OK, sometimes you need to explain to the boss why you’ve spent the money on a professional, rather than spending the money buying his son/daughter a new camera…
This seems to particularly apply when it comes to the Corporate Headshot – seemingly such an easy and innocent task, yet so easy for it to go wrong too.

Pictures from the Brewery on Race Week
 
1) Your photos will look professional
Some what indefinable, until you see an amateur photograph, then it becomes immediately obvious.  You will look at least as good as your competitors, …

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It’s tempting to choose backgrounds that clearly separate out the product from the background, using an uncluttered image.  But in these shots it was a deliberate decision to use a very strong background the clearly clashes with the product, the aim being to produce images that asks the viewer to look more closely at what’s actually happening – what is in the shot.
 
It’s not a technique you can use widely, nor would I normally recommend it, but they work well in these cases producing an eye-catching and attention grabbing image …

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How do you choose your “face”?     Whenever you use models for your shoots, these are to some extent or another the “face” of your business, just like the face or Oriel or whatever.
Two Models, similar outfits, but which would represent you?
So, what are the criteria you need to think of?
- Does the model represent you – or your customer?
In other words should your audience identify with the model, feel they are like them, or want to be like them?
Or, does the model represent the company, a helpful and informed …

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I work a lot in the wedding industry where each supplier is very segmented, dresses, flowers, music, cars etc all come from different vendors.  So it’s quite common for the different vendors to work together and cross-promote each other.
Now, I don’t know why this doesn’t happen in the general clothing retail sector too.     So if you sell shoes, talk to the dress shop that most closely matches your audience, then talk to the jewelry shop for the same.
If you do dresses, then how about getting together with a luggage shop …

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You’ve worked out what sort of model you are looking for, now how do you go about finding her?
- Should I use a model agency?
Agencies are certainly an easy route, and possibly the best.   You will pay slightly over the odds, but you are likely to get a professional, hard-working model who will turn up.
[Yes, models have a really bad - and entirely deserved - reputation for being late or just not turning up at all]
- Could I use my own staff?
Well, you can, but I don’t recommend it.  They …

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A model release is a document signed by any person appearing in your commercial images.
A properly release is the same thing for a building signed by someone in authority.
Essentially it says that you may use the image(s) for selling your products or services.
 
In pretty much any situation where you commission a shoot featuring a model the release is automatic as part of the commission.  You may want an officially signed released in addition just as a CYA.
 
However, when shooting people who may not be aware, or have not been contracted …

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Lifestyle is type of commercial photography which aims at putting the viewer, your buyers, into an aspirational environment.
 
It’s natural, maybe at home, outdoors, at work, but it is one or more people in a happy environment that should be a fraction or more above your actual clients position.  It should say to your buyers, with my product you will be better, you will be living this dream.
 
Classic lifestyle photography is rampant in the Homes and Gardens type magazines, where everyone can imagine owning a home like that presented.  It also …

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What many people don’t know is that all digital cameras create slightly soft, unsharp images.  If you have a point and shoot compact camera, then it has smarts inside it which add sharpening to the image after the picture has been taken.
 
On professional shoots, the photographer will shoot without sharpening, and after processing the image in whatever way is required will finally sharpen the image depending on how it is going to be used.
 
If the image is to be used for print or publication, then there is one technique.   If …

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Two completely different takes on the same theme, bright, high-colour tights, both are very stylised images, clearly studio, clearly posed, clearly no attempt at being naturalistic at all.
 

The two shots convey completely different moods, both in the way they are lit and they way they have been post-processed.  In both cases additional Photoshop work has been done to the hair and make-up and of course special attention has been paid to bringing out the vibrancy of the colours.
 
The top, being essentially a darker image is known by photographers …

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OK, as you probably know I normally caution against going with the cheapest option:  quality, reliability, talent, equipment, etc.
 
But, this situation is a little different, you’ve got someone trying to get into the market and hence offering very low price (or even free).   They have been up-front about it – which is a plus in my opinion, not all newbies will tell you.
 
So, clearly you are taking a risk, you may be spending little, but you are still investing time and effort for nothing.
 
You can’t really judge their …

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