Coming into your business headshot photoshoot prepared can make a huge difference in the impact your pictures can make. This guide will help guide you through the entire process and make you think about what you are trying to achieve.

 

What Is Your Goal? 

So, why do you want or need to have a business headshot taken? Are you a politician? A fitness coach? Are you a business professional or artist? No matter what your profession is, if your initial thought was to get one quick headshot in the studio, think about what your goal is.  Is this for your website or Linkedin Profile? Are you trying to make brochures, or advertise your business in some way? For example, to look more relatable, a politician may want pictures with their family or dog. A fitness coach may want to be photographed helping someone work out or making a smoothie in their home. A business professional may want pictures in their office. Think about what you really want to get out of this shoot and what your long term goals are. In the pictures below, this professional wanted a basic headshot, a working shot, and a picture of him with enough blank space to use for the banner of his website. With the city in the background this was the perfect location for a branded shoot. We sized these pictures and many more for him for mobile devices, Linkedin, brochures, business cards, and his website banner.

 

 

Choosing The Right Photographer 

A consultation and planning session before a shoot is very important. Just like a movie, your branded shoot will come out better if everything is storyboarded or planned out. However, it depends on the situation. For example, a marketing director may need to get headshots of 30 people in middle management. In this case a consultation with each person is not necessary, however the marketing director would need to think through their goals for the shoot.

In looking for a photographer, go through their portfolio of work and individual lighting and posing styles. If you have a business partner and don’t want to look like a couple, make sure your photographer knows how to do this relationship shot.

Are you taking pictures with your whole team, or does everyone else in your company have pictures with a white background? Do you want testimonial headshots taken of clients with a quote beside it? Communication is key. Make sure you tell your photographer what you need. During on of our testimonial headshot shoots, we had a company bring in a long line of clients. We took their pictures on a white background, and sized them so that their quote would fit comfortably within the picture.

 

It’s All About Location

Your chosen location(s) are extremely important. They essentially tell the story of what you do. To get the best out of your business headshot, give your photographer a good feel for what you are trying to portray. If you are a surgeon, you may want to have a couple of pictures taken in the operating room. Although this is the exact location in which the surgeon works, they also might want shots of them working with their team, or of them speaking to a crowd at an educational convention. Specific goals vary by business, but make sure to give some thought to where you think being photographed would create the best image. If you lack in ideas, your photographer should also be able to give you some helpful pointers.

Choosing The Right Clothing

Although the clothing you should choose to wear varies on what kind of business you have there are a few rules of thumb. Stay away from busy patterns because strong patterns make the eyes go the the clothing instead of the person. Dark clothing will slim you down, so if you are concerned about weight stay away from whites and creams. Lastly, choosing the clothing that fits your line of business is always best.

Your photographer should talk about clothing ahead of time with you so that you don’t bring outfits that have elements that you didn’t think of like clashing with the location. It’s also advisable to bring a variety of clothing to the shoot or consultation and have them help you pick things out. Keeping with our marketing director needing 30 headshots example, clothing in this situation would need to be very consistent. If you need outfit inspiration Pinterest is a great place to find the appropriate clothing for your business. It is also always a good idea to look at your competitors sites and see if there is something that works or you could essentially do better.

 

 

Hair And Makeup: 

Just like clothing, your makeup should compliment your line of business. A makeup stylist should go for a more dramatic look than a fitness instructor. For your general business headshot, go for a natural and even look. You don’t have to stick to super light makeup, but be sure that your face is even. In terms of eye makeup, these should be the main focus of the picture, so or every picture your eyes should be the main focus of the shot, so accentuate them more than you would. In contrast, make sure to stick to more neutral pink or red lipsticks so that you don’t distract from the eyes. For those with long hair, we usually like to keep it out of the face. You may also want to hairspray or gel to help keep everything in place.

 

Business And Branded Headshots 

Who are you? We have already mentioned thinking outside of the box in terms of locations and clothing for your business headshot, but what exactly is your brand? Business and branded headshots should boldly state to the viewer what it is you do. Every industry is different, so make sure to get as much from the shoot and walk away with a better understanding of your vision and the images to support it.

Popular “Cinema” Business Headshots 

This type of headshot has become extremely popular. A “cinema” headshot has blurred out highlights in the background with the subject in front and center. This gives your picture a fresh new, star of the show type of look.

Get It All Done 

After the business headshot is done, out of convenience, a lot of our clients use the “get it all done” approach. Consider getting some glamour shots or family pictures while you’re there. Since you already have hair and makeup done and clothing picked out, why not take some other types of images? In terms of marketing, a lot of entrepreneurs use different types of shots on their social media. Having a library of images to use for different purposes is beneficial so that you aren’t using the same pictures each time.