Executive portraits are more than simple business headshots. They often incorporate a corporate lifestyle element. A CEO or an executive needs to project a different presence. Key elements should be of calm, strength, confidence, knowledge, and control. An executive portrait also takes branding into account — both personal branding and corporate branding. As such, executive portraits typically include a variety of looks and styles. Each may be best suited for a different audience or use. A magazine feature, whether editorial or advertorial, may want to show “the person behind the company.” Casual shots of the executive enjoying an avocation in that rare “off time” can illustrate an executive’s personality and make him or her seem more real. But an annual report may prefer that suit in the Board room. Likewise images that show a CEO’s interaction with the corporate team can be very valuable for a variety of marketing needs.
Lifestyle Photography vs Branding Photography
Many people ask about the difference between lifestyle photography and branding photography. Quite often these terms are used interchangeably, although branding photography usually includes more of a mixture of studio and environmental images. To us, corporate lifestyle is more about documenting an executive’s day-to-day activity, showing what “a day in the life” looks like. Branding should include some of that, but will sometimes include those standard business headshots for the corporate website as well — in a defined style used for all employees in the company.
Quite often a type of lifestyle photography is preferred for executive portraits. We love to shoot corporate lifestyle! We believe that images showing a CEO or executive “doing what they do” creates believability and credibility in a company’s marketing images. As part of a branding package, these CEO portraits add an additional dimension to traditional stoic portraits. Of course we still recommend some nice clean studio portraits as well. Those may be used in a wide variety of mediums.
We book in San Diego, Dallas, Spokane and nationwide! Please get in contact with us to discuss how we can help you create the imagery you need to support your marketing efforts. We’ll be happy to help you brainstorm your goals, and the best way(s) to meet them. Ultimately we’d love to help your company put together the executive portraits to advance your goals. You can message us, or give Morton Visuals a call.