Professional, Corporate and Individual Headshots in Vaughan, GTA
Portrait and Headshot Photography
No matter what is your profession, whether you are a freelancer, a small business owner, or work for a big corporation, eventually there will be a moment when you will be asked for your portrait for a website, a business card or a brochure. And as luck has it, it will be on a short notice, and it will be something important…
Why does your headshot need to be done professionally?
In our internationally focused economy, where a lot of business partners never get to see each other face to face – it is important to see the person you are dealing with. It does make it more personal, also helps to build trust and, literally, “put a face to a name, or business”.
It will not be an overstatement to say that your clients and business partners will make some conclusions about your portrait just based on your headshot. In many cases this will be a first impression, the first point of contact. They may, unconsciously, make a decision to offer you a lower or a higher price, or better or worse contract terms. They may select your company, or not even consider it.
From a portrait or a headshot you can see quite a lot:
- If the headshot looks professional, the company must have a budget
- Oh that person has the same background than me, or as my friend, or as someone as i dealt with before…
- If they took care to invest in headshots they are here to stay in their business
- However it may be untrue, but a well put together person, with open smile and looking right into your eyes gives us an impression of solid well organized business, that we are more likely to deal with.
Having a professional portrait done, sometimes, feels like too much of a responsibility – so we keep using that picture taken by our friend on the phone, just not to commit to something more serious, in fear to reveal too much.
We should never forget that headshot is your likeness and representation at the same time.
Types of portraits
Let me walk you through the portrait types and let’s, see together what type represents your profession, art, business, or your personality the best.
Business headshot
A business headshot is a neutral headshot focused on representing you at your best. It may be done on an isolated background, in a studio, or in a neutral setting, usually with some background details, slightly indicating your place of business, or work environment. It usually will go on your website and often serves as an avatar in your social media and email account.
It does help if people can recognize you across professional platforms such as Linked in and professional facebook page. For lawyers, financial services and real estate agents it is important that it also used on your card. However, it is better to use more informal version for your personal facebook, email and whatsapp avatars.
Headshots for professionals
If your clients see you often wearing a professional uniform in your line of duty – doctors, nurses, dentists, they will relate better if your professional headshot will be in uniform, just the way they will see you in the office.
Headshots and portraits for artists and craftspeople
No matter what creative walk of life you belong to — here is the place to express your creativity. Here you can add that profound artistic look that in portraits of people from most of the professions would be out of place, or showcase your art piece.
Portrait in your professional environment
Just do not get carried away too much do not run it through the funny filters, remember your clients want to see the artist behind amazing work.
Portraits like this lift the weight of responsibility off your shoulders – they show your working environment – an office building, dental office, or art studio. It tells a lot about you as a person of your profession. The good news a lot of clients seem to be looking more relaxed in the portraits like this simply because there is less studio lights around and they do not feel like they are on the spot anymore.
Lifestyle portrait
For certain professions such as fashion stylists, bloggers, consultants, personal trainers, and again, artistic people, lifestyle is visually exciting, as it reflects the unique nature of their work. When the portrait shows your lifestyle – and the uniqueness of it it looks completely natural – with a cup of coffee, sitting in the cafe, in an art gallery, walking by the lake or in an urban setting…It makes your clients want to join you in your lifestyle.
That sense of wonder – how your daily life looks is very powerful communication tool, why not use it to your benefit.
Black and white portrait or color?
Surprisingly I am asked that a lot. Iconic classic black and white photography made such a great impact on us, especially those classic Old Hollywood headshots. But does it have a place as professional headshots?
Indeed, until quite recently black and white headshots were a standard for actors. It was a respectful nod to the Hollywood and Broadway glorious past, and also with bright contrast between its highlights and lowlights, it showed very well how the studio light will fall on the model’s face during photoshoot or in a movie scene. But now if you mix a number of full-color or black-and-white images, the eye will inevitably go towards color version.
The full-color, true to natural skin tones version is undoubtedly the way to go. It is important as a true reflection of your natural skin and hair tones.The good news, it takes only a second to convert the portrait version into black and white. And you can have that version for fun too. An image is a good candidate for black and white conversion is the the wide variation in tonal range.
Portrait Background Color
What color should you choose for the background? To answer that question you have to consider the media where the image is going to be used. Is it your website, business card, brochures, and if yes, what is the planned design and color scheme?
When I hear: “Let’s pick any, you will change it in Photoshop later, won’t you?” – I become extra cautious and detailed in my questions. The assumption that you can change any background color to anything you want and it will not look fake is wrong. There is a slight tonal range variation that will work well, but it is about it. It will not work for direct opposites!
In my photo sessions, I always include a set of portraits on white background – since most of the websites are white, and the dark background for the headshots looks like a confined box. Have a good look at all the graphic designs that will have to be used around your portrait to go with the right options for background.
I see a lot of headshots that use a simple wall as background. It is obvious that a portrait done like that is an afterthought or something that was not planned for, or a desperate measure. Professional background paper makes a difference, it is simply designed to work with light better.
So if you are asked to stand in front of a regular wall for a portrait – the result is not going to look professional in most cases – it is a half-measure.
Retouching headshots
We all want to look our best in our portraits and headshots. But, the more conscious we are about ourselves and more we are chasing the elusive ideal – the less the end result will look like your likeness. People simply will not be able to relate to you. It will matter less to them that you have wrinkles and minor imperfections, than the fact that you simply do not look like yourself with the polished perfection of professional retouching.
“But they use it in the magazines! The celebrities do it too” – some clients will say.
