Business portraits are crucial for a first impression on a website, in a newspaper article or flyer. People buy from people, and that’s why it’s so important to express your personality and professionalism. But what aspects need to be considered for a successful business portrait?
1. the right location for the shoot
A client needs portraits for social media and her website. She asks me if I have a studio or if we can do it in her office. I clearly prefer my own office because it’s always an advantage if the shoot takes place in a familiar environment. After all, the photos are to be taken for the website and it’s important to come across as friendly and trusting. The customer wants to “sell herself and her products without selling”, i.e. to convince without appearing salesy. This is best achieved with authentic photos. The portraits must be able to withstand a live encounter, otherwise the trust is immediately lost.
2. clothing, hair, styling. What impression do I want to make?
When it comes to clothing, I recommend avoiding anything that distracts from the face. These are mainly restless and bold patterns and intense colors. In contrast to a party or reception, it’s not about standing out from the crowd with something special. You are already guaranteed this attention when people visit your website! It’s about potential customers getting to know you better and building trust in you.
The choice of the right garment depends primarily on the industry and your personality type. Do you conscientiously take care of the finances or are you the one who is supposed to bring a breath of fresh air into the team? My tip: if you dress a little fancier than in the office, then it’s just right. You’ll radiate something special without looking dressed up.
When it comes to accessories, I recommend simplicity. Jewelry, a scarf, tie or pocket square should not distract from your face, but should be used with care. Instead, ask yourself what you can leave out without feeling that something important is missing.
The hair, on the other hand, should be as perfect as possible, just okay is far too little. If everything is right, but you’re not happy with your hair, then you can never be happy with the photo. The dilemma here is that no one will notice, only you. I therefore recommend going to your trusted hairdresser before the shoot without trying anything new.
3. which pose is the best?
Can posing be authentic at all? They’re just self-promoters who pose in front of the camera on purpose!
Yes, posing can be authentic! Because if you want to present yourself online, you have to present yourself: It’s all about getting to know yourself. Your body language is always an expression of yourself, and it’s up to you to decide whether or not your posing matches your personality. The important thing is that you are true to yourself and express this clearly. Then it is authentic.
A good starting point for a classic business portrait is the view from the corner of your eye. While you devote yourself entirely to a person or thing and then look casually into the camera, this looks very authentic. I recommend this pose if someone wants to appear likeable and self-confident at the same time.
The view from the corner of the eye works according to the three-axis principle: the shoulders or upper body should be slightly turned away from the camera, the tip of the nose just a little and the eyes looking directly into the lens. The direct gaze thus establishes the connection to the viewer, while the upper body is turned away. This relativizes the energy, the gaze appears more casual.
If, on the other hand, a person stands in front of me head-on, looking at me with all three axes, the energy is at its highest, but at the same time you also come across as more authoritarian and confrontational in the sense of “come here”, “I have something to say to you”.
4 Is there such a thing as the perfect facial expression?
Your facial expression, especially your eyes and mouth, determine how you look. If your eyes are open and alert, this is always good and right for a business photo. Open eyes stand for interest, presence and enthusiasm par excellence. Open lips make you look inviting, communicative and likeable. Closed lips emphasize objectivity and stand for competence. This is where I sometimes observe insecurities. If you don’t know how you want to look, it’s difficult to decide on the one perfect photo. I am happy to support my clients and also explain how to radiate competence or what looks more masculine and what looks more feminine.
When I look at the photos together, I sometimes feel my thoughts racing. Do I really look like this? My nose is quite dominant and my hair doesn’t fall the way it should. Why are so many people unhappy with themselves and their appearance?
We want to look better than we are, be more successful, more athletic, etc. We sometimes even spend a lot of money to create an appearance. From other people, on the other hand, we expect openness, transparency, credibility and honesty. But we apply different standards to ourselves. When it comes to a photo of ourselves, we become very, very demanding. Authenticity or not, we have to face this dilemma.
5 Authentic light for business portraits
Light that harmonizes inconspicuously with the picture’s surroundings has the most authentic effect. It is important that the scene does not appear illuminated, i.e. that there is not too much light on the foreground.
Using the available light and using a reflector to brighten up the shadow area is the simplest solution. For portraits, a warm and preferably shadow-free light from the direction of the camera is most pleasing. The quantity, quality and color of the light must be in harmony. Many books have been written about this, and rightly so: the human eye is extremely sensitive if the light and color mood in a scene are not harmonious. This is the biggest challenge with computer-generated content and image montages. Even the layman can recognize inconsistencies immediately.
6 Which background suits me?
The word background says it all: the background should not impose itself and distract attention from the main motif, but should complement it. The background as well as light and shadow give the picture depth. Dark colors are therefore the classic background colors, especially blue, which never dominates.
Photographing the background slightly out of focus is a very elegant way of defusing an unsteady background – in the truest sense of the word. Any kind of imperfection disappears in the blur. The imperfection on the door frame, the note on the Post-It that nobody should read – everything disappears in the blur.
The depth of the room, pieces of furniture, accessories, colors and light say a lot about the self-image of the person portrayed. They are the symbols that stand for personal style.
A color surface in the background, especially white, looks rather impersonal, neutral, perhaps even meaningless. Sometimes this is exactly what you want, for example with guidebooks!
For election posters, on the other hand, flat colors are particularly popular. The person in the photo plays the role of a party representative. The color in the background reveals which party this is. The effect: the person himself loses some of his importance because he stands for a superordinate concept. The same applies to employees acting on behalf of a company. Here it can make sense for the background to be discreetly branded and in the company colors.
In this YouTube video you can learn more from me about the design of backgrounds at Zoom-Meeting. Essentially, this also applies to business portraits.
7. image editing and retouching
The demands and standards have evolved. Teeth a little whiter, skin a little smoother and eyes a little brighter. It’s all possible in image editing, and some of it is even automated.
For me, using retouching carefully is the benchmark for business portraits in order to preserve authenticity. The aim of the portrait is to radiate competence, build trust, give the picture a personal touch and contribute to making personal contact. This is the reality check! It makes no sense to pretend something in the photo that cannot be fulfilled in the personal encounter.
Taking a business portrait can be quite complex, even if it seems simple.
Conclusion
With the right combination of facial expression, clothing, light and background, you can ensure that your business photos look professional and make you appear competent and likeable.
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7 tips for preparing for the portrait shoot
