Who Is Peter Hurley?

If you have ever searched for advice on how to look better in photos, there is a good chance you have come across the name Peter Hurley. He is the most recognized headshot photographer in the world, and for good reason. His journey from competitive sailor and fashion model to the undisputed authority on headshot photography is one of the most fascinating stories in the industry. As someone who holds both Associate and Mentor status in his Headshot Crew program, I want to share who Peter Hurley is, why he matters, and what these designations truly mean.

From Olympic Sailing to the Camera

Peter Hurley's path to photography was anything but conventional. After graduating from Boston University in 1993, he spent his summers the way he always had: racing sailboats. That August he won a National Championship and made the decision to train for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

While training full time, a friend connected him with designers at Ralph Lauren who were looking for real sailors to model in a Polo Sport advertising campaign. His images appeared around the world, and that shoot changed the trajectory of his life. It was on that set that he met legendary fashion photographer Bruce Weber, who would become a friend and eventual mentor.

When Hurley did not make the 1996 US Sailing Team, he pivoted to modeling. He appeared in campaigns for Polo Sport and Abercrombie & Fitch, and designer Donna Karan took notice. DKNY sponsored him for his next Olympic bid. He dropped everything and went back to training, this time for the Sydney 2000 Games. He is a proud member of the 2000 United States Sailing Team.

It was during this chapter that Bruce Weber encouraged him to start photographing sailboats. After the Olympic trials, Hurley bought his first professional camera. He started shooting whatever came his way: his modeling friends, a commercial job for Reebok, and eventually actors who needed headshots. A career was born.

Becoming "The Headshot King"

Over the years, Peter Hurley did not just get good at headshots. He redefined the entire genre. His signature style of landscape-oriented headshots on a clean white background, often with the top of the head cropped out, became the gold standard. It was a radical departure from the soft-focus, over-retouched headshots that dominated the industry before him.

Popular Photography magazine dubbed him "The Headshot King." He won Backstage Magazine's Best Headshot Photographer in New York multiple times. His client list reads like a Who's Who. He has captured the essence of over 30,000 individuals, from business executives and aspiring actors to celebrities and former presidents. Notable subjects include Chris Matthews, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and the entire cast of the television series Lost.

His peers recognize him as the foremost authority on headshot photography, a reputation solidified by his acclaimed book The Headshot, which hit number one in photography books on Amazon upon its release in 2015.

The Squinch Heard Around the World

If Peter Hurley is known for one thing beyond his photography, it is the Squinch. In 2013, he uploaded a 15-minute YouTube video explaining a subtle facial adjustment he had been coaching his clients on for years. The technique involves slightly narrowing the eyes, specifically lifting the lower eyelids, to create an expression that conveys confidence and approachability rather than the wide-eyed "deer in the headlights" look that plagues so many portraits.

"Squinch" was a classic Hurleyism, a made-up word for something he had been trying to explain to clients for years. The video exploded. Within a week, it hit half a million views. ABC News picked it up. It was featured in news outlets worldwide. Today, his two most popular videos, "It's All About the Squinch" and "It's All About the Jaw," have amassed more than eight million combined views.

The cultural impact went even further. The term "squinch" was scripted into an episode of the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black. People around the world, from teenagers taking selfies to Fortune 500 executives preparing for corporate headshots, started practicing the technique. It became a genuine cultural phenomenon, all because a photographer in New York figured out how to articulate something most people feel but cannot name: the difference between looking uncertain and looking confident.

A Canon Explorer of Light

Peter Hurley's expertise earned him one of the highest recognitions in photography: designation as a Canon Explorer of Light. This elite group represents Canon's most influential visual storytellers, and membership is by invitation only. It placed Hurley among the most accomplished photographers in the world, spanning genres from wildlife and landscape to sports and portraiture.

As an Explorer of Light, Hurley gained an even larger platform to share his techniques and philosophy with photographers and the general public alike.

PsyPhotology: Where Psychology Meets Photography

One of Peter's most innovative contributions to the field came from an unlikely collaboration. Through his work speaking at Microsoft, he met Dr. Anna Rowley, a psychologist. Together they noticed something that most photographers ignore: the profound psychological discomfort most people experience in front of a camera.

