// About

Built for one job — the first time someone sees you on paper.

The First Headshot is a focused photography service for students applying to high-stakes positions — ERAS residency, law firm interviews, MBA recruiting, and competitive internships. One package, one price, one job: the photo that doesn't get in the way of the rest of your application.

Most professional headshot studios aren't built for students.

Walk into a typical premium headshot studio in the DC Metro area and you'll find $525 entry packages, three-tier pricing structures, hour-long sessions, and a long menu of add-ons. That model is designed for executives and senior professionals — and it works well for them.

It works less well for a 22-year-old applying to McKinsey or a third-year medical student submitting to ERAS. They don't need ninety minutes and four outfits. They need one good photo, fast, at a price they can actually justify — for the application going out next week.

The First Headshot was built to fill that specific gap. One session length. One deliverable. One price. Nothing else. The product is deliberately narrow because the audience is specific — students whose careers turn on the photo attached to their first real application.

A working photographer — not a side project.

The First Headshot is run by Marquel Forbes, a professional headshot photographer who has been photographing DC Metro professionals full-time for years before launching this brand for students.

7+
// Years experience
Full-time professional headshot photography in the DC Metro area, working with executives, attorneys, and corporate teams.
500+
// Headshots delivered
Professional sessions completed for clients across Northern Virginia and Washington DC — every level from associate to C-suite.
5.0
// Google rating
Average rating across professional client reviews, with repeat-client engagements at institutions including Georgetown Law.

One photographer. Two specialized studios.

The same person operates both — but they serve different audiences with different products at different price points. Most students never need the other one. Some eventually will.

// You're here

The First Headshot.

// For students & high-stakes applicants

Built for the moment someone sees you on paper for the first time. ERAS, law firm directories, MBA recruiting, internship applications. One product, one price, no tiers.

Session 20 minutes
Price $199
Delivers 1 retouched photo
For Application headshots
thefirstheadshot.com
// When you're ready

Marquel Yvette Photography

// For executives, attorneys, & corporate teams

The premium studio. Longer sessions, multiple outfits, professional makeup, magazine-quality retouching. For when your headshot is doing more than getting you in the door.

Session 20 – 90 minutes
Price $525 – $2,195
Delivers 2 – 10 retouched photos
For Executive & personal branding
marquelyvette.com
// Ready when you are

A first impression that lasts longer than the photo.

The photo will get replaced every two or three years as your career changes. The impression it makes — the one a hiring manager forms in the first second of looking at it — that stays. Make sure it's working for you the first time.