The retouching used on models is meant to counteract the grain in the magazine paper, and the models in ads are not meant to be their actual physical selves – they are representation of an ideal, or typical girl showcasing jewelry, hair color, or clothing. You are not expected to meet them in real life – and if you do, you might even will not recognize them.
When you look at a polished to perfection image of a movie star, in most cases, this image has already lost the resemblance to the person behind it. The likeness lives an independent, parallel life.
But when clients, responding to the ad of a real estate agent, or a financial advisor, finally get to meet them, they subconsciously verify – if indeed this person looks like their portrait. Although, the more polished portrait might get more people through your door, you want to build the trust as well…
A good work of the makeup artist will help to conceal little problems, while still make it look completely natural.
Portrait poses
If you talk to a psychologist – they will be able to spend hours talking about what your pose can reveal about you. Overall the poses that suggest open and direct friendly communication work the best. The confident and open pose, a smile, and friendly expression simply start the conversation…
A great portrait pose accomplishes two things – highlights the best features of your face and body, does not distract attention from the face. The professional portrait is all about the eye contact.
Common portrait mistakes
For common portrait mistakes I have the list ready:
- Part of the face covered or supported by hand – it is very distracting for the viewer and, definitely, does not open up communication. If anything, it shows that the person in the portrait is either too uncomfortable, or too self-involved, or simply avoiding them.
- Uncomfortable, too colorful, or styled wrong clothing. Clothing is a big part of personal presentation – choose and coordinate it carefully, bring a few changes of clothing to the photoshoot with you. Be strategic about it.
- Too complicated – too many details, too many distractions. Do not overthink – the simpler the better
- Head on camera pose. This is the secret why the passport images and mugshots do not look good. They are great for face recognition robots, but head-on pose is rarely flattering, a slight turn of the shoulders and you are much better version of yourself.
When should you do a headshot?
If you hear often, oh that is you on the picture? or you know it is at least 10 years old, although is a great portrait – then you know you need a new one.
In our day and age you will need it at some point – do not get caught off guard.
Do not delay it. It is hard to pull it off at the last moment’s notice – your roots will not be dyed, you will not have the right clothes, or simply too stressed out.
If there is a stretch of time when you feel confident, happy, successful – do it then – it will reflect in your portrait!
You do not have to have a huge budget for unique images for your own company advertising we can hire a model or you can be the star yourself. In fact, a clients prefer to see the personal story:
Business Portraits in Toronto, Vaughan and the GTA
A headshot and a business portrait are not quite the same thing. A headshot is tightly cropped on the face and shoulders and answers one question: who are you? A business portrait gives the frame more room — a desk, a workshop, a boardroom, a window, a three-quarter or full-length pose — and answers a second question: what do you do, and how do you do it? Most professionals end up needing both, which is why every session at my Concord studio is built to produce both in one sitting.
The studio is at 7250 Keele St, Unit 181 in Concord, minutes from Highway 400 and 407 with free parking at the door, so clients from Vaughan, North York, Richmond Hill, Markham and downtown Toronto can get in and out between meetings. On-location sessions at your own office are available across the GTA when the space itself is part of the story.
Branding and personal image
A business portrait is a branding asset, not a snapshot. Before the shutter ever fires we go over your company colours, your brand voice and where these images will actually live — LinkedIn, your website’s team page, a speaker bio, a proposal deck — so the lighting, background and wardrobe choices all pull in the same direction instead of fighting each other.
Connection and trust
People hire people. A portrait that reads as genuinely approachable shortens the distance between a stranger landing on your profile and a stranger picking up the phone. With over 15 years behind the camera I direct expression and posture actively rather than leaving you to perform — which is the difference between looking professional and looking uncomfortable in a suit.
Visibility and recognition
One consistent portrait used everywhere compounds. The same face on your website, your Google Business Profile, your email signature, your conference badge and your social channels is how people begin to recognise you before you have been introduced. A session produces a set of images — vertical, horizontal, tight, wide, neutral and branded backgrounds — so one shoot covers every placement for the next few years.
Career advancement and new opportunities
Whether you are an entrepreneur, an executive, a freelancer or actively job hunting, a current professional portrait is one of the cheapest competitive advantages available. It is the first thing a recruiter, a prospective client or a conference organiser sees, and it is entirely within your control.
Executive and Leadership Team Headshots
Leadership pages, annual reports and investor materials have a harder requirement than individual headshots: the images have to match each other. Different lighting, different crops and different backgrounds across a row of executive portraits read as carelessness, and that impression transfers to the company.
I photograph C-suite, board, partner and senior management groups to a single lighting and framing standard, so portraits taken months apart still sit together on the same page. New hires can be added later and matched to the existing set — I keep the lighting specifications for every corporate client on file for exactly that reason.
- Matched executive portraits for leadership and board pages
- Annual report, prospectus and investor-deck portraits
- Formal and relaxed variants of each person from one sitting
- On-site sessions at your office, boardroom or head office
- Later sessions matched to your existing portrait set for new hires
Industry-Specific Headshot Sessions
Some professions have requirements that go beyond a good portrait. Realtors need images sized for SOLD signs and feature sheets as well as a brokerage profile. Actors and models need frames that match casting-director conventions. Lawyers, physicians and consultants usually need something more formal than a startup founder does.
If you are a real estate agent, there is a dedicated page covering OREA and brokerage profile requirements, print sizing and team sessions: real estate agent headshots in Toronto and the GTA. For performers, see model and actor portfolio headshots.
Frequently Asked Questions
A few common questions about booking professional and business headshots in Toronto.
