Reinventing PR Photography

It is not unusual for us to get a phone call from a client with a short-notice request for coverage of a PR event and at Corporate Headshots London we are happy to be of service. These shoots are typically highly pressurised and demand a quick turnaround in order to get the final piece ready for the press release.

One such recent shoot was for Tideway whose brief was for us to capture MP, Thérèse Coffey's,  visit to meet new apprentices. Time was tight as there was only a small window of opportunity within the MP’s hectic schedule. This, coupled with navigating a large London construction site compounded the challenge to deliver.

Capturing the event under such circumstances without succumbing to flat, awkward and unimaginative results takes tenacity. We wanted to ensure that we delivered shots that were natural and candid – avoiding the forced handshake interactions which can be so commonplace within many PR images. We were also keenly aware that Tideway are long-time clients of ours and we are required to be constantly innovative to ensure we deliver unique and relevant results for them. No pressure then!

Not ones to shy away from a corporate photography challenge, we took up the gauntlet and navigated the situation. One key skill (aside from competency with the camera) to achieving good results is the ability to build rapport as quickly as possible with all those involved in the shoot. This enables them to feel comfortable around the camera and encourages natural behaviour resulting in more natural images.

We are pleased to say that the client was extremely happy with the results and we believe have succeeded in capturing genuine moments that have depth and meaning as well as photos which were truly reflective of the occasion. [Click here to read the finished article.]

As with corporate photography, PR photography does not have to be boring and, with a little outside-of-the-box thinking and a good eye for opportunity, it is possible to give an exciting perspective to any event.

Click here to view more examples of our unique approach to Event Photography in London.

The profile picture of a Wikipedia Billionaire...

A step beyond professional LinkedIn profile pictures is when one reaches the stage in life of needing a dedicated Wikipedia entry about themselves. Mohamed Mansour and the ManCap group are one of CHL's clients and we are proud to say that the successful businessman commissioned us to do a portrait shoot for him earlier this year. The images from the shoot had various uses including a cover of Arabian Business magazine, where he was the lead story and now one of the shots also resides on the official Wikipedia entry for him.

Booking a portrait shoot rather than a headshot session can provide many advantages. The obvious one being that we can spend more time utilising a variety of poses, locations and lighting setups, as well as the option to change outfits.  Corporate Headshot photography can be ideal if you are short on time limit, and just want one simple, but successful look. However, it is often not until we start the session that you realise what works for one, doesn't work for everyone. A portrait session allows us the time to try things out - different expressions, moods and positions and gives the subject the largest variety to choose from, which can particularly useful when needing different images for different applications (such as what happened in this instance).

CHL shoot for British Airways' Business Life Magazine

We were thrilled to have been recently commissioned by Cedar Communications to photograph Doctor Guy Meadows for British Airways. It was a feature in their Business Life magazine which is for their business class customers all over the world - it's always a pleasure to see our work in print flying around the world!

Dr Guy is a specialist sleep doctor and was a brilliant and willing subject. The world-famous Savoy Hotel gave us access to one of their riverside suites for the shoot and the art director was looking for something dynamic and dramatic to do with falling/flying. Dr Guy didn't disappoint and we used the unique high sync shutter capabilities of our medium format Phase One XF camera to capture him mid-air and freeze him perfectly (not possible on a normal DSLR).

Here is the article and final retouched image.

Click here to see more of our commercial work and images in print.

How to stand out on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network and a business social network which cannot be ignored. It seems to have survived many other trends which have come and gone across the internet over the last few years and many recruiters use it as their go-to tool. However, thousands (potentially millions) are missing out on opportunities, not because of their CV or qualifications, but because they get their first impression all wrong.... read on to find out more.

Above or below? Which makes you more attractive to potential employers?

Adding a photo to your profile on LinkedIn makes you 14 times more likely to be discovered. Adding a good photo to LinkedIn is a whole other skill however, and although there are no official stats, it is likely that it will dramatically increase your chances of being noticed amongst the network's vast 467 million users. When browsing LinkedIn, it is still baffling that in 2016 the majority of users don't seem to grasp the importance of this feature. Whatever business you are in, business is about people and relationships. It's difficult to relate to someone and build a rapport if you either can't see what they look like, or their photo is either outdated (questioning one's honesty) or simply just bad / out of focus / distracting / amateur. 

We all know the importance of a first impression. What most of us seem not to grasp is how we are giving 'first impressions' out on a daily basis, just by having an active profile online. Whether we like it or not, we judge others and others judge us - purely off the back of the first impression - which in this case, is them simply viewing your profile and photo. Does it reflect you? If not, change it - book a new corporate photography session now. If you are professional, you take yourself seriously and your business has a good image - your LinkedIn profile photo needs to reflect this.

What is a good LinkedIn profile photo? 

Because the box containing the profile photo on LinkedIn's website is small, we need to approach shooting specifically for LinkedIn with this in mind. At CHL, if we know the intended use is LinkedIn, then we will show you a real-size crop on the computer whilst on the shoot so that you can envisage how it may work in context. The box is small, so view your photo small. The crop is square, so view it cropped as a square. Because there isn't much space, having an environmental portrait may offer too many distractions within the frame - the prime objective is to show your face, rather than show off your office on level 62! 

We would most likely recommend a corporate headshot photoshoot session for LinkedIn. A plain background will help separate your face and make you stand out in the most positive way possible. Lighting is key but shadows are equally as important. Light and shade help bring contrast to an image and literally assist the image in standing out from the web page because the image becomes more dynamic and less 'flat'.

Black and white or colour?

Both can work, it is best to experiment with both formats and see which stands out best. Often, we find that with a white background, black and white can work well, whereas if there is another colour background (grey, blue etc) then colour may be favourable. It can also depend on your skin tone.

Late night selfie after a few drinks?

Avoid at all costs. Whilst it's good to let potential future employers know that you are good fun on a night out, they first need to know that you are professional. Start with this, then buy them a drink!

Ask us about LinkedIn headshot photography today and start standing out on LinkedIn.