It's Headshot Day - Covid Style!

The ball started rolling for us in the business headshot and professional portrait market in August and it has been a steady and solid Fall, work-wise, ever since. That is very good news for us, given that we are in an industry where every sector hit a massive 12 foot thick wall a few Marches ago.

We will not go as far as to say that the pandemic is under control, but we will admit that we are cautiously optimistic. Why? So many of our clients have figured out how to function safely. They have guidelines and rules in place that allow people to operate with protections in their places of business. They are being supported by vaccine requirements. People are wearing masks. Offices are at reduced capacity.

Here are some of the trends that our executive headshot photographers are seeing.

Thank Goodness for Vaccines

People are feeling confident in the power of the vaccines. Those who are vaccinated are not getting sick or nearly as sick.

There is no way for a corporate photographer to take a headshot when the subject is wearing a mask. When we ask them to get in front of the camera and remove their mask, they can feel far more confident that they are protected by their own vaccination status.

Clients are being so careful. They are following mandates as a baseline. Extra steps include, for example, closed campuses. This means that only those with ID's or that have pre-approved business in the building are allowed to enter.

These vaccination requirements are being taken quite seriously in New York, our home base and the surround areas. We are grateful that this key element of vaccinations is something that will help us get back to business as usual.

Masks, Masks, Masks

Call it overkill, given the vaccination rates among our clients, but with the delta variant still causing so much havoc, we are grateful that our clients are still feeling the value of this extra layer of protection.

Everyone is wearing and cooperating, as far as we can see. Obviously, for their online or LinkedIn headshot, the mask has to come off. But we are glad about the extra protection that masks bring to our shooting area while subjects wait. And we said it here first – masked professional headshots anyone? A real sign of the times, no?

Smaller Groups

We used to come to an office to cover employees for their business headshot. Or maybe a university to cover graduate or graduating students for their LinkedIn headshot. There would be crowds of people lining up. Sometimes it would be 20-30 people deep every second of the 6hrs we are shooting. People wanted their professional headshot.

This piece has changed dramatically. The events are smaller and we are taking phased and scheduled approaches to getting people their professional headshot photos.

We are doing our part to keep a more organized flow. With our clients, we are strongly advocating for scheduling individual sessions. Our scheduling tool is the simplest way to do this. We send the client a link to the schedule. They then distribute it to their staff or subjects. Each individual schedules their own time to have their corporate headshot session. This means that there is a steady and predictable flow of headshot clients coming into the room. No one is waiting in line for an hour to get their photo taken. They are scheduling their time, showing up a minute or two early, getting their photo and then exiting the area.

Easy breezy.

Not only are people in and out faster, the room where we shoot is never crowded. There are never more than 1 or 2 people waiting around, if that. It is only the photographer, an assistant, the current subject and sometimes the corporate headshot subject who is up next.

Spaced Out

The other factor that helps with less crowded spaces? A room that has a bit more... room. We are pushing for more open and roomy areas to shoot in and clients, whenever possible, are accommodating. Our ideal space has enough room for a photographer, an assistant and a subject to occupy the room with the magic 6' distance between everyone. If that can't happen we modify with safety being the first priority.

A few other things we are seeing...

Rooms are clean. We see professional crews coming through all the time wiping down tables, doorknobs, chairs, and anything else that people might be touching. There is hand sanitizer everywhere and surfaces wipes galore.

Now, we at The Booth are very familiar with the phrase, Hygiene Theater. But we operate in spaces that are shared by sometimes hundreds of others, where doors are touched by at least 20-30 people an hour, where the bathrooms might have 10 stalls. We believe the safest cleaning measure is to wash those hands (for a full 2 rounds of happy birthday, please). But when we are in NYC in high traffic and public areas, we are happy for the effort that the cleaning staff and our hosts make.

And for the best and most important part.... People are on board. Everyone wants their headshots done safely and in an organized way. Sure, the occasional mask might slip below the nose, but they are quick to adjust back to code. We have not seen anyone out of compliance as everyone we work with is comfortable with the safety guidelines, or at least willing to comply while we are working together..

We are so glad to be back shooting corporate headshots and business photography on the regular. We love seeing our people, meeting new folks and making great photography.

Corporate Headshots - It Is In The Eyes

Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. Sophia Loren

Almost nothing need be said when you have eyes. Tarjei Vesaas

When photographing people for their corporate headshots, it all starts with the eyes. They are the window to the soul, says Shakespeare, Da Vinci, the philosopher Cicero and, it seems a few others over time. Whoever and whatever the origin, we believe that it to be the absolute truth. And while we, as photographers, are not trying to get down deep like a therapist, we completely agree. What is communicated through the eyes can create the tone for how people see you and what you want your clients to understand about you from your business headshots.