In 2013, they co-founded PsyPhotology, a discipline that blends psychology with photography to help people overcome their fear of the camera. Their TEDx talk at MIT, titled "Bridging the Self-Acceptance Gap," explored a powerful insight. During one of Peter's editing sessions, a woman turned to her husband and said she could not stand her own face. That woman happened to be Miss Universe. Everyone, Peter and Anna argued, has a gap between how the world perceives them and how they perceive themselves. The only thing that varies is the size of that gap.

This research fundamentally shaped how Peter coaches his subjects. What makes his headshots consistently better than the competition is not lighting or lens choice alone. It is his ability to make people feel like the best version of themselves. He instills confidence in his subjects, and that confidence shows up in the photograph. Every genuine smile, every relaxed jaw, every subtle squinch comes from a person who feels seen, comfortable, and worthy.

National Television, Major Publications, and the United Nations

Peter Hurley's influence extends well beyond the photography community. He has appeared on national television programs including Good Morning America, Nightline, and Good Day NY, where he shared advice on how a headshot can make or break a career. He even had a stint on Donald Trump's The Apprentice, where he served as the photographer for a Levi's-related challenge, bringing his expertise directly to the contestants competing on the show. His expertise has been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, including a widely-read piece on crafting the perfect LinkedIn headshot.

He has delivered keynote speeches and workshops at Google, Apple, and Microsoft, teaching their employees and leadership teams how to present themselves authentically on camera. He has spoken on the TEDx stage, appeared on more than 36 podcasts, and inspired students at high schools across the country.

In May 2024, Peter received the Professional Photographer Achievement Award from the International Photographic Council at a ceremony held at the United Nations, celebrating 50 years of photography excellence. The honor acknowledged his impact not only as a photographer but as an educator and leader within the global photography community.

The Headshot Crew: Building an Industry

Perhaps Peter Hurley's most lasting contribution to the profession is the Headshot Crew, which he founded to share his techniques with photographers around the world. What started as an online instructional platform has grown into the largest network of headshot specialists on the planet, with over 15,000 members worldwide.

The Headshot Crew is not a casual Facebook group or a loose online community. It is a structured, rigorous coaching program with daily Zoom sessions, hours of instructional video, portfolio reviews, photography contests, and direct access to Peter and his team of mentors. Members commit to continuous improvement and hold each other to the highest standards.

Within the Headshot Crew, there is a clear hierarchy that reflects a photographer's skill level, dedication, and contribution to the community. Understanding this hierarchy is important because it represents years of training, thousands of critiqued images, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

What It Means to Be a Headshot Crew Associate

Becoming a Headshot Crew Associate Photographer is one of the most difficult achievements in headshot photography. Out of 15,000-plus members, only about 183 photographers worldwide have earned this distinction.

The path to Associate status is long and demanding. You cannot simply apply. You must be an active Platinum-level member of the Headshot Crew to even be considered. Most photographers who pursue Associate status will work closely with a Headshot Crew Mentor to refine their portfolio before presenting it to Peter for his judgment.

When Peter reviews your portfolio, he evaluates your images live during a CrewCast, a broadcast where he critiques your work in front of the entire community. He must approve at least 15 of your images. There is no room for "good enough." Every image must demonstrate consistent technical excellence, masterful use of light, genuine human connection, and the ability to bring out a subject's best self. It is a long and difficult road, and many photographers work for years before they reach the standard Peter requires.

Associate Photographers are the photographers Peter trusts to represent his brand and his standards. When referrals come through the Headshot Crew from clients who need headshots in a specific city or region, it is the Associates who receive those referrals. Peter stakes his personal reputation on every Associate, which is why the vetting process is so thorough.

There are two tiers within Associate status. Legacy-level Associates achieved the requirements at some point in the past. Platinum-level Associates, currently only 87 worldwide, maintain their standing through ongoing improvement and regular testing against the community's continually evolving standards. They do not rest on past achievements. They keep shooting, keep submitting, and keep getting better.

What It Means to Be a Headshot Crew Mentor

If Associate status represents the pinnacle of photographic achievement within the Headshot Crew, Mentor status represents something even more rare: the pinnacle of leadership and service.

Mentors are hand-picked by Peter Hurley himself from the pool of Associate Photographers. You cannot apply for it. You cannot campaign for it. Mentor status requires more than being helpful to the Crew. Peter has to be a genuine fan of your work. You cannot earn this title by simply being a nice person or a friend to Peter. You have to be an outstanding photographer first. Beyond that, Mentors are people who have been helpful not only to the community but to Peter personally, demonstrating the kind of dedication and leadership he trusts at the highest level of his organization.

