February 2021

Successful Business Portrait Photography Session does not happen by chance. Professional photography is an investment in your business and/or your personal brand, therefore preparation for your business portrait session is very important. I usually have a telephone consultation with my clients before they come in to ensure they know how to prepare and what to expect. Many of my clients require guidance when it comes to their business portraits, so I decided to publish a blog post with some tips that would help understanding how to get ready and how to achieve the best results. Here is some information that could help you answer some of the most “burning” questions.

What shall I wear for the shoot?

Keeping your attire simple allows for the focus to stay on you and your expression and not draw the eye to patterns and colours in fabrics. Therefore I recommend to wear solid colours for your tops. You must have something sufficiently smart, yet appropriate for the type of business that you represent. It’s best to wear something that you would normally wear when you do business, so people would recognise you.

If not sure, bring a few different options and I’ll advise what will work best. I recommend having at least one change of outfits during the shoot.

What to bring to the shoot?

Apart from the changes of clothes discussed above, you may wish to bring some props/objects/outfits that represent your business, your brand or your personality. You can also wear T-shirts with your business logos. You normal casual clothes are also fine if it represents who you are.

What shall I do to look my best on a business portrait?

▪ Gentlemen – Have a fresh shave or trim.Drink plenty of water two days prior to the shoot and get really good rest the night before.

▪ Ladies – Unless you are extremely thin you may want to wear something that covers your upper-arms. Long – or 3/4-sleeve tops are very flattering. If you wear jewellery, aim for subtlety, and be aware of it twisting or turning.
It’s best if your hair is not falling down onto the sides of the face. Also, you may wish to use thicker foundation to make sure your skin looks smooth.

Many of my clients choose to have professional make-up done, which could be done somewhere prior to the shoot, or directly in my premises.

I can recommend the following makeup artists who would meet you about an hour prior to the shoot and help bring out your beauty. Prices for make-up start from £40 and are payable to the make-up artist directly.

Jo Haley – Your Image and Beauty

Sarah Van Dort – Absolutely Fabulous Image

Anna Foolbrook – The Make-up Artist Anna

I also highly recommend drinking lots of extra water for the prior two days…it will make your skin look particularly beautiful. And, of course, a good sleep does wonders too!

Can I Wear my Glasses for the shoot?

If you normally wear glasses, it’s absolutely fine to wear glasses in your shoot – however the glare on glasses can detract from your eyes in photos. I will do my best to position you in a way that will minimise any possible glare.

What happens during the shoot?

I will work with you and guide you through a variety of poses taken against different backgrounds. Usually people need a bit of time to feel comfortable in front of the camera, so we will keep going until I know that you are truly relaxed and are enjoying the shoot. That’s usually when I capture the most genuine & natural expressions and beautiful smiles.

What happens after the shoot?

Within 3 days after the shoot I we will e-mail you the link to an on-line gallery with all the proofs. You’ll be able to mark your favourite images in the gallery and simply notify me when your selection is done. I’ll then prepare your images and e-mail them to you.

Will you retouch my images?

Your photography package would usually include some retouched images. I use a professional retouching software, that allows to make very subtle changes like smoothing your skin, brightening & sharpening your eyes, smoothing your hair, whitening your teeth, removing any spots and blemishes etc. I always make sure you still look like yourself, and the image looks natural – see the “Before and After” example below.

How much does it cost?

I offer different packages starting from £95, you can check the pricing details here.