True, communicating your essence through a corporate headshot is a cumulative effort. Face, clothes, posture, etc. all have to look right for your website headshots. We look at the whole 'you' . But the thing we are connecting with, the most important element, the thing that we must get right, is how the eyes look. Chances are, when you come into our studio, we will tell you where to stand, how to hold your body, where to put your hands. The last thing we will tell you is where to look. We are seeing your eyes and figuring out how to capture your spark.

Remember, the goal is to engage clients with your professional headshot. You do this most effectively through eye contact. It is amazing how different people can look from frame to frame depending on their eyes. The number one thing we will want is for people to look into the camera. Some people want something more casual where they are looking off to the side. This can work, but it must have a serendipitous feel. It can also be hard for us mere non-model mortals who might not feel at ease in front of the camera to pull this off. We are always game for trying, but you can expect us to give you several safe options for your website corporate headshot.

So we say, make eye contact with the camera. By doing so, you are engaging with the viewer/the client/your audience.

How To Use Your Eyes In A Corporate Headshot

Communication comes from the eyes. Other facial features compliment this, but what is going on in the eyes is very important. Where are you looking? Are you making eye contact? Are you emoting the kindness of a healthcare provider in your website headshot? Are you telling the world you are a hard core litigator through the steely glare of your corporate headshot? Are you using an introspective gaze of a therapist with your website headshot?

How do you want people to read you? Direct and bold? Then a very direct look into the camera matched with a feeling of ease, but no real smile, is the way to go. Do you want people to know that you will care for them? Perhaps you need something softer and inviting - maybe not a full-on joyful smile, but a friendly grin with a 'Smize' in the eyes is the way to go. See Tyra Banks, America's Next Top Model if you want to know what that looks like.

Imperfections

Let's get this next question out of the way right now. Unless you are Kate Moss, who is said to have perfect facial left/right symmetry, you have some kind of uneveness in your facial features. This is normal, typical and varies in range from one person to the next. The goal is never perfection or absolute symmetry. We love everyone's unique faces and are never trying to make anyone look anything but their best selves in their professional headshots.

Getting Technical How We Create That Corporate Headshot Spark

From a technical point of view, we always want to see a little spark of light in the eye. A tiny dot, or catchlight, reflecting our flash can make an professional headshot look alive. This is something that happens when we fire the camera and the flash goes off. It's different than glare, which is a reflection, usually off of glasses, that can obscure the eyes. It's a small thing but it is one of those details that can make a difference.

Once we have that spark in the eye, we can start to adjust other details. We can look at your smile. Are your eyes saying one thing, but your smile (or non-smile) is saying another? How is your head positioned? We often ask our clients to tilt their head a bit to the left or the right. Often this is a correction for an over-tilt. So many people take their posing cues from Instagram where the flirty head tilt reigns supreme. That is fine for social use. For business portraits, we recommend something more direct and professional.

In Conclusion - The Eyes Make The Corporate Headshot

So much of how you come off in your corporate headshot photos depends on the connection we can make with you. This is why we start with the eyes. We know it is awkward and can feel almost confrontational to look directly down the barrel of a lens, but we are here to make that feel easier. We love to get to a point where we can put our subjects at ease, look into their eyes, and know that we have gotten the most authentic corporate headshot spark.

Medical Practices and Corporate Photographers

In a year that is very (extremely!!!) focused on healthcare and staying well, we thought we would look at the corporate headshot photography that supports this industry.

There are a few different kinds of photography that support this industry and while there is some crossover in use, various areas of the industry require different kinds of coverage.

Medical photography is an example of one end of medical photography. This can start at the molecular and cellular level. Need an example? How about that weird circular cell with suction cup looking arms growing out of it on all sides. Covid19 is famous, or shall we say infamous, and it will be difficult to find any digitally connected person in this world that could not make an instant identification.

This cellular photography, is fascinating. It is ultra micro and it is absolutely amazing in what it allows us to see about the world and about ourselves. It helps us explain our aches and pains, it helps us understand what makes up a leaf. We learn why water is making us sick. We learn what foods contain that make us uber healthy. Also, it looks really cool.

While we very much appreciate this medical-focused industry photography, it is a very specialized craft. It is one that requires very specific tools and a degree of knowledge about the subjet to be done right. We respect it and are awed by it, but we do not do it.

We are involved in medical and healthcare photography on a far more macro level. Our focus, if you will, is on what those many cells and molecules make up. We are professional business photographers that take photos of whole people, waiting rooms, testing equipment, etc.

Medical offices.

As a category, medical practices are very much like small businesses. To cover them, they require professional business photographers. These people must understand the flow of the business but can bring a professional eye to the project. The components are the same as a business. There are offices where the doctors and support staff do their work. They serve clients. But there are also many things that are different than non-medical businesses. Instead of products, they offer care. Instead of clients, they serve patients. And instead of a typical staff, they have doctors and other practitioners.