Every Mentor is first an Associate, meaning they have already proven their technical mastery through the same rigorous portfolio review process. But Mentors take it further. They volunteer their time to run review sessions, guide newer members, answer questions, provide critique, and raise the overall standard of the community. They are the backbone of the Headshot Crew's daily operations, leading Zoom sessions five days a week on all aspects of the creative career, from lighting and posing to editing, workflow, and business development.

The number of Mentors in the Headshot Crew is deliberately small. Peter does not hand out this title lightly. These are the photographers he trusts not only to represent his standard of work but to teach it, nurture it, and pass it on to the next generation of headshot photographers.

Why This Matters for My Clients

I hold both Associate and Mentor status in Peter Hurley's Headshot Crew. I am one of only a handful of women worldwide to hold the Mentor title. Peter has affectionately named me the "Crew Mom" of the Headshot Crew, a title that reflects not just my role as a mentor and teacher, but the way I look out for the community and the people in it. You can learn more about my story and background here.

What does that mean for you as a client?

It means that the techniques I use during your headshot session are not self-taught tips I picked up from a weekend workshop. They come from years of direct training under the person widely recognized as the best headshot photographer in the world. The way I coach your expression, the way I position your jaw, the way I use light to sculpt your face, the way I create an environment where you feel confident and at ease. All of it traces back to the Headshot Crew standard that Peter Hurley established, and that I have spent years mastering.

It means my work has been reviewed, critiqued, and approved by Peter Hurley personally. Not once as a formality, but repeatedly through the ongoing standards that Platinum Associates and Mentors are held to. My portfolio did not just meet the bar. It continues to meet a bar that keeps rising.

It means that when Peter Hurley's studio receives a request for headshots in the Cincinnati, Ohio or Northern Kentucky area, my name is on the referral list. Clients who go to Peter Hurley directly get connected to me because he trusts me to deliver the same caliber of work his New York and Los Angeles studio is known for.

And it means that I am not just practicing these techniques. I am teaching them. As a Mentor, I help train other photographers from around the world in Peter's methodology. I review their portfolios, provide critique, and push them to reach the same standard I was pushed to reach. Teaching at this level forces you to understand the craft at a depth that simply taking photos never could.

The Peter Hurley Difference in Your Headshot

When you book a session with a Peter Hurley-trained photographer, you are getting more than someone who knows how to operate a camera. You are getting the benefit of a system that has been refined over two decades by the most recognized headshot photographer alive.

Peter's philosophy has always been that the technical side of photography (the lighting, the lens, the background) is only half the equation. The other half is the human connection between photographer and subject. His PsyPhotology work with Dr. Rowley proved what he had instinctively understood for years: people photograph best when they feel their best. The confidence a photographer instills in their subject is what separates a forgettable headshot from one that stops a casting director in their tracks or makes a hiring manager pick up the phone.

That philosophy is baked into every session I do. Whether you are a corporate executive updating your LinkedIn profile, an actor preparing for audition season, or a company bringing your entire team in for brand-consistent headshots, the goal is the same: to capture the version of you that the world needs to see.

A Legacy That Keeps Growing

Peter Hurley's impact on headshot photography cannot be overstated. He took a genre that was often treated as an afterthought, the simple portrait against a plain background, and elevated it into an art form with its own techniques, its own vocabulary, and its own global community of specialists.

From racing sailboats in preparation for the Olympics to modeling for Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie & Fitch, from his viral YouTube videos to his TEDx talk at MIT, from his number-one bestselling book to his honor at the United Nations, Peter Hurley has built a career that is as unconventional as it is extraordinary.

And through the Headshot Crew, he has ensured that his legacy is not limited to the headshots he personally takes. It lives in the work of every Associate and Mentor he has trained. Photographers around the world who carry his standards, his techniques, and his belief that every person who steps in front of a camera deserves to see the best version of themselves looking back.

I am honored to be part of that legacy, and I bring every bit of that training to every session I photograph here in Cincinnati.

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Ready to experience the Peter Hurley standard for yourself? Book your headshot session with Kim Dalton, Peter Hurley Headshot Crew Mentor and Associate, serving Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and the entire tri-state area.