Michael Schacht and 312 Elements in Chicago
Michael Schacht is a Chicago based photographer and the founder of 312 Elements, a headshot studio in the Fulton Market area. He focuses on headshots, portraits, and personal branding images for professionals, performers, and business clients who need reliable, consistent work. You can find more about his studio at 312 Elements, and a little bit more about him personally.
Alongside his studio work, Schacht teaches and mentors photographers across the United States, helping them improve both their craft and their business. He runs Headshot Hotsauce, a marketing group for photographers, mentors within Peter Hurley’s Headshot Crew, and serves as Editor in Chief of The Scoop, a photography industry publication.
He was born in Chicago and spent part of his early life on the South Side before moving to Indiana. He later studied at Ball State University. Photography was not the original plan. He started with drawing and painting, and that background still shows up in how he thinks about light and composition. Photography began as a side project in 2009 and became full time work a year later.
His studio is in the West Loop, in the broader Fulton Market area. It is a part of the city that has changed a lot over the years, shifting from industrial use to a mix of offices, restaurants, and creative businesses. It is also a place where many professionals need strong, current images.
His work is often black and white. He prefers it that way, focusing on contrast and tone instead of color, which keeps attention on expression and structure. That approach is consistent across his portfolio.
It’s not just about snapping a picture; it’s about capturing the essence of a person.
Sessions at 312 Elements follow a clear process, but there is room to adjust as needed. Clients are guided through posing and expression in real time, which helps take the pressure off, especially for people who are not used to being photographed. The images are typically used for corporate profiles, casting, publications, and platforms like LinkedIn.
A big part of his work is connection. The focus is not just technical. It is about helping people look like themselves in a way that feels natural. The person matters more than the setup, and expression is what carries the image.
Over the years, he has worked with a wide range of clients, including entrepreneurs, executives, actors, and teams from companies such as Airbnb, Salesforce, Mastercard, Nvidia, LinkedIn, Uber, Morgan Stanley, United Airlines, and Kraft Heinz. He has also worked with actors in Chicago productions and on projects connected to film and television.
His work has been featured in outlets such as Fstoppers, Voyage Chicago, PhotoBizX, Refocus, and Dabble. His teaching and mentoring reflect a broader involvement in the photography industry beyond his own studio.
Advanced Portraiture Workshop
His Advanced Portraiture Workshop at Fulton Market is intentionally small, limited to four photographers over two days. Participants rotate between photographer, assistant, and subject, which changes the dynamic completely. Instead of standing in the corner watching someone else shoot, everyone becomes part of the process. The workshop moves through natural light, indirect lighting, one light setups, full body posing, composites, and group portraits, but the larger goal is understanding how to build an image with purpose rather than simply taking one.
The second day centers around recreating an iconic portrait. Each photographer chooses an image, and the rest of the group becomes the crew. There is a limited amount of time to figure it out. Light placement, set design, posing, expression, and problem solving all have to come together quickly. It becomes less about technical perfection and more about learning how experienced photographers think through an image under pressure.
The two photographs shown here were created during that workshop process. What stood out was not just the lighting setups themselves, but how much attention was given to intention and direction. Every adjustment had a reason behind it. The workshop was not about creating copies of someone else’s work. It was about understanding why certain images feel cinematic, polished, or memorable, and how to build that feeling deliberately. Thanks to Steve Bernstein for making the workshop so memorable.
Outside of Photography
Outside of photography, he tends to go deep into whatever he is working on. That same focus shows up in both his client work and his teaching.
Freaks and Geeks is the greatest television show ever created and it is both a blessing and a curse that it only got one season.
Chicago is central to his work. It is a city with a large professional base across many industries, and there is steady demand for strong headshots. Studios are spread across areas like the Loop, River North, and the West Loop.
Within that environment, 312 Elements has built a steady presence by sticking to a clear style and a repeatable process. The work is straightforward, focused on expression, clarity, and images people can actually use.
For anyone looking for a Chicago headshot photographer, Schacht’s studio is a good example of what that can look like when it is done consistently well.
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