Portfolio Shoot: Modern Corporate Portraits

Originally Published March 4, 2014

I’ve been wanting to update the corporate work on my site and in my portfolio for the past few weeks. I enjoy shooting these types of assignments, but I especially enjoy when I can show my own style in it. I recently teamed up with my model friend, Ryann Ess, while she was visiting D.C. She shared a photo of this new dress a few weeks ago, and I immediately messaged her about getting her in front of my camera.

When hearing the words ‘corporate headshot’, we often visualize men and women in typical business/executive wear. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it can look quite stale at times. Wardrobe is as important as the person sitting in front of the camera, as it helps to convey that person’s character and individuality. It has the ability to draw the viewer in and have them interested in knowing more about the person in the photograph. That’s why when I saw this dress of Ryann’s, I knew I had to set something up with her.

The goal of this shoot was to create a more modern looking corporate portrait. Because the dress does not really match the typical business look, I decided to include my own computer chair in the shot. It adds the business element nicely and helps to evenly balance the overall look between corporate and fashion. When planning for this shoot, this shot of Ryann in the chair was my main priority. Once I had the idea, I put it onto paper and she knew exactly what I was looking for.