The business of photography and retouching
Business headshots come in a wide range of styles, from formal and traditional to relaxed and modern. They can feel polished and professional or casual and approachable. The key is choosing a photographic style that aligns with your brand and the message you want to communicate. What story are you telling with your portrait?
Regardless of the style you choose, nearly all business headshots benefit from professional photo retouching.
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It’s interesting, and even a little perplexing, that some people refuse to have their business headshot retouched. People have told me that it’s wrong to make changes to a photo after it’s been taken. Some even believe that you’re obligated to use the image exactly as the photographer delivered it. It’s as if any further editing would somehow cross an ethical line.
A good business portrait makes you look confident, competent, and trustworthy. While photographic styles vary, the most effective portraits always serve this purpose.
Sometimes a portrait doesn’t reflect how we felt in the moment it was taken. We may have felt confident, glamorous, or even radiant, but the photo just doesn’t show it. Maybe the photographer was in a rush, the camera angle was off, the lighting wasn’t ideal, or perhaps our expression wasn’t as strong as we remember.
That disconnect between how we felt at that moment and how the image looks is where professional retouching becomes invaluable.
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A photograph can serve as a factual document, a visual record of what happened at a specific time and place. This kind of image is important, especially for journalism, archival purposes, or anytime accuracy is paramount. It offers clarity, objectivity, and a shared point of reference.
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This business portrait (above) has several problems. The top-half of the head is overexposed, the lower hair is underexposed, the hair is a little messy, the teeth are a bit dark, and the eyeglasses are too low on the nose which puts the frames too close to the eyes.
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The original portrait (above) is a mess. The white shirt is very overexposed, wrinkled, and distracting. Big reflections in the eyeglasses obscure the subject’s eyes, and one eye has an odd, extra catchlight. The background is too bright, poorly lit, and wrinkled. On top of all that, the pose looks awkward.
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