Here is where corporate headshot photography comes in. Physician headshots are an important part of your business marketing. It is very important for a physician to include website headshots for both familiarity and to signal professionalism. Your doctors must be shown to be clean, tidy, well-put together and approachable. A clean and tidy presentation telegraphs that it will be a well-organized and safe, clean environment in which you will be seen.

There are options in how a doctor can present him or herself. We always recommend professional dress, but know that this can mean different things to different providers. If you want a strictly professional headshots for business in the medical field, you might choose a lab coat. When our professional business photographers cover a doctor in a lab coat we know that the doctor is trying to instantly telegraph their training and capability. However, not all doctors work in this uniform. They might prefer a creative corporate headshot that is professional but that evokes more personality. If a medical provider decides against a lab coat it might be more important to use some other environmental elements that suggest a medical practice.

A headshot for business in a medical practice is an opportunity to tell your patients something about who you are and how you intend to care for them. The way you stand, what you wear, what kind of environmental background you use are all elements of the creative corporate headshot that translate how the patient will feel when they are with you. Does this physician want to signal a feeling of warmth and caring? Yes, but maybe they are more focused on signaling absolute confidence. Is the work you do more clinical or research-focused? There are so many opportunities to turn these characteristics into a visual representation offering an opportunity to connect with the patient.

The results of your business headshot photography should be to make clients or patients feel comfortable and familiar with you before they walk through the door. While we all know what it is like to visit the doctor there can be some anxiety around it for patients. Help them understand who you are and get more familiar with you by strategically using a corporate headshot photographer.

Corporate Headshot Photography for Medical Practice Staff

Which of your staff should you have your professional business photographers cover? We recommend anyone who will see or treat the patient. Obviously doctors should be covered, but we recommend any practioner, including nurses and alternative care providers that will come in close contact with the patient. It is great to have an individual corporate headshot of these individuals so you can some kind of individualized bio to match.

No think about reception, billing, procurement, etc. As for the rest of your team, they make the wheels turn and having a photo of them never hurts. It is perfectly acceptable to do a group photograph for this part of the team. Including a nice photo of these people on your website can help start the patients relationship with the non-medical team on a positive note.

Photography The Office

Your office is likely designed to feel comfortable and organized for your patients. Use yoru Business photographers to show what your patients what they will see when they walk through the door. Include photos of your examination rooms. It inspires confidence to see a clean, professional space with the right kind of equipment.

A proper edit of images provided by our professional business photographers will help you share a full picture of your medical business. Using corporate photographers to cover website headshots and the physical aspects of your practice will inspire confidence and comfort in your new and existing clients.

Predictions and Solutions For When Companies Open

For a minute there, it seemed like we might be getting back into our New York business photography. We were optimistic, albeit cautiously so. Now, though, with the resurgence of cases we can see that it will still be some time before we are back to business.

That said, we are getting the well-spaced, tentative calls from new and current clients. Most are for one-off headshots and the occasional small group. These kinds of projects can be done safely and seem manageable. We went into this at length in a previous blog post. And it is comforting in that it tells us people are still needing New York business photographers. Our service is still valued.

We would love to see things pick up, but know that it's still early. Coronavirus is still, sadly, going strong and it's not a time to bring people together.

Now that we have had a few calls, though, we are thinking a lot about what the shorter terms will look like. We are thinking about who, as soon as the virus subsides, will want to have new and updated photos for their businesses. We are thinking about why corporate headshot photographers will be a priority.

Seeing The Importance of Headshot Photography – Through the Lens of Coronavirus

Most of our businesses are prioritizing headshots for many of the same reasons. But the logic behind pushing forward is a little different. For example, business still feel that business headshots need to be current. Only now, the interest in having a current headshot not only signals that you are a forward thinking professional. It signals that you are STILL IN BUSINESS! It is a big unknown as to who will survive this and seeing current content and new headshot photos is a promising sign that your favorite vendors are still plugging along.

As we are looking through and staying connected with our clients, we are also wondering who is still in the same positions, who has been laid off and who has moved onto a new opportunity. While this is always a question among professional relations, never have we been faced with so many major and quick changes in our professional communities.

This is happening all the time in our own business. We are looking at our vendors and wondering, what changes will we see when business ramps up. Will our printers still be in business? Will we be able to rely on the retouchers, the assistants, the photo equipment rental houses? Seeing updated photography and communications from the vendors we love has been a comfort.

Another reason that people will be quick to get the corporate headshot when they can, is simple: It is good to put a face with a name. And once again, COVID amplifies this need. We cannot be together for the normal meetings. While a Zoom call can help us solve some in-person meeting challenges, a nice, professional headshot is part of your toolbox in getting to that meeting. Further, if you have not met pre-zoom, having a familiarity, recognizing a face, can make that Zoom meeting slightly less awkward. Post your business headshot on your website and LinkedIn and your client will actually recognize you on that call.

