Headshots vs. Marketing Portraits
A relaxed, natural portrait of a tech CEO for a magazine. I included additional images of this one person to give a good idea of what a portrait session with me looks like.
It came as a bit of a surprise to me when I found out that many photographers price headshots and portraits as completely separate product lines. To me, they have never been two different things. You have a portrait session, and a headshot simply ends up being a part of that by cropping the photograph a little tighter.
When you break down the traditional definition of a headshot—the top of the head to no more than mid-chest—the boundary can feel a bit constraining. With today's technology, it’s also unnecessary.
Modern digital cameras have more than enough resolution to crop in and create a tighter image after the fact. But the reverse isn't true: it is impossible to get more into the shot later if it wasn't captured in the first place. My preference is always to shoot a bit wider and keep those options open. Even when I am doing studio portraits, I try to have the edges of both shoulders to provide more flexibility of use.
Capturing Real Character in Any Environment
My goal is always to create natural portraits that feel real to the character of the person in front of the lens.
That can be an interesting challenge in commercial and corporate photography because the setup itself can feel a bit unfamiliar. You might be wearing clothing you don’t normally wear, or posing in a workspace or studio environment that isn't your usual everyday spot, or you just don’t know where to put your hands.
But even in those settings, the focus remains the same: finding the real person.
One benefit is maximum versatility. Because the original shot has some breathing room, the final image is incredibly flexible. One photograph can be cropped tightly for a standard LinkedIn profile circle, or left wide to look great as a website banner or an About Me page.
Introducing the "Marketing Portrait"
Because of this approach, I’ve come to call these images marketing portraits rather than traditional headshots.
It’s a different way of working, and it’s designed to give you the highest quality assets possible from our time together. A marketing portrait is simply an extension of a great portrait—focused on storytelling, character, and approachability—but tailored to do a specific job for your business or career.
At the end of the day, it's about creating a friendly, comfortable space where you can just be yourself. When you feel relaxed during the session, that warmth shows up clearly in the final image, no matter how tight you choose to crop it.
How does this feel for the ending? It keeps the focus entirely on the quality and versatility of your process in a positive, welcoming way.