A single corporate headshot may be needed in many places. It could become a LinkedIn profile photo, a team page thumbnail, a speaker bio in a conference programme, a byline on the company’s blog, and a square in the email signature. Each use treats the image differently, so a headshot that works well in one situation may not work in another.
A corporate headshot photographer based in Leeds who plans for all your needs will ensure that you have the appropriate headshots for every channel that you and your company needs.
What LinkedIn does to your headshot
On LinkedIn, profile photos appear as a small circle; most people see this image as a thumbnail in a search result, a comment, or a connection request. It has some important practical implications.
When a shot is full-length or has a lot of background, the person appears as a small figure in the centre of the circle and their face cannot be clearly seen. Complex backgrounds become noise and, due to low contrast between subject and background, the image disappears against LinkedIn’s white background.
When taking LinkedIn headshots, the image should be cropped closely, from the chest upwards, so the face fills most of the frame. The background must be simple and either lighter or darker than the person to ensure clear contrast. Paul shoots with this crop in mind and includes a square version of each picture along with the usual formats.
What your website needs
Corporate websites have the opposite problem. While team page templates are usually square or portrait, banner sections and about pages sometimes need a landscape image with the person off-centre and space for text. If the original image was cropped tightly, there is no room to adjust it.
The solution is to take photographs with extra space around the subject so various crops are possible, then provide files in the formats your web developer requests. It is better to have that discussion before the shoot, and Paul will do so.
The website should maintain a consistent appearance; for example, if photos of the Leeds office are taken and the Manchester team already has headshots, Paul can ensure his photographs follow the same style so both groups can be displayed on the same page uniformly.
Practical points for a corporate headshot session
• Simpler colours photograph better than intricate patterns, which can shine on the screen. If you are uncertain, bring an extra shirt or jacket.
• Allow about ten minutes per person for a team shoot; a department of thirty can be completed in a morning.
• Sessions take place at your office using portable lighting and backdrops. Paul covers Leeds city centre, Holbeck, the Aire Valley, and broader West Yorkshire, frequently traveling from his base in the North West. Retouching is carried out with each image that has been selected, bringing it up to a natural standard and providing the files in both web and print-ready sizes.
• Approval: since clients generally select the frames they prefer from a proof gallery, each individual gets a chance to decide which image depicts them best.
Why Paul Currie
Paul has been photographing for newspapers, magazines, and corporate clients for nearly 30 years, and he photographs conferences and corporate events across the north of England; for Heineken and Greene King, he has carried out on-location headshot sessions, and he has over 100 five-star Google reviews.
His background shows he is used to working quickly in any environment without sacrificing quality.
Arrange for a corporate headshot photographer in Leeds.
If you need one LinkedIn profile picture or photos for the whole office, contact Paul Currie Photography to discuss formats, dates, and quantities. All you need is one session for all the images you will need for the coming years.