When you take corporate portraits, you need to understand and know the purpose of these pictures. The main thing you need to look out for when taking corporate portraits is to make the shooting people appear confident and bold.
Do you know some corporate portrait photography tips to shoot some great headshots?
It is not easy for everyone to look confident in pictures. You also need to adjust the posture of your subject and make them stand straight.
In this article, let’s look at some corporate portrait photography tips and the equipment required to take some excellent headshots.
Taking Corporate Portrait Pictures Indoors
Capturing portraits of people is not an easy task if you need to click it inside the office. When the office has a glass room and has dull lights inside, it will be difficult for the photographer to take pictures.
It will be difficult for them to deal with the light coming from outside and also the reflections. It is challenging to capture portraits that need to be put up on company websites or in a magazine.
For indoor portraits, you will need to think about how to set the lighting. Choose a background for your setup. Look at other equipment and things you will need.
Photography Inside The Office With Surrounding Light
When you look at the location for photography, you need to pay attention to the surrounding environment and the lighting. If the office room has large windows and there is good light around, the photographer may not need to use a flashgun. You can switch off the office lights and rely on the light coming from outside for some good portraits.
Make sure there is good light coming while taking the client’s portraits. Make sure the pictures come out sharp and clear and are not too bright.
Taking Pictures Inside The Office Using Flash
If the client is standing in front of the window, then the picture will not come out well with the surrounding light without using flash. It is because there is too much light coming from outside.
So if you want the outside scenery in your picture, you will need to use a flash. There are different ways you can light up the office space. You can use some lighting equipment or a light diffuser.
You can use a mono softbox by Westcott. It is excellent for taking headshots and corporate photography. It is compact and easy to set up.
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Westcott Softbox 28-inch light modifies that acts as a light source and is great for some great headshots.
If you are looking for a good flash lite, we recommend you flash Speedlite by Neewer. It is compatible with almost all DSLR cameras and has different flash modes.
Tips To Take Portraits Inside The Office Without Exposing A Lot Of Light
- Use just one flashlight to reduce the reflection of light from the surrounding windows.
- Using a softbox to control the surrounding light is better than using an umbrella.
- Place the softbox properly. Make sure it highlights the client and does not scatter around in the room.
- Place the softbox somewhere on the side. Do not place it near the window and make sure its shadow is not reflected from the window. You can also place the light a little higher and point it downwards at around 45°. Click pictures with the camera down. This way, you won’t see the flash on the window.
Taking Corporate Portrait Pictures Outdoors
You can make use of the light outdoors without using flash. You can use reflectors to remove the shadows. Using natural light outdoors makes the picture come out great and even highlights the people.
A reflector by Etekcity is an excellent light reflector. It comes with different reflective shades according to the need. It is ideal for both outdoor and indoor photography.
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Etechcity Reflector Lightweight multi-disc photo reflector to eliminate sun’s rays on the client
You can choose a shady area and set your camera and lights as per your need. As there is a lot of natural light, you may not need to put any sidelights or rim lights.
Try clicking pictures in manual mode. Try to highlight the portraits of the clients and expose them off the background.
Related
Tips To Take Great Headshots
#1 Consult With The Client Before Taking Portraits
Before you start taking portraits of clients, make sure you know how the pictures are to be used and the style your client is looking for. You can have a consultation with the client on the phone or face-to-face.
A face-to-face consultation will help your subject relax and prepare well for the portrait photography session.
Also, make sure you know the profession of your client. A corporate lawyer may require a clean white background for portrait photography. Some businesses may need a colorful background.
Make sure you know the client’s requirements in the consultation session and be prepared for it.
#2 Think About What Your Client Will Be Wearing
For some great headshots, neutral colors look great. If it’s a formal shoot, make sure everyone wears formal work clothes or carries one with them. Make sure the subject wears something plain.
A lot of corporate portraits are converted into black and white pictures. So make sure the subject wears solid and neutral tones.
#3 Choose The Right Lens For Portraits
Choosing the right lens is essential to consider when taking portraits. Portraits look great with wide apertures. Make sure the focal length is at the proper distance from the subject.
A 20mm lens will be too close to the subject. A 200mm lens will be far away from the subject, and it won’t be apparent. A focal length range between 60mm to 130mm will give excellent results. A lens having a low light capability is perfect for portrait pictures. It should have a sharp focus.
A canon EF 85mm lens has an f/1.2 aperture. It is excellent for portrait shots. The lens is great where shallow depth of field is required.
