When It Comes to Corporate Portraiture, Style is Everything
In business, we all realize that first impressions mean everything. In our 24-hour a day, online world, often these impressions are made online before they can be made in person.
This increases the importance of the choices you make with your professional headshots. By choices I don’t mean “Olan Mills modeled blue or brown background.” It means so much more.
Think about it. You’ve spent years building your business and your brand, and you’ve done it in a way that communicates why your business is unique. Headshots should be no different!
The style you choose and the quality of your images gives a potential client a certain opinion about your brand; it either boosts your credibility or sends them looking for someone else.
But don’t let us overwhelm you. It’s actually quite simple to get great employee images, when you understand what you need.
And this article is here to help you out!
We’ve narrowed our work down to four types of corporate portraiture and the pros and cons of choosing each particular type.
STYLE #1: STUDIO STYLE
The first is Studio Style—exactly what you think of when it comes to headshots. You stand posed in front of a solid background.
Pros:
- Versatile; nearly every situation you might need a professional headshot for is covered under this style.
- Consistent between all the employees in the same company.
- Repeatable; the studio provides constant lighting regardless of year, season, or time of day.
- Efficient; a good photographer can get through as many as 50 in a day!
Cons:
- Can seem a tad formal for most modern companies. If your brand has loads of personality that you want to highlight in your headshots, you might want to step outside the studio.
- If those in your company have a more subdued personality, they might come across as harsh or unapproachable in such a strict photographic format.
Pros:
- Versatile; nearly every situation you might need a professional headshot for is covered under this style.
- Consistent between all the employees in the same company.
- Repeatable; the studio provides constant lighting regardless of year, season, or time of day.
- Efficient; a good photographer can get through as many as 50 in a day!
Cons:
- Can seem a tad formal for most modern companies. If your brand has loads of personality that you want to highlight in your headshots, you might want to step outside the studio.
- If those in your company have a more subdued personality, they might come across as harsh or unapproachable in such a strict photographic format.
STYLE #2: OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTS
Second is Outdoor Environmental. These headshots are moved from the studio into the great outdoors. This style can provide you with light and airy photographs or feature a local landmark in your images.
Pros:
- Fun and casual; you and your co-workers can wear something less formal and pose more naturally.
Can set you apart from the sea of gray backgrounds and black suits. - Can make you appear approachable and friendly; potential clients can visualize you how you might look at a meeting over coffee.
Cons:
- Not the quickest to produce (and you are out of the office for a day)
- Can be weather dependent. You and your staff need to be aware that a last minute cancellation due to rain or a cold snap is very possible.
- Cannot be replicated easily (especially without prior warning for the photographer).
Pros:
- Fun and casual; you and your co-workers can wear something less formal and pose more naturally.
Can set you apart from the sea of gray backgrounds and black suits. - Can make you appear approachable and friendly; potential clients can visualize you how you might look at a meeting over coffee.
Cons:
- Not the quickest to produce (and you are out of the office for a day)
- Can be weather dependent. You and your staff need to be aware that a last minute cancellation due to rain or a cold snap is very possible.
- Cannot be replicated easily (especially without prior warning for the photographer).
STYLE #3: INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL
Then there is Indoor Environmental. These can be shot in your facility, featuring your office space and what you do everyday, but can be moved elsewhere too.
Pros:
- Your photographer has more control over lighting than outdoors
- Windows and strobes make this style relatively easy to reproduce should you add a team member to your company.
- Allows you to show off your corporate space
- You and your coworkers can work at your own desk until the photographer needs you.
Cons:
- Potential for photography to disrupt your office life; constant flashes and moving furniture can often make it hard to work, even if you aren’t in a photograph.
- Can be time consuming and therefore more expensive—but if the style communicates your company’s goals, it’s well worth the investment!
Pros:
- Your photographer has more control over lighting than outdoors
- Windows and strobes make this style relatively easy to reproduce should you add a team member to your company.
- Allows you to show off your corporate space
- You and your coworkers can work at your own desk until the photographer needs you.
Cons:
- Potential for photography to disrupt your office life; constant flashes and moving furniture can often make it hard to work, even if you aren’t in a photograph.
- Can be time consuming and therefore more expensive—but if the style communicates your company’s goals, it’s well worth the investment!
STYLE #4: TEAM PHOTOGRAPHY
Last there is Team Photography. In this format, you bring together your coworkers and get images of many or all of you together. You can combine with locations, looks, and lighting from any of the above styles.
Pros:
- Boosts company morale; everyone involved will love seeing themselves in images representing your business.
- Gives potential clients more than one point of contact—it lets them know a little bit more about who they will be working with.
- Best shows your company culture. One face does not a company make!
Cons:
- Difficulty staying current when jobs change; if one person leaves or is hired on, team images won’t reflect that.
- Ineffective for LinkedIn headshots or for staff bios on a website; you’ll need to combine this format with an individual headshot for these purposes.
Pros:
- Boosts company morale; everyone involved will love seeing themselves in images representing your business.
- Gives potential clients more than one point of contact—it lets them know a little bit more about who they will be working with.
- Best shows your company culture. One face does not a company make!
Cons:
- Difficulty staying current when jobs change; if one person leaves or is hired on, team images won’t reflect that.
- Ineffective for LinkedIn headshots or for staff bios on a website; you’ll need to combine this format with an individual headshot for these purposes.
ALL THE ABOVE!
Yep! There is indeed a 5th category! Sometimes you just can’t sum up a company—or a team—with just one type of photograph. In our digital world, images are seen in many different places and we at Studio 13 often do many of these types of photography for one project to make sure that your viewers don’t get bored by the same image over and over again. It’s not unusual for us to do all 4 types of images for the same client just to keep things fresh and exciting!
Not sure what style of headshot would best fit your company? Don’t see something that describes what you’d need in a headshot? You can still choose your brand’s own look! These are just a few of what we at Studio 13 are capable of…bring us your ideas and let’s create something new together!
Email us at newbusiness@studio13online.com or give us a call at (317) 923-1122