Our next prediction is that when businesses start to open in a meaningful way, many will want to re-launch with a bang. During the COVID pandemic, heavily impacted businesses whose work has dropped off have been repurposing their time. We see a lot of focus on outreach, social media planning and, of course, constant pivoting their products and services. The question businesses are addressing is, what can we do while we are shut? So now, we have seen an interest in updating websites, getting marketing collateral in order and being ready to shine when doors open. We know our companies see us as a resource for this kind of stepped up brand imagery. We hope to be a partner in getting everyone back to where they want to be, pre-Coronavirus.

How Can We Tackle This?

We have talked about how our New York corporate headshot photographers can perform safely for groups. See our last blog post regarding how to handle a photo shoot in your office safely. You will see that we have safety guidelines in place. We can keep distance between all parties and do the shoot in a no-touch manner.

But what if your staff is in multiple locations? There was once a time when clients would bring us in to cover business headshots at giant sales meeting in Las Vegas or Orlando or right at home in New York City. Companies would bring their sales teams in from all over the country (sometimes, the world) to collaborate, do training and get a headshot by The Booth! Having everyone together solved the problem of creating consistent, company-wide headshots.

Well, let's just say my calendar is no longer full of large sales meetings packed with networking and togetherness. It will come back, but for now, virtual meetings are the name of the game. We are yet to figure out how to take a good headshot through video conferencing.

When the time is right, companies will start to make concrete plans on how business photographers can operate safely. For those with only one centrally located office, this should be pretty easy. For those times and, we predict, several months thereafter, we will be focusing on regional projects and will be thinking about how we can serve our clients who have multiple offices in cities across the country.

We have ideas and options on how to keep the corporate headshot photography consistent while keeping all of the photography on a regional, limited travel, plan. Here are a few ideas so you can start planning for your multi-city corporate headshot project without getting everyone together.

1. Have your photographer create a look and lighting plan for solid backgrounds. Consistency of light will do more to tie your photos together visually than any other element of your photo plan. Have your key photographer create a plan for how he or she set up the studio and lights. Photographers in other cities and regions can use this plan to set up lights that match the original shot. Boom. Photos will be consistent and no one will know that they where shot by a New York City headshot photographer or a Denver headshot photographer.

2. See #1, but create a corporate headshot lighting plan that would work for different environmental views. Have your key photographer create a lighting plan for 2+ background options in your space. Again, that photographer can share his/her plan with other offices where they can pick 1 or 2 background/environmental options. The backgrounds will vary, but the overall look will be consistent.

3. Greenscreen! Choose a background that you like at your New York office. Our headshot photographer in New York will take a photo without anyone on that background. Next shoot your subjects against a green screen or neutral background in every location. In post-production a retoucher will clip the subject off that background and place the subject onto the original, universal background being used by the rest of the firm.

Other Types of Business Photography

Because of the togetherness factor, the headshot photography piece is the most difficult one to tackle. We can't get large groups together when we are trying to stay apart.

The other part of a visual launch is general business photography that might include office shots, product photography and other imagery related to a company's product. These kinds of shoots can be easier to plan for since it will not require being together in the same way as large numbers of corporate headshots. Product photography is easy. It requires a very small team to make it happen. Office photography or photography of your business in action can be staged in a way that keeps people at a distance. Thoughtful planning around what shots you need and how to get to the right look will be key.

In Conclusion

As we see trends around re-opening businesses, we will continue to think through how we can be a resource on the business photography piece. We are looking forward to serving our clients as soon as it is safely possible!

New York corporate headshot photographers

Safety Standards for The Booth

Your favorite New York Corporate Headshot Photographers are reopening, and many of you are starting to pick up on postponed business photography projects. You can rest assured that The Booth will be ready to carefully and safely serve your needs.

Here is our Coronavirus safety plan:

1. Small Crew – Reduce exposure by reducing the number of staff we bring on-site. At times this will mean just the corporate headshot photographer. Other times we might need to add an assistant. You will have names and contact information on who to expect.

2. Masks/Gloves – Our staff will wear masks and gloves.

3. Social Distancing – The studio will be set up so that the photographer can maintain a 6'+ distance from the subject at all times.

4. Rules of engagement – Instructions for the shoot will be sent to your team prior to the shoot, explaining what the subject needs to know about how the shoot will run. This will minimize the amount of time the subject will spend in the room with the headshot photographer.

5. Zero contact – Subjects will not be in physical contact with the portrait photographer or any photography gear. Should there be accidental contact, the photographer will clean the affected item between subjects.

6. Individualized Scheduling – To eliminate subjects from coming in contact with each other, individual sessions will be scheduled ahead of time via an online scheduling tool to allow for arrival time, shooting time and departure time.

