Corporate portraits (also known as corporate headshots) are an integral component of doing business in the modern world. Whereas the importance of business photography usually takes the centre stage, people often underestimate just how helpful it can be to have a strong corporate portrait attached to your name.
What are corporate portraits?
A corporate portrait is essentially a portrait photo that is designed to be used in corporate contexts. For example, a corporate portrait may be used on an About Us page on your business, or it can be used as team photographs so that people can see who is a part of your business. Corporate portraits can also be used in brochures, or they can be used to help you establish a strong corporate profile on social media websites such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
What does a corporate portrait look like?
Managing Director of Chic Model Management and JDW – Jodie Bache Mclean
Corporate portraits are similar to most other portrait photos. You are the subject and you are the main focus of the photograph. The background can be almost anything, but it helps if it’s in a work environment such as an office. It can also just be a plain background with a solid colour if you plan to use the photograph on an ID card or something similar.
In almost every corporate portrait, the subject will be wearing smart business clothing. This can be a suit, a shirt and tie, or even overalls if your line of work is in construction or similar manual labour. In short, the clothing that is worn in a corporate portrait should reflect the individual and their line of work or expertise.
What is the purpose of a corporate portrait?
Corporate portraits have many different uses, but their main purpose is to establish a sense of professionalism and encourage great first impressions. It’s for this reason that they are commonly used as LinkedIn profile pictures or on a website’s “Teams” or “About Us” page. Whoever looks at your corporate portrait should get an immediate positive first impression and they should be able to quickly deduce what it is that you do and if they can trust you.
This is why corporate portraits are often taken with a relevant background and clothing that represents your line of work. The majority of corporate portraits are taken on either plain background with smart business clothing, but this doesn’t have to be the norm. For example, it’s common for construction companies to take corporate portraits of their managers and staff with hi-vis clothing and a hard hat to signify their role and line of work.
CEO Vita Group and Artisan Clinics Maxine Horne
The benefits of a great corporate portrait
It helps to build trust
A corporate portrait is a sign of professionalism and this directly helps to build trust with a new client or your audience. Every successful business owner understands the importance of great first impressions, and this can be encouraged with a high-quality corporate portrait. Your expression and body language in the portrait can go a long way to helping your clients feel more comfortable working with you. There are also more subliminal language at work as well with colour choices of clothes, and intricate details when engaging the Elements and Principals of Design within the image. Combined, it makes for powerful portraiture!
It can be used in many different contexts
Business owners are often concerned about the potential costs of taking corporate portraits for their team, but many of those photographs can be used in different contexts. They can be placed in printed media, they can be used as social media profile pictures, and they can also be used on your website or even in press releases. Photographs are extremely versatile in digital formats and your corporate portraits can be used in a variety of different contexts. The questions is, is it worth ‘not to invest’ in team corporate portraiture as taking quick pictures on a smart phone can reflect on the ‘professionalism’ of your business.
It shows what you are capable of at a glance
Clients can deduce many things when looking at a good corporate portrait. They can understand the person’s role in the business based on their clothing, and they can see how willing they are to invest in their appearance and how other businesses perceive them. There’s a saying that a picture tells a thousand words, and this couldn’t be more true with a proper corporate portrait taken by a professional with the right backdrop and clothing.
It reinforces professionalism
Lastly, it also helps to reinforce a sense of professionalism in your business. If you’re trying to start a business and a client sees that your corporate portrait is a selfie you took at a party several years ago, then they’re immediately going to have doubts about working with you. You can reinforce a sense of professionalism and show that you’re serious about your company by investing in a corporate portrait.
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