Business Portraits

Business Photography – First impressions count.

People searching for you online make their minds up about who you are based on your profile. The single most important factor in your profile is your head shot.
Studies run by associations and independents alike find that people make a decision on whether or not they like you within 100 milliseconds. 
The image on your website or social media sites, such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, has a big influence on whether people want to connect with you or not.

Common mistakes:

1. No photo. Being anonymous is the single biggest mistake you can make. Everyone is naturally suspicious of anonymity.
2. Old Photo. We all are getting old, that’s life! The online photo must look like you now.
3. Using a photo of a family, pet or car. It demonstrates lack of professionalism.
4. Photo cropped from a party. Not only it’s not a flattering image (red eyes, drunken face), it again demonstrates that you are not a professional person, and you are trying to fit in your private life into a professional setting
5. Looking away – not connecting – turning people off
6. Not smiling – smile is the most important business tool, if you want to connect with your audience, smile is very important.
7. DYI Photo – Often people think they can do it yourself, without actually understanding lighting and posing – and it very often does not produce the desired result.

Tips for success:

Here is what you need to do for successful on-line appearance:

• invest in your image
• create your brand
• have a variety of images – different but consistent
• be yourself, and be recognizable
• project confidence and approachability
• make use of the professional images on different platforms – business cards, social media, web, etc, etc.
• ladies, have your make-up done professionally for your business portrait

Read this very useful article on business photography.

If you want your headshot to stand out, you may wish to consider using a professional makeup artist.

When my clients book a session with me, I always ask them if they would like me to help to arrange a make-up artist for them.

Having a professional makeup artist t on hand will not only make you look amazing , but also make you feel wonderful and as a result will give you a massive confidence boost which will shine through on every headshot.

While make-up is being applied you’ll get a chance to relax and get in the mood for your shoot. Many professionals that I work with will also give you advice on the best colours for your skin type and will adjust the make-up to the clothes that you are planning to wear.

Even very subtle make-up can make quite a big difference to the way you will look on the photograph. See some “Before and After” examples below.

Here is the list of make-up artists that I usually work with:

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. You can also arrange for your make-up to be done at their studios prior to coming to me.

Jo Haley – Your Image and Beauty

Sarah Van Dort – Absolutely Fabulous Image

Anna Foolbrook – The Make-up Artist Anna

For any questions, please get in touch!

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.