7. Digital File Delivery – We will deliver files digitally in individualized galleries for image selection. Once subject is done with their shoot, they can leave the room.

8. Cleaning – Equipment will be disinfected at the end of each day and, at any point throughout the day that it is deemed necessary.

New York corporate headshot photographer

Corporate Headshot Photography & Creativity

When one conjures the idea of a headshot, their first idea might be of a traditional man or woman in a suit in front of a backdrop. My image is of a guy in a brown suit against a mottled tan background – some 70's version.

Thankfully, this kind of photography has come a very long way. Professionals want to look modern and fashion-forward. Scroll through LinkedIn and you will see that this old time-y idea is no longer the norm at all. As New York business photographers, we love to see the plethora of new ideas that have come to be valid and legitimate options for corporate headshot photography. 

As far as creative direction is concerned, we have two types of clients: 1) Clients that prefer a clean and conservative, but updated, image and 2) Clients that want “something different”.

Most clients that come to us are looking for an update to their current look, whether it's a clean and traditional feel or something completely distinctive and creative. Company culture has shifted, styles are new and workplaces are different, whether in New York, Philadelphia, or Washington DC. Company culture and style needs to be signaled in their new corporate headshot look.

Clients usually come to us during the following times in their visual branding cycles:

1. In the midst of a complete rebranding. They are updating EVERYTHING, from website to print materials to logo. They want a new look and want professional headshot photos of their team to reflect that.

2. Need updated visuals. Everyone's a little older and the company wants to visually signal that they are updating and staying current with the times. They want a fresh new headshot look.

Once a company knows they would like to make this visual change, they have to make the difficult decisions on how they want their staff to be represented. If you’re rebranding completely, the sky's the limit. Working alone or together with a branding or design professional, the company has many options and can work through how different choices will work inside of their brand. By the time they come to decisions around professional headshot photography and executive portraits, the company will have some guidelines in place. We are glad to take part in those final collaborations and bring those decisions home.

Clients in category 2 have many of the decisions from category 1 in place. They are likely looking for continuity of their existing brand. They want something updated, but not completely different.

Check out our blog post about branding and corporate headshot photography here.

Breaking Down The Creative Process

Categorizing creative options can help put structure to what can feel like an unwieldy decision. Start with the below ideas:

Solid or Environmental Background

One of the biggest decisions companies make about their business headshots is whether they use a solid background (using a backdrop) or environmental background (using the office or location).

A solid background is a clean and consistent option. It works well for large organizations that need their business headshot photos to be consistent and dependable. For example, a company with 100+ employees might have specific brand guidelines. This helps them to establish consistency across look and specific size requirements. Perhaps they do not need just a New York executive headshot photographer. They need to cover people in multiple locations. They also want to make sure new hires will all have the same look in their photos. They might need to consider how to maintain this consistency in offices in more than one location. The easiest and most obvious way to do this is to pick a specific background color that can be sourced easily and adopted over space and time.

On the other hand, environmental photography offers an opportunity to showcase a beautiful office space, an impressive library, or a significant graphic element. Using interiors and other design elements around your office is an opportunity to share something about the character, direction and professionalism of your company.

While there have been trends towards environmental photography, there are some challenges. The first challenge to overcome is whether you have a photography-appropriate space. Consider whether the background is going to look good and/or really illustrates something important about your company. Other things to think about: Is it big enough to set up studio lights or is the space bright enough for natural light? Is it a high traffic area that people need to access throughout the day and therefore disrupt the shoot?

The other challenge is creating consistency across locations with an environmental headshot. If your people are across town, you can arrange to have them visit one location for headshots. If they are in different cities, you would need a separate solution. In this case you might consider environmental headshots with a consistent look and feel, but that is deliberately different. Pick 3 locations so you maintain consistency on your website, but nothing stands out as different. You can also consider retouching as a means to create consistency. If you want the same environmental background but have multiple offices in multiple cities, consider shooting the headshots on a solid background and superimposing the business portraits onto an environmental background image or what we call a ‘plate’. 

For example, if you’re a New York company but you have offices in Washington DC or Philadelphia, instead of looking for a different Washington DC corporate headshot photographer or a different Philadelphia corporate headshot photographer, you can have one team shoot against the same solid background and edit in the exact background plate from New York. This is a quick and simple solution to a multifaceted situation!

Color vs Black & White

The vast majority of our clients opt for color photos. It is by far the standard for corporate headshot photography for all the obvious reasons. Color adds a vibrancy and can be used to connect to other branding elements for a business.

On the flip side, we do use black and white corporate photography to excellent results for our clients who are seeking an editorial or documentary feel. When shooting in black and white you are relying on contrast, tone, shadow, shape and texture to tell your story. It allows for a more minimalistic design for companies or groups wanting something elegant but not too busy. We have been able to balance those characteristics to great effect for design firms, educational institutions and advertising agencies.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Quality of Light

Quality of light is defined as how hard or soft the light is in your photos. Here are a couple of examples to illustrate this.