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Canon EF 85mm Made for low-light shoot and great for creative portraits
#4 Background
Having the right background is essential to consider for corporate photographs. Many times the background is being overlooked. For corporate portrait photographs, the background should be neutral. It should not be distracting and very colorful. A grey background with some light is a great option to go for. If the client has some preference of background, go with that.
Please don’t go for paper backgrounds, as they are not a good choice for corporate portraits.
#5 Make The Client Stand Away From The Background
For some good portraits, make sure the client stands a bit away from the background.
If you are using a wall of your office as your background, make sure the client does not stand too close to the wall. The client’s shadow may be seen on the walls and will not make the picture look professional.
#6 Have Conversation With The Client Before Taking Pictures
When you take headshots of a person or a team, make sure to have a general talk with them. Make them feel relaxed and comfortable.
People feel a bit nervous when getting professional photographs clicked. Having a general talk with them, like where they stay or the kind of work they do, will help make them comfortable.
#7 Try Making Some Funny Faces In Front Of the Camera
An excellent way to make the client relax is to ask them to make a funny face. This will help the client relax in front of the camera. You can do this to test the lighting as well.
It is one of the great ways to break the ice. Most people don’t refuse to do it. Once the client feels relaxed and comfortable, it becomes easy to take great headshots.
#8 Lighting And The Clients Pose
For corporate photography, you can start with a light background. Try taking pictures with just one light at a time. Test each light and look at which one looks best.
Have a proper lighting setup before capturing portraits. Have good lighting above and use a reflector from below.
Make sure the subject is standing straight and away from the camera. The client must be appropriately positioned in front of the camera.
You will have to guide the client on how and where to look. Make them look straight towards the lens. Many people get nervous and look off-camera or somewhere else.
#9 Camera Setting
After setting the lightings and background, make sure the camera setting is proper. The camera should have a fast shutter speed. A 35mm camera lens will help make the client’s face look sharp.
#10 Make The Client Sit And Then Take Portraits
People find it comfortable sitting and posing for pictures. Make sure to place their hands in front of their thighs. This way, it makes the picture look professional and good.
Also, make sure the clients or the subject knows how to pose while sitting. They should not move around a lot.
#11 Adjustments As Required
For some great headshots, the client will have to make some changes in their pose. These minor adjustments will help to get great portraits. The photographer should guide the clients on how much head to tilt, lean, and pose. The expression of a client makes a lot of difference.
The photographer will have to tell the client to change the specific expression and position to get the perfect portrait photographs.
#12 Have A Talk With The Client And Be Positive
While clicking pictures of the clients, make sure to talk with your clients. Tell them that they are posing it right and they are looking great.
Even if you are not getting a good picture of a client because of the wrong pose or lighting issue, don’t let the client know. So keep talking with the client and be positive always.
Involve the client in some talk and make them laugh or smile and click pictures naturally. By clicking photographs this way, you can see the difference in your client’s expression.
#13 Try Scheduling Photo Sessions In The Morning
Early morning photo sessions are the best. Try to plan the photo session at least an hour before the business work time. The clients may look tired after the workday. The photo will not come out to be good as well.
#14 Editing And Giving The Final Touch
It would be best if you gave some final touch to corporate portraits. You need to correct certain things like stray hairs or remove anything from the background. Retouching is required to make the picture look perfect.
Group Shots
Taking group pictures is not an easy task. You will need more lighting for group pictures. If it’s a small group of people, it can be done with just an umbrella. You might need a significant background or make sure everyone stands close to each other.
If you have a large group of people, you will require more lighting and other equipment.
Group pictures will come out good outside in some shady place. You will not require any additional light source.
It would help if you made sure everyone in the group looks good. Place them according to their height. You can talk with them and make them laugh at some joke. Make them laugh naturally and click pictures.
You can click a lot of pictures and then select the best ones afterward.
If you need to take a group picture inside the office, you can set a light stand and get a flashgun. You can put it in manual mode. Place it at around 45° towards the group of people.
You will have to see how much additional light you will need beforehand. Make sure you have enough light in the room that highlights everyone in the group. Set the camera ISO accordingly.
Conclusion
For portrait photography, you need the right set of equipment and skills. To get some great headshots, you need to be confident and able to lead the project yourself.
You will have to deal with people you may feel nervous and uncomfortable while clicking portraits. Having a good talk with the clients and making them laugh will help them feel comfortable and relaxed.
The above corporate portrait photography tips will help you get an idea to take perfect portraits.
