As a New York City based corporate photographer I have photographed a variety of business portraits and headshots in many company environments, in New York and tri-state areas of Connecticut and New Jersey. My clients include Fortune 500 companies and small businesses whose specialties include banking & finance, law, insurance, investing, accounting, HR, recruitment, education, etc. I would like to share with you a photographic case study of two difference businesses I have done corporate photo shoots for.
One of my corporate clients is called True Platform which is the world’s only tech and data-first talent management platform. True hired me to do headshots and candid photos in their offices. The on location images I took were done as environment portraits. My first step when preparing to photograph someone is to do some on location scouting. I’m looking for simple or interesting backgrounds but not overly distracting ones because I don’t want the background to compete with my subject. I’m also evaluating the existing ambient lighting in a given location and deciding if I should bounce light off the ceiling or use a light modifier like an umbrella or soft-box as my main light. I decided on using an umbrella because the lighting is soft and it wraps around my subjects in a very complementary way. I photograph with a Nikon DSLR and my lens of choice is an 85mm 1:4 prime lens. The depth of field is very shallow at the widest opening with this camera lens choice and so the background separates dramatically to isolate my subject and stand out in full sharp focus. I position my subjects’ shoulders at various angles but always want them to look directly at the camera so I can see both ears. My assistant and I are always looking at the clothes & hair to make sure the styling looks neat and professional. I keep the conversation light as to keep my clients loose and comfortable.
My second client is Alliance Bernstein which is a global investment firm. Their marketing requirements are different as they need headshots and full-length photos of their various executives against seamless backgrounds. My assistant and I always like to arrive at the office location about one and half hours before the actual picture taking, and prepare to hang two different 9 ft Seamless backgrounds. Next after unloading my lighting equipment, I will set up a single photographic strobe light on a 9 ft light stand with an umbrella attached. The lighting style I’m looking for is called a three-quarter lighting which creates a flattering glow on the subject’s face. I then will test my lighting set up and exposure using my assistant as my subject. Once my subject comes to have their portraits taken the lighting and exposure are already set and ready to go. My aim is to be prepared to take their photos immediately and not waste any of their time. The company goes the extra mile and hires a professional hair and make-up artist to prepare each person prior to having their photos taken by me.
