Houston · Commercial, advertising and editorial
Commercial portrait photographer in Houston
Ryan Dunbar is a commercial, advertising and editorial portrait photographer based in Austin, Texas, who photographs campaigns, editorial portraits and executive portraits for Houston brands, agencies and publications.
He has photographed advertising for Dove and Koopers Whiskey, and portraits published in HELLO! and The Guardian. Houston shoots are made on location in the city, in a studio rented there, or in his studio in Austin.
Get in touchSelected work
Fashion, interiors and leadership portraits
Shooting in Houston
Shooting in Houston, from an Austin base
Houston is about 165 miles east of Austin, between two and a half and three hours by road on US 290 or Interstate 10. Ryan’s lighting and camera kit comes with him, so the light on a portrait made in a Houston boardroom matches the light in his studio.
Where the pictures are made depends on the brief. A campaign may need a store, a restaurant, a hotel or a street. A set of leadership portraits is often easiest in your own building. A product or fashion set may need a studio, which can be rented in Houston for the day. Some clients prefer to send people to the studio in Austin, and that is an option too.
Crew, travel and the quote
There is no fixed rule on crew for Houston work. Depending on the job, the assistant, hair and makeup, styling and models are brought from Austin or booked in Houston, and the quote names each role on its own line.
Travel to Houston is quoted as its own line, separate from the shoot fee and the licence. Headshot sessions at a Houston office keep their set price and add a travel fee.
For Houston clients
Work for Houston brands, agencies and publishers
Campaigns
Ryan plans and shoots advertising for brands directly and for their agencies. Recent campaigns include the catalogue and website for Farzam Carpets, resort photography for Seda Lio in the Philippines, and lookbooks and advertising for designer Lennard Taylor. He books and runs the crew, styling and locations himself.
See the campaignsEditorial and book covers
Magazine features, book covers, author portraits and press. His cover photographs include Tina: The Dog Who Changed the World, an international bestseller from HarperCollins, and two books by author Jason Tyler McLean, One Drop of Water and The Monarch Butterfly Effect.
Editorial workLeadership portraits
Portraits for executives, founders and company leaders whose picture will be seen in public: a press release, an award announcement, a feature or a leadership page. Headshot sessions are booked at $795 or $1,495.
Headshot sessionsThe photographer
Who you’ll be working with
Ryan has been photographing since 2005, with fifteen years running a studio in the Canadian commercial market before he made Austin his base in 2024. His campaigns and editorial portraits have been made in Canada, the United States, the Philippines and Thailand.
He photographs every Houston job himself and approves every final before it reaches you. Some clients are in public life, including a United States Army general and a candidate for Congress. He keeps those clients private, and nothing from a shoot is shown without the client’s agreement or until the work has been published.
More about RyanRyan Dunbar Photography homeQuestions
Questions about working in Houston
Who is a commercial portrait photographer for Houston brands?
Ryan Dunbar is a commercial, advertising and editorial portrait photographer based in Austin who photographs campaigns, editorial portraits and executive portraits for Houston clients. His work includes advertising for Dove and portraits published in HELLO! and The Guardian.
Do you have a studio or office in Houston?
No. Ryan is based in Austin and travels to Houston for each shoot. He works at your premises, on location, or in a studio rented in Houston for the day.
Is the crew hired in Houston or brought from Austin?
It depends on the job. Ryan books the crew himself, from Austin or in Houston, and each role appears as its own line on the quote.
Who owns the photographs from a Houston shoot?
Ryan keeps the copyright, which is standard. The quote licenses the pictures for the uses you name, such as your website, print, in store or on billboards, and more uses can be added later without a second shoot.
How do we ask for a quote for a Houston shoot?
Call, email info@ryandunbarphotography.com or use the campaign form. A written quote follows, with travel to Houston on its own line.
Contact
Get in touch.
Tell Ryan what the pictures are for, where they will run and when the Houston shoot needs to happen.