBlanc at Ars Nova Images is professional, talented, sincere, attentive to detail and highly responsive. I had called Joe on a Friday and needed a head shot right away. Joe was accommodating in scheduling and was willing to schedule the shoot for Saturday morning. Joe is a talented photographer with a passion and desire to be the best at what he does and he also wants his clients to be seen at their best. Joe's creativity and attention to detail was evident in the set up of the lighting and in his many suggestions for poses during the shoot to get the right angle and tilt of the face and body. Joe approached the shoot collaboratively and turned around the photos as well as the retouched photo within hours of our shoot. His fees are extremely reasonable for the quality, talent, professionalism, and responsiveness that he provides his clients. Highly recommended! read more

Great experience. Least expensive option, he took me the same day I contacted him, very professional, helped me customize the product for exactly what I was looking for. His home studio is extremely conveniently located by metro or car (I-395 / I-295 in SW DC). He even turned around the images the same day he took the photos. I'm very impressed. read more