Corporate Head Shot FAQ

These days having a professional portrait is as important as ever. When you are asked to provide a head shot for a trade magazine or when you upload your picture to a social media site like LinkedIn or Facebook, you will want to have great images to choose from. Snapping a shot with your cell phone camera in the hallway outside your office isn’t gonna cut it. Unless you are a creative professional you have probably never had to hire a photographer. The following is the first installment in a series of Frequently Asked Questions that will help you understand all of the various parts to a professional photo shoot. For more information about corporate photography, check out jonathangayman.com/corporate

How do I know what kind of portrait I am going to need?

When you are ready to start thinking about have a portrait made, the first thing you should do is set up a time to talk over the project with me. I will be able to give you a recommendation on what I think will work best for you. The most important piece of information you can give me is an outline of what you’re going to be using the images for. If you’re going to be using the images for proposals, trade publications, general marketing and social media, a professional head shot is probably what you need. If you need images for an ad campaign or a annual report, you may need something a little more complex. I would be happy to schedule an in-person meeting or phone consultation to determine what will best suit your needs!

Do you shoot in a studio or on location?

Rather than making your head shot in a studio in front of the proverbial gray backdrop, I specialize in custom and creative location portraits. Choosing the location for your head shot is a big decision. We will talk over your marketing strategy together and will find a location that will suit your particular needs. For a head shot, the best location is one that provides an interesting visual texture to the image and is aesthetically pleasing without drawing attention away from the most important part of the image: you!

Can we shoot my head shot in at my office?

Your own office or home are the perfect places to start with our location search. Working locally means I will be able to provide images that are uniquely suited to your needs and reflect your every day environment. As an added bonus, working at your location means that you won’t have to take as much time out of your busy day to travel to a studio – I bring the studio to you!

My office isn’t very exciting, can we still shoot the head shots here?

In many cases, your office is the perfect place for your head shot – even if you think your particular space is boring. Over the years I have seen my fair share of drab office spaces and I have a lot of experience making even the most basic spaces look exciting.

Can you do head shots for a whole team?

Yes! Consistent head shots for your entire team can be a powerful marketing tool. I can help you create a library of images of your team that can be used individually or side by side. Once I know the number of people on your team and we decide on the specifics for your shoot I’ll be able to provide you with a time estimate to photograph the whole team. In addition to individual head shots, I can also photograph your team as a group.

Are you able to work within the confines of my company’s brand?

Many companies work with branding experts to develop a look and feel that is standard across all of their marketing materials and publications. I have extensive experience working with corporate branding and will work with your marketing and creative teams to make images which work within your brand guidelines.

I need something a little more complex than a head shot for my marketing needs. Can you help?

Yes indeed! In addition to head shots I also do corporate portraits, group portraits, and annual report photography. If your marketing needs are more involved and require something more than a simple head shot I would be happy to discuss the details with you. Depending on the type of shots you have in mind, there may be some additional logistics that factor into a location decision, particularly one that involves shooting on public or private property you or your company doesn’t own. Give me a call and let me know what you have in mind and I’d be happy to provide you with a recommendation.

Do you have experience working with marketing departments and creative teams?

You bet! Prior to opening my photography business I worked in corporate creative departments for more than ten years. With a background in graphic design, I can work with your creative team, marketing department, or agency to make images that fit seamlessly into a new or existing marketing campaign. Feel free to have your creative professionals contact me with questions, or we can sit down together as a group and figure out exactly what will work best for your situation.