The example on the left is a very soft light. It can be achieved by very large light sources close to the subject. On the right is a harder light, achieved by a more focused light source. A wide open soft light tends to be very flattering amongst ages and skin tones. While we don't tend to go super hard on our light, we do sometimes push towards a harder light to create more dimension and drama in a professional headshot. It all depends on the creative direction for the executive portraits.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Crop

Most business headshots are slightly angled, but centered, shoulders up, vertically cropped. Again, if 'consistent' and 'traditional' are the names of your game, this is perfect. Should you want something a little different, try an off-center crop. Done with purpose, it can add an unique element.

There are a few ways to switch up your crop. You can stick with that vertical shoulder's up standard framing, but turn people a little more in the frame and fill up different, more extreme quadrants. Another look is to switch to a horizontal orientation and push your subject all the way to the right or left.

Case Studies:

Solid background. Very basic but very beautiful. You cannot go wrong with a warm grey background. It is neutral and everyone looks good against it. Colors pop off of this background color. They will not clash.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Colorful background. This is a photograph that we did for Culture.... Bumblebiz was focusing on millennial female professionals who were attending a career development conference. They wanted a New York corporate headshot photographer that could achieve a forward-minded New York business portrait look against pink. These were the fabulous results.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Law Firm. While some law firms choose a more conservative look, this firm expertly combined a professional look with a sense of approachability. They chose a soft, open, almost natural-light look against an office background. Notice that they were focused on the suggestion of a professional surroundings. They played with depth of field so that it didn't feel too specific.

Tech Professional. This is an executive portrait we did for Forbes Magazine. They wanted an environmental portrait that was a straightforward illustration of what the subject did. The whiteboard behind him was full of formulas and it became clear that this would be a perfect background. Note that the quality of light was very different for this portrait than from the law firm portrait above. Both are signaling professionalism, but this is a harder, more focused light.

Black & White + Crop. In the example below, we see two design elements at play. We were covering a forward-thinking group at a conference in NYC. We knew we would have media and beauty industry attendees coming for a headshot and thought they would be open to something less traditional. We went with a more editorial black and white look, still soft and open light. We also changed up the crop for each subject. This is an example where every subject is cropped slightly differently, but the overall look pulls together and could be used on the same webpage.

View fullsize

View fullsize

These are great places to start when deciding on the creative direction for your new company corporate headshots. Once you find what works for your company you can fine tune your decisions and create photos that are perfect for your brand.

New York corporate headshot photographers

7 Famous Photographers That Revolutionized Photography

Who are the world's most famous photographers? 

Alfred Ansel once said, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” A photograph can be much more than just an image, it can tell a story deeper about whatever message the photographer wishes to convey. 

While most days, we focus on being New York Corporate Headshot Photographers, we also like to look at the very creative side to photography. There are different reasons why some images have been able to make an impact on the world. The images invoke emotion and tell an important story about a place in time.

We’ve created a list of some of the world’s most renowned photographers. There are so many inspiring messages that can be translated through their creative visual images, and many lessons to be perceived from their work.

Let’s take a look at 7 influential artists who have greatly impacted the photography world through their contemporary perception and prodigious artistic talent. 

Shells 1927, printed later © reserved

7. Edward Henry Weston (March 24, 1886- January 1, 1958) 

He was a famous American still life photographer of the 20th-century. Throughout his 40-year photography career, Weston photographed an ever-expanding collection of subjects. Amongst these were still lifes, portraits, nudes, and landscapes.

Weston began focusing his talent on portraits after working on nature photography (trees and rocks) in California during 1937. He was innovative in his approach and style, making a huge impact on modern photography. 

---

John Lennon and Yoko Ono, The Dakota, New York, December 8, 1980

6. Annie Leibovitz (October 2, 1949 - Present)

She is a famous American portrait photographer as well, known for her style that set her apart. One of her most famous images was of John Lennon and Yoko, on the day of his assassination. On January 22, 1981, Rolling Stone published Leibovitz’s photograph leaving a huge impact on the world.

Her photography has been recognized in several media outlets, as well as in an exhibition in Washington’s National Gallery during 1991. She was a famous photographer because of her unique ability to capture images of people that told a more personal story about them.

---

Serra Pelada Gold Mine, Brazil, 1986

5. Sebastião Salgado (February 8, 1944 - Present)

Far from the world of corporate headshot photography is Sebastiao Selgado. He is journalist, famous for his ability to depict tragedy through his photographs. Salgado traveled the world taking photos, visiting over 120 different countries. 

