A professional headshot is often the first image people see before they ever meet you.
It may appear on LinkedIn, a company website, a press bio, a speaker profile, a law firm page, an investor deck, a corporate directory, a conference program, or marketing materials. That one image has to communicate credibility, confidence, approachability, and professionalism very quickly.
Because of that, a headshot should do more than simply show what you look like. It should support your personal brand, your company’s image, and the way you want to be seen by clients, colleagues, employers, investors, media contacts, and potential business partners.
Before booking a corporate headshot or executive portrait session, here are seven important questions to ask your photographer.
Corporate headshots require a different approach than casual portraits, fashion images, wedding photography, or quick profile pictures.
A professional headshot needs to work across business platforms. It should feel appropriate for your industry, your position, and your intended audience. An attorney, financial executive, founder, consultant, therapist, creative director, and corporate team member may all need slightly different image direction.
A strong headshot photographer should understand lighting, posing, expression, wardrobe, background choices, retouching, and how the final image will be used.
The goal is not just to create a good-looking picture. The goal is to create a professional image that feels polished, current, credible, and authentic.
Ken’s note:
A strong headshot should look professional without feeling stiff. It should look like you on your best day — confident, approachable, and ready to be seen.
Most people are not comfortable in front of a camera, and they should not be expected to know how to pose.
A good headshot photographer will guide you throughout the session. That includes direction for posture, body angle, chin position, shoulders, expression, eye contact, and small adjustments that can make a major difference in the final image.
The best sessions feel collaborative. You should not feel left alone in front of the camera wondering what to do. The photographer should help you relax, make adjustments, and find expressions that feel natural and confident.
This is especially important for people who say, “I don’t photograph well.” Often, the issue is not the person. It is the lack of lighting, direction, comfort, and timing.
