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The Do’s & Don’ts of Corporate Headshots

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In short:

To look confident and professional in a corporate headshot, wear something that reflects your industry, avoid busy patterns, keep grooming simple, and choose expressions that feel natural.
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Professional traditional headshot of a woman in a maroon dress, standing outside with a soft-focus background—ideal for LinkedIn profiles, company directories, and corporate uses.
Whether it’s on LinkedIn, a company website, or an industry conference program, your corporate headshot is doing a lot of heavy lifting. It sets the tone before you ever speak a word. In this guide, we’ll cover the essential do’s and don’ts of corporate headshots—so you can show up polished, professional, and still feel like yourself.

Dress the Part: Industry, Brand, and Comfort Matter

What you wear says a lot about who you are. If you’re in a formal field like law, finance, or medicine, opt for a tailored, classic look. If your work is more creative or client-facing, don’t be afraid to bring in color or personal style, just skip the neon and busy prints. The goal: align your outfit with your brand and feel comfortable in it.
Confident business owner smiling with arms crossed, standing inside a modern fitness studio wearing branded apparel—professional branding headshot with a clean, minimal background.
Professional traditional headshot of a man in a navy suit and white shirt, smiling outdoors with a softly blurred background—ideal for corporate profiles, LinkedIn, and company websites.

Keep It Simple: Grooming, Accessories, and Details

Hair and makeup should feel intentional but not overdone. Choose clean lines and minimal accessories so your face stays the focus. Steer clear of loud jewelry, heavy patterns, or anything fussy. A quick grooming check before your session (think flyaways, lint, or shine) can make a big difference in how polished your final image looks. And don’t worry if you forget a lint roller – we always have that in our “prep” kit located as you enter the room for your headshots.
Smiling woman in a navy and white dress with gold buttons, posing confidently in a modern office setting with framed artwork in the background.

Relax and Communicate: You’re Not a Robot

The best headshots happen when you’re relaxed and trust the process. Let your photographer know the tone you’re going for: confident, warm, assertive, creative. We’ll guide you with posing and expressions that match your goals. And no need to plaster on a fake smile; genuine moments always come through better on camera.

WE GOT YOU

Yes! We travel for team sessions often and can bring our full setup to your workplace for seamless, consistent results.
Aim for natural and neat. If you normally wear makeup, do what feels comfortable. If not, that’s fine too; just come with clean, moisturized skin and styled hair.
We recommend reaching out 2–4 weeks ahead for individual sessions, and at least 4–6 weeks for larger team sessions, especially during busy seasons. Spring and fall are when most photographers get booked quickly.
It depends on your brand. Studio backdrops are clean and timeless, while blurred office or environmental backgrounds can feel approachable and modern.
If you wear glasses more than half the time, we recommend including them. We know how to minimize glare when shooting, and any leftover reflection can be fully edited out in post.