Considerations for the physical perspective of the shot:
Manipulating perspective is a highly impactful composition technique to convey more information in your shot. In both these images, I adjusted angle and distance from the camera to include additional visually interesting components within the frame. But beyond that, my choice of angle and framing imparts added information, motion and emotion. In the image on the left, scale and movement in the background is captured by a unique perspective, thereby communicating a feeling of mass and importance. The photo on the right was taken with a perspective and choice of background subject that not only enables me to clearly capture a large number of people, it definitely conveys that this is a San Francisco based company, bathed in that great California vibe, but grounded in rich history.
Obviously, in these two cases the perspective alone doesn’t convey all this additional information. But without the use of atypical shot perspectives, that additional information, the scale and emotion can’t be captured. In many cases, changing perspective alone can add drama and emotion without bringing more components into the frame. And since most everything I photograph is three dimensional, tweaking the perspective allows me to capture different shadows and nuances that create different emotion from a single subject.
I often find it a fruitful practice to take a few unique angle shots at the end of every shoot. This not only creates an opportunity to discover a unique image that works even better for the purpose than was originally planned, I can see how the angles impact lighting, composition or other aspects of the particular subject and location. By blending control of perspective and creative lighting manipulation, I develop images that can evoke a range of information and emotions and get you a photo that better meets your needs.
Conveying and preserving your unique corporate personality:
Business and corporate photography and portraiture are so much more than taking an attractive photograph. Business photography is a critical means to set a tone, tell a story, convey a message. And in today’s reality of nanosecond attention spans, creating photography that immediately delivers the right message is even more critical than ever. That’s where combining expertise, knowledge from past photo-shoots and good listening skills make the difference between “just a pretty picture” and “hitting it out of the park.”
To that end and to maximize our success during a shoot, I start by obtaining key essential information. Before I take the lens cap off. Before I set up. Before I arrive. I arm myself with the facts that will help ensure reaching the project’s objective. For corporate portraiture or headshots. What character traits need to be demonstrated. In control? Casual? Conservative? Innovative? Additionally, I find out the usage for the photo. Is this for a magazine article in Inc. Magazine, or for Wired? Or is this for a CV or company website? By equipping myself with this information, and instilling that knowledge into how I compose the shot… with relevant background, pose, facial expression, color palette, etc., I produce a successful image that both pleases the client and meets the intended use requirements of the photo.
Even when shooting non-portrait corporate photography, such as a storefront, work process, or staff grouping, I find out the main character requirements for the company. When I am asked to shoot a lab setting, I determine what the company wants to portray. Innovation? Purity? Warmth? Success? Determination? Predisposition to action? Just like character traits for people, companies have their own persona so to speak. I consider it my job as a photographer to evoke that company persona in every shot. And I don’t neglect the image’s use as well. Is this picture for the Corporate Annual Report, website, lifestyle magazine? The “vibe” that will be most harmonious with the end use will be the most successful, and will result in the best return for your investment in photography.
