Already dreading your corporate portrait session? Read this first
Updated: 2 days ago
As a corporate portrait photographer, I have heard “You won't get a good picture of me” more times than I can count. If I had been paid for every warning, I might have retired by now. Plenty of people feel uncomfortable in front of a camera, especially when previous photographs have left them disappointed. Does that really mean they are not photogenic? I usually think it means they have not yet had the right experience.
Feeling awkward in front of the camera is normal
Most people who book a corporate portrait session are not models. They do not spend their working day thinking about camera angles or what to do with their hands. Suddenly being asked to do both while someone points a lens at them can feel rather unnatural.
I often hear the same worries: “My smile looks forced”, “I never know how to stand”, or “That doesn't even look like me.” Some people put off booking a session altogether because they expect to feel that way again.
You do not need to arrive feeling confident. Helping you relax and guiding you through the session are part of my job. You can simply turn up as yourself; the posing instructions are my department.
Why a photograph can feel unfamiliar
You are used to seeing your reflection in a mirror, often from much the same distance and angle. A photograph gives you a different view. It captures a particular moment, from a particular position, rather than the moving reflection you see every morning.
That difference can make an image feel strange even when other people recognise you immediately. The angle that surprises you may be one your colleagues see every day.
Trying to recreate your usual mirror pose can also make you concentrate so hard on your face that you stop looking relaxed. This is where a little guidance helps. We can adjust the angle, your posture and the lighting together, rather than expecting you to work everything out on your own.
A portrait should still look like you
Filters and heavy retouching can make very smooth skin and perfectly symmetrical faces seem normal. After looking at enough of those images, an ordinary photograph can start to feel less flattering simply because it shows real skin and a real expression.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to look your best. But for a business portrait, I think looking like yourself matters too. Your photograph should introduce someone your clients and colleagues will recognise when they meet you.
That does not mean every temporary blemish or distracting detail needs to stay. It means keeping the balance between a polished photograph and a face that still feels like yours.
Flattering does not have to mean flawless
A natural portrait still takes care and preparation. The lighting, camera position and way you stand all influence the result. Those are useful tools for a photographer, and I would rather use them thoughtfully than ask you to squeeze yourself into an uncomfortable pose.
If you spend the whole session trying not to crease your eyes when you smile, the expression is likely to feel strained. A genuine smile moves your face. That is rather the point of it.
I generally like smiling portraits, but a more serious expression suits some people better. I am one of them: I do not particularly like smiling photographs of myself. So I am hardly going to insist that everyone else must grin on command. We look for an expression that suits you and the purpose of the photograph.
Here are a few corporate portraits I have taken:
None of the people in these portraits are professional models. They are people with ordinary working lives, just like the people who tell me they are “not photogenic”. That is why I like showing these examples: you do not need modelling experience to have a good portrait taken.
A bad experience can stay with you
Perhaps you remember a school photograph where you were told to sit at an awkward angle, hold still and smile. The result may have looked less like a happy memory and more like evidence that you wanted to be somewhere else.
If that is what photography means to you, it makes sense to be cautious about another session. But a corporate photoshoot does not have to feel that way. I prefer a relaxed conversation, clear instructions and enough room for you to settle in.
Humour helps too. I can be quite funny when I need to be — at least, that is my professional opinion. 😄 The aim is to make the situation feel easier, rather than demand a smile before you are ready.
Your photographer has a job to do, too
If a photograph does not work, it is too easy to decide that your face must be the problem. But the person behind the camera makes a huge difference. Choosing suitable light, finding a useful angle and noticing when you look uncomfortable are all part of the photographer's work.
You should not have to arrive knowing how to pose. I will guide you, make adjustments and help you find an expression that feels comfortable. “Be natural” is not especially helpful advice on its own; a good photographer needs to give you something you can actually do.
The comparisons below show how differently the same person can come across in an everyday photograph and a carefully made professional portrait:
If you have disliked photographs of yourself in the past, you do not have to pretend those experiences never happened. Tell me what bothered you. It gives us a starting point, and we can work from there rather than repeat the same uncomfortable routine.
The aim is a portrait in which you look recognisable, relaxed and professional. You do not have to become someone else, hide every smile line or learn a set of model poses before you arrive.
If you would like to see what a more relaxed corporate portrait session could look like for you or your team, get in touch and tell me what you need. I will be happy to help you plan it.
