Headshot guide
Corporate headshots: a guide for people and teams
A corporate headshot has to look right next to everyone else's, on a team page, a pitch deck or a press release. This guide covers what makes one, the three ways companies get them, a brief you can send your team so the photos match, and where AI headshots are and aren't a good fit.
UpdatedWhat makes a headshot corporate
A corporate headshot is a head-and-shoulders photo made to a standard, so it can sit in a grid with your colleagues' photos. The standard usually covers five things.| Element | What corporate usually means |
|---|---|
| Consistency | Everyone shot with the same backdrop, light, crop and color grade, so the team page reads as one set |
| Backdrop | Plain gray, white or dark, a brand color, or a softly blurred office |
| Light | Soft, even light from the front and slightly to one side, catchlights in both eyes, no hard shadows |
| Wardrobe | Solid colors, one step more formal than an ordinary day, from a palette the team shares |
| Framing | Head and shoulders, eyes about a third of the way down the frame, the same crop and aspect ratio for everyone |
How companies get corporate headshots
There are three common routes, and many companies mix them: a headshot day for the office, then something else for remote staff and new hires.| Route | How it works | Typical price, 2026 | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photographer on site | A photographer sets up in a meeting room and shoots everyone in a day | $75 to $275 per person in New York, depending on retouching | High: everyone gets the same setup |
| Studio visits | Each person books a session, ideally at the same studio | About $150 a session in cheaper metros, $450 to $900 or more in New York | High at one studio, mixed across several |
| AI headshots | Each person uploads their own photos and uses the agreed backdrop and outfit | $29 to $79 per person for one-time packs at list price | Good if everyone uses the same settings |
A photographer on site
For a team in one office this gives the most consistent result in a single day. The weak point is attendance: people who are sick, remote or hired next month miss it. Book a room you can clear for the day, send a sign-up sheet with short slots, and ask how many retouched photos each person gets and whether retouching is light or full.Studio visits
Studio visits suit a few senior people, or a small team in one city. Send the studio your spec (backdrop color, crop and light direction) and a sample photo, so the results match what you already have. Across several cities, results drift unless every studio works from the same spec.AI headshots
AI is the quickest route for distributed teams and new hires. Consistency depends on everyone using the same settings, and likeness varies from result to result, so each person should choose and approve their own photo. The last section covers where companies should and shouldn't use them.Keeping a team consistent
Headshots taken months apart, by different photographers or with different tools, can still match if everyone works from the same spec. Fix these settings:- One backdrop, given as a hex code and a sample photo, or one named backdrop if people use an AI tool.
- Light from the same side for everyone, with the same softness and the same brightness on the backdrop.
- One crop: head and shoulders, eyes at the same height in the frame, one aspect ratio. Square suits directories and LinkedIn; 4:5 or 3:4 suits bios and print.
- Wardrobe guidance: a level of formality, a small palette, and what to avoid (logos, fine stripes, busy patterns).
- One retouching standard, such as natural: remove temporary blemishes and stray hairs, but don't reshape faces, smooth skin or whiten teeth.
- File sizes and names, so the photos drop straight into your HR system, website and email signatures.
A brief you can send your team
Copy this, fill in the brackets, and send it before a headshot day or with the link to your AI tool.- Your new headshot for [company], due [date]. It will go on our website's team page, LinkedIn, Slack and email signatures.
- Backdrop: [color and hex code, or backdrop name]. Please don't change it.
- Wear: [business casual / business formal] in solid colors from this palette: [navy, charcoal, white, burgundy]. No logos, text, fine stripes or small checks.
- Glasses and head coverings: wear them if you wear them day to day.
- Crop: head and shoulders, [square / 4:5], with a little space above your head.
- Retouching: natural. Blemishes and stray hairs can go; nothing else changes.
- If you're using AI: upload three recent photos of yourself (straight on, three-quarter, and one taken by someone else), use the settings above, and choose a result that looks like you on a good day.
- Send your pick to [name] as a JPEG at least [1,000] pixels wide, named firstname-lastname.jpg.
Environmental headshots
An environmental headshot shows the person where they work: an engineer at a bench, a chef in a kitchen, a founder in the office, a doctor in a clinic corridor. It's framed wider than a standard headshot, often from the waist up, with the setting softly out of focus so it gives context without taking over.They suit about pages, press features, annual reports and recruiting pages, where readers want to know what the person does. They're harder to keep consistent than studio headshots, so companies often use both: an environmental portrait for stories and a standard headshot for directories and avatars.- Pick a spot that shows the work, such as the bench, counter or whiteboard the person uses.
- Clear the background of readable screens, client names, whiteboard notes and confidential papers.
- Use window light from the side where you can, and shoot everyone at the same time of day if the photos will sit together.
- Ask permission before shooting at a client's site, in a hospital, or anywhere other people are in frame.
Business headshots for founders and small teams
For a founder, consultant or small business owner, one headshot gets used everywhere: the website, LinkedIn, speaker bios, podcast guest pages, press kits, proposals and email signatures. Plan for those uses before the shoot.- Get several crops from one session: square for LinkedIn and avatars, 4:5 or 3:4 for bios and print, and a wide one with space beside you if your website needs it.
- Bring your brand into one element, the backdrop or one item of clothing, and keep the rest neutral.
- Make a formal version and a relaxed one, so you have the right photo for a bank and for a podcast.
- Update it when people would no longer recognize you from it: a new haircut, glasses or beard, or a few years passing.