Corporate headshots vs corporate portraits.

I often get asked what's the difference between a headshot and a portrait when talking to clients about their corporate or personal branding needs.

In summary, a headshot is seemingly what is it, a snapshot of who you are as a person. It more often includes just your head and sometimes shoulders, but more importantly is just a snapshot of you!

Corporate Headshot

Here I show how I have captured a typical corporate headshot, where the story is told by the individual and their facial characteristics, rather than their body language or the corporate environment they are in.

A portrait on the other hand, implies a more purposeful photographic technique, including greater attention to lighting and the pose of the individual; which can vary from a close up of that persons face, to a full-length photograph of the person that incorporates the gestures from body, as well as their facial characteristics.

Corporate Portrait

Here I capture the Managing Director of Impact Radius, who needed a press release article for the launch of his company here in Australia.

This image was selected as it not only captured his corporate authority, but also provided a new and fresh approach to the usual indoor photoshoot we see senior executives in, which is exactly how this company, wanted to be represented as new and fresh.

Whilst I take both headshots and portraits for corporates and individuals, I first determine the purpose of the photograph they are asking me to take and their intended audience. This helps me then decide if headshot would suffice or if a more complex character portrait is more suitable.

With Linkedin for example, a headshot is often all that is needed. The headshot though, must not only be of good quality, but it should portray your personality and in particular, "who are you are" and "what you do" - all within the context of that one simple snapshot / headshot.

For company websites or press release articles, I often recommend a portrait or "corporate portrait" as I prefer to call them. This provides your audience with a more compelling set of images of you, as it incorporates both your body language and the working environment you are in, to create a more complete story of who you are and what it is that you do. 

So I hope that explains the difference between the two and if you are still not quite certain about which type of photograph, would best suit you: then please feel free to contact me using the contact me page or via email marie@prolensphotography.com.au

Marie Williams

Photographic Director