You are the founder of your Company. Someone comes to your website and visits the ‘About us’ page. Which photo will you like to be displayed on that page?
Adeeb Ahamed, Lulu Group(Dubai)
Would it be a casual photo, a blur image or a professional image? A professional image, isn’t it? As you are the owner of the company, your image itself will speak a lot. It carries a brand value.
You can take corporate headshots for personal portraits or for company profiles. It is a part of marketing and branding for many corporate companies.
This image that you should be using on your website is called as Corporate headshot. It is a portrait of working professional, actors, models and so on.
Headshot of a model
In Corporate Headshots the focus is on the head, face and shoulders, hence the name.
Why Corporate Headshots?
It is safe to say, business cards are out and business headshots are in. As per LinkedIn, a profile with image gets 21 times more hits than one without a photo.
This clearly shows how important it is to have a professional photo. Corporate headshots of company executives are widely used for branding and promotion. It builds a trust factor.
Today, the internet has become the front face for most of the companies. So, it’s imperative to have a digital identity.
Types of Corporate Headshots
Editorial Portraits:
Editorial Portraits are mainly used as branding for the company or the work environment. The shoot is done around the place of work.
Let’s take an example of a fashion designer. A fashion designer would want to be photographed in the studio while working with with his designed clothes in the background. This image will define the place of work.
Another example is of a painter who will be in her apron and brushes in her hand working with her paintings. You can find such photos in magazines.
Professional portraits:
In professional Portraits, the focus is on the individual. Such shoots are often shot in a studio. The images are mainly used for social media profiles, website and also for CVs.
There are different styles of headshots starting with simple black, grey or white background.
Environment shots vs casual shots.
Background:
Standard background is a must for any professional corporate shoots. A grey background is what I prefer as it goes with a lot of colors when it comes to clothing.
Adeeb Ahamed, Lulu Group(Dubai)
Vibrant colors may also be used as background to define your work culture.
What to wear in Corporate Headshot?
Corporate headshots do not necessarily mean that you have to wear a suit and a tie. India is a diversified culture and business is completely different here.
We have business heads who wear mundu or dhotis (garment worn around the waist) who hold giant empire.
The whole idea is to get images that become a first point of contact between you and your clients or customers and leave a lasting impression. Majority of small or big companies are moving in the direction of organizing their companies like corporate for the ease of functioning.
The kind of funding that is happening in India clearly shows that more and more foreign investors are willing to invest as India. So, as a company, it becomes imperative to go with the rules of the today’s world like creating a company website.
Majority of the companies who would like to do business would want to read the about us page of any organization.
A page with professional image of company executives builds a trust factor.
Environment Shots:
Environment shots are usually shot in the office. It can also be shot in the office premises, a long corridor or a factory bed.
In such shoots, the photographers like to combine the ambient lights with his or her lights. This gives a very nice blur effect at the same time the office atmosphere is visible.
I have been to a lot of eco-friendly offices where they have plants inside the office. That also becomes a good location for the shoot.
Casual Shots:
In India predominantly there is culture where Fridays the employees can wear casual clothes to the office.
Jeans teamed up with check shirts or so makes a good casual wear for men. I usually make my clients lean on the desk or sit on the edge of the desk. This makes the images more casual and relaxed.
You can also use the office staff as the backdrop, where the office staff is working. This will define the office atmosphere.
Why should you hire a professional photographer?
Artistic Eye:
An expensive camera does not make a professional photographer, experience does. With experience comes an artistic eye, because of which the photographer shoot you the way you want.
The years spent behind the lenses is what makes the photographer a professional photographer.
People Skills:
Most of the times, you tend to become cautious around the camera. This is where the people skills cones handy. It’s the job of the photographer to make you feel relaxed.
An experienced photographer will tell you how to pose and which pose will look good for your requirement.
Time Management:
Few months ago, I shot for a sports brand (Go Sport) which was newly launched in India. The managing director was suppose to come for the launch. They wanted to get the shots ready for press release.
I went for a preliminary survey (recce) before the shoot to decide what angles I could shoot and which location would be preferable.
I spoke to the manager there and he informed me that they want full length images. On the day of the shoot I got exact 20 minutes with him. The recce really helped me to decide my shots and get things done as quickly as possible.
My experience has taught me to conduct recce, and how to do time management without wasting the client’s time.
Finalizing the shoot:
We photographers cannot finalize a shoot immediately. We have to try various positions before finalizing on a shot.
Usually the heads of any company are very busy individuals and they do not have a lot of time to spare. I prefer to prepare myself before the shoot rather than wasting their time.
A professional photographer can handle such situations skillfully.
It’s always best to go for professional photographers and they will get the right images you are looking for and the delivery would be on time. Besides, they come with experience of handling clients in a professional manner.
India is still new to the concept of getting professional shoot for corporate profiles. Slowly it is getting momentum and it will grow further.
Globalization is driving us all to the direction of standardization and making everything look absolutely professional.
Every aspiring company aims to achieve perfection in creating their company.
Times are changing and your website or social media pages have become the first point of contact. People refer to these pages first and then decide if they would like to go ahead with you or not.