Preparing for Your Business Photo
Your business photo complements and supports
your business or professional goals.
The why behind your photograph is priority. Is this for a personal brand, a corporate directory, business card, business directory, social media? Knowing why you want your photograph will help you get best results – whether a headshot or a portrait.
A headshot is a photo of your head and shoulders or face, usually with a blurred or plain background for use on business cards, social media, directories, guides, and other similar uses. A portrait encompasses a scene that tells the story of you and your business, usually in a special setting or with props.
Your Brand
Your headshot or portrait makes a statement about who you are as a professional, a service provider, technician, consultant, or other company pledge. Your photo supports your brand promise, whether fun and informal or serious and formal. Like a first impression, your photo says a lot about you.
You want to ensure your image aligns with your customers and how you want your customers to see you and interact with you.
Your business headshot
Taking headshot photos might feel intrusive and awkward, but if you think about it a little and prepare, it can be fun and give you great results. Understanding why you need a headshot is the first step. Are you talking to customers or corporate colleagues and leaders? Do you need to be dramatic and compelling or sophisticated and professional?
Knowing what you want your headshot to accomplish helps plan the session for lighting, background, apparel, and props.
It doesn’t matter how you think you look or if you don’t like something about yourself. What matters is the story your photo tells about who you are and what you can do.
Show yourself at work loving what you do best.
Formal or informal?
Do you need to express a specific sentiment or personality attractive to your audience? For business images that interface with customers, knowing how your customers think or how they might relate to people they do business with drives the photography. Are you fun and quirky or steadfast and skilled? Your photography should engage your customers the way your business engages them.
Your audience
Think through how you want your customers to perceive you. Are you a no-nonsense attorney or friendly compassionate dentist? Do you need to communicate expertise, personality, trust, or attitude?
Knowing your customers’ concerns and speaking directly to them help shape the shot. How you dress, the background, the lighting, and getting just the right look are elements that attract relationship and build confidence in you.
Clothing
How do your customers dress? Do you live in a corporate-tie world or is status found in a t-shirt? What do your customers’ social and cultural worlds look like and how do you fit into them?
Location
Most headshots are close in with a solid or patterned background, but you may want to consider including a prop or location that represents your profession or trade. Do you use specialty tools or work in interesting environments? Your photo helps tell the story of your special skills and expertise.
Your headshot complements all your other work to market and promote you and your business. Whether it’s for LinkedIn, Twitter, or the chamber of commerce directory, ensure you communicate expertise, confidence, and capability by how you present yourself through your photo.
Your photographer can help simplify the process, brainstorm your ideas, and create images that will meet your business and personal needs.