During the 1990’s, Salgado had a new project in Rwanda, Africa. His new photography project turned out to be very impactful, as there were horrible acts being committed in these countries that were unknown to much of the world outside that country. In Rwanda, there was genocide and devastation caused by the killing and pillaging of these innocent people. 

This dark period inspired Salgado and his wife Lelia to focus on rebuilding the forests in Brazil. Currently, nearly two decades later, the forest has two million planted trees and an increase in nearly extinct populations of native animals. Photographers can get inspired from their own work to do something greater, in this case making a difference on the planet too. 

---

Albert Camus, 1947

4. Henri Cartier Bresson (August 22, 1908 – August 3, 2004)

He was a French photographer, famous for his candid photography. In 1932 he started to use the Leica camera, and it was history from there on out.  While he was no headshot photographer, he was very interested in capturing people living their lives and doing their work.

Renowned as one of the first photographers using mostly 35mm film, he founded a new genre within his field - street photography.

He published his first book, The Decisive Moment and in it, he states, “For me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously. In order to give a “meaning” to the world, one has to feel involved in what one frame through the viewfinder.”

He had a different perspective about photography for which he received a large number of awards and prizes. 

---

Baigneurs sur la Marne 1944

3. Robert Doisneau (1912-1994)

He was a French photographer and photojournalist, whose photos have become beloved and idolized by many aspiring photographers today. He captured images of a variety of subjects, mostly French people caught in a surreal moment of everyday acts.

He was a photographer for an advertising agency called Renault until 1939 and didn’t return to photojournalism until 1951. In between this time, he worked during the war with the resistance in France and for French Vogue for a few years. 

Doisneau has been a featured photographer around the world from the Bibliotheque National in Paris, to the Art Institute of Chicago and the George Eastman House (NY). He has become widely recognized and highly esteemed within the photography community. 

---

The Robert Capa and Cornell Capa Archive, Gift of Cornell and Edith Capa, 2010

2. Robert Capa (Oct 22, 1913 - May 25, 1954)

Robert Capa was known as ‘The Greatest War Photographer in the World’. He was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1913 and was originally named Andre Friedmann by his Jewish parents. Capa attended the Deutsche Hochschule  für Politik in Berlin and studied political science. In 1933 he settled in Paris after he was threatened by Nazis and driven to flee the country. It was there that he met photographer and journalist Gerda Taro, and he was represented by Alliance Photo. Together they created the influential American photographer, Robert Capa. He began to sell his printed photography under that name. 

Capa met Earnest Hemingway, and befriended famous photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson, and David ‘Chim’ Seymour. From 1936 forward, Capa’s photography of the Spanish Civil War began to frequently appear. His international reputation as ‘The Greatest War Photographer in the World’ was earned by his photograph of a fatally wounded Loyalist soldier. This photograph became a powerful and influential symbol of war.

---

Mount Williamson- Clearing Storm - Adam Ansel, 1944

1. Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984) 

He was an American photographer well known for his black-and-white landscape photographs. Ansel Easton Adams was a passionate environmentalist and enjoyed photographing Western America, most famous for those of Yosemite National Park. 

Adams generally shot with a large-format camera to optimize the sharpness of his photographs with their high resolution. The zone system was developed by Ansel and his colleague Fred Archer to determine the proper exposure and to adjust the contrast of the final printed image. This resulted in-depth and clarification which represented his photographs and influenced the work of those he taught the system to. Ansel Easton Adams’s photographs can be enjoyed by its viewers in a variety of formats, as they are reproduced in books, on posters, and calendars.

View our blog including content about Ansel’s Zone system here: 

These Photographers Are Unique, Yet They Have Each Contributed to Modern Photography

Photography is not a new concept in the 21st Century, the thing that changes are styles and technology. Sometimes a certain style becomes trendy as certain images become influential. The bottom line is, famous photographers have changed the future of imagery and made an impact larger than words can describe - so the pictures will do just fine.

Which Famous Photographers Did We Miss?

A whole bunch! It's impossible to pick just one photographer as the greatest in the world, there are hundreds of other incredible photographers not included in this list. Everyone has different opinions, we just wanted to share a few of the top photographers in history that made an impact on the world. 

