Corporate Portraits in Boston
An annual report opens on a full page of the CEO. The headshot from the staff page, blown up to eight inches wide, does not hold that page. A corporate portrait does.
I photograph executives and business leaders where they work: in the office, the lobby, the lab, or outside with the city behind them. The frame is wider than a headshot and the setting tells the reader something about the company before they read a word.
Where corporate portraits get used
- Annual reports and investor materials
- The About and leadership pages of your website
- Press kits, so an editor has a usable photo the day the announcement goes out
- Trade press and magazine profiles
- Speaker pages for conferences and panels
Each of those needs room in the frame: space for a headline, a crop that works vertically and horizontally, a background that is clearly a real place.
How a portrait session works
We pick the spot together before the camera comes out. A glass-walled meeting room, a staircase, a window with the skyline behind it. I light the person so they stand out from the setting rather than disappearing into it.
Most people need 5-10 minutes in front of the camera. I coach throughout, because almost nobody knows what to do with their hands when the frame shows more than their shoulders.
A standard executive headshot on a plain background can be made in the same visit. Say so beforehand and both are planned in.
Portraits for a whole leadership team
For a leadership page, the portraits need to look like a set: same light, similar framing, settings from the same building. I keep the setup consistent from one person to the next. If the job is matching plain-background headshots for a larger group, that is team headshots, which runs faster and is priced differently.
Pricing
Corporate portraits are quoted per project. The price depends on how many people, how many settings and how much of the day the job takes. Tell me what the portraits are for and I will send a quote. Plain-background headshots have fixed prices on the rates page.
Before the session
Wardrobe matters more in a portrait than a headshot because more of it shows. Read the clothing recommendations first. More of my work is in the portfolio.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a corporate headshot and a corporate portrait?
A headshot is tight, head and shoulders, on a plain background, made to work as a small square on LinkedIn or a staff page. A corporate portrait is wider. It shows the person in their office, lobby or lab, with room for a headline or a column of text beside them, which is what an annual report or a magazine profile needs.
Who photographs corporate and executive portraits in Boston?
Boston Executive Headshots. Donis Perkins has photographed Boston professionals for over 25 years and makes environmental portraits at the client's own office, outdoors around the city, or at the studio in Reading.
Can you photograph a corporate portrait and a headshot in the same session?
Yes, and most clients do. The plain-background headshot and the wider portrait are lit separately, so say before the session that you want both and the time is planned for it.
What are corporate portraits used for?
Annual reports, the About and leadership pages of a website, press kits, speaker bios, magazine and trade press profiles, and fundraising or investor decks.
How much does a corporate portrait session cost in Boston?
Corporate portraits are quoted per project rather than priced from a list, because the time depends on how many people, how many settings and how much moving around the building the job involves. Send a short description of what the portraits are for and you get a quote back.
How soon do we get the portraits?
A private gallery of every frame goes up within 24 hours. Retouched files come back 2-3 business days after you choose them, with unlimited usage rights.