---

Citations:

Intro Quote: https://spark.adobe.com/page/g9tj6VHGPjdqT/

https://shotkit.com/famous-photographers/

https://www.all-about-photo.com/photographers/famous-photographers.php

https://expertphotography.com/create-stunning-black-and-white-landscape-photography/

Leibovitz:https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-annie-leibovitz-perfectly-captured-yoko-johns-relationship

Salgado: http://www.artnet.com/artists/sebasti%C3%A3o-salgado/serra-pelada-gold-mine-brazil-1986-a-8_gisXP8lyRgdU6ukhmLgA2

Doiseneau: https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/objects/outside-rene-garraud

Bresson quote: https://www.henricartierbresson.org/en/hcb/

http://www.artnet.com/artists/henri-cartier-bresson/albert-camus-a-Yzncz3rwe4lalxOGCoaSNg2

Capa: https://www.all-about-photo.com/photographers/photographer/72/robert-capa

https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/objects/children-of-an-orphanage-sitting-in-circle-and-dancing-in-a-garden-in-2

Ansel: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ansel-Adams-American-photographer

Ansel Zone system: http://blog.reallyrightstuff.com/the-zone-system-and-the-digital-photographer/

Office Headshots - This Grey or That Grey

Our New York headshot photographers love a good grey background. It is, by far, the most popular background choice by our clients. It is universally flattering and almost everyone looks good against it in their corporate headshot photography. It is also the most neutral place to start thinking about creative choices. When you start with grey you can, next, start to think about how to differentiate your images.

Grey for Corporate Headshots - So Many Choices

Let's take a moment to appreciate all of these wonderful options grey has to offer. First there is the wide range of grey – light, dark, cool, warm. Then there is the idea of dimension - flat, textured, etc. There is so much to consider for our business photographers trying to get our clients just the right look!

If a client is looking for the most neutral option from their New York business photographer, we recommend going with 18% grey. What does this mean? It is based on reflection of light. On the spectrum between the reflection of light from white to black it is exactly in the middle. Thus middle of the road. Neutral. The Switzerland of grey, if you will.

White shirts and colorful dresses pop off of this grey. Black clothing can easily separate from this grey. All skin tones look good. Frankly, if you have a corporate headshot photographer that knows how to setup a light, it is very hard to go wrong with an 18% grey background.

Here are a few examples of how our New York corporate headshot photographers worked on that very very neutral grey.

What about texture? If you are looking to jazz up your grey a bit, why not consider a grey with some texture. This can be achieved through exposure or, through the type of grey background you are using.

Here is an example of a background where our New York business photographer chose to integrate the subtle texture of the background paper.

Here is an example of a painted background that is painted to give it real texture. This background artist used a variety of greys, layering them to create variation across the background. It is still grey, but the difference is significant. There is much more dimension to the background.

White That Is Grey

Now here is one that might really flip your brain around. Sometimes a subject can be photographed against a grey background, but it reads as grey. Here is a great example of that. This corporate headshot was photographed on white, but the result is a gradient grey background.

I know. Take a second to absorb that.

You can see that the center is brighter and as the eye moves out to the edges, it gets more grey. There is no true white on this photo even though it was photographed on white.

Grey With a Dash Of Color

Finally, and this is for the advanced color geeks in our audience (raising my hand here), grey can shift from red to green to blue tones and everything in between. There are so many factors that can create a color tone or color shift in an image. There can be some kind of ambient lighting (room light) that casts a tone. Lights have a color temperature measured by kelvins. You know, when you goto the hardware store to pickup a light bulb you will choose between cool white, daylight, warm light, etc.

This is something that the business headshot photographer can make happen on-site with his/her lighting choices. Often the headshot photographer or retoucher will make additional enhancements in the post-production (post- corporate headshot shoot) in Photoshop or another editing software. This happens if the client needs the tone of the photos to match other elements of the company branding materials. It is a common edit request and something that can really create better cohesion in the overall look of a website or other branding items.

So, as you can see, grey is more than just grey. While we love that 18% neutral and appreciate the consistency and beauty it provides for every subject, it's fun to see the wide range of opportunities inside this color family.

LATEST POSTS

On-Site Image Selection

With on-site image selection, subjects can work with their New York corporate headshot Photographer to email their image to themselves directly from the session.  It is a rewarding experience for the subject and a huge time-saver for the planner.

The on-site image selection process is tremendously useful for staff and conference photography.  It works the same in both scenarios:

Guest takes a photo

Guests steps over to the  iPad kiosk to review their photos.

Guests select the image(s) that they like and enter their email. (screenshots of sm tool)

Photos are immediately sent to the subject.

On-Site Image Selection – Conferences

If you have been to a conference anytime in the last decade you know the biggest challenges are to stand out and to create good connections.

Place us near your booth, or assign us a few brand ambassadors and you can make focus on raising brand awareness with those waiting in line.

Add signage and use our many branding opportunities (on iPad kiosk screens, in custom text, etc.) to keep your brand on their mind.

Extend your brand awareness after the event – this new photo will be a valuable and widely used tool in each of those contact's professional profile.  You are extending your brand's touch as long as that contact uses their new photo!

On-site Image Selection – Editing Made Easy.

Here's another speed bump when updating your staff's headshot photography.  Getting everyone to select an image.

Our on-site selection tool is perfect for those companies that need a quick turnaround.

After each team member takes a photo, they step over to our iPad kiosk.  Right there and then they select the image they want. We send you a spreadsheet and a gallery with those selections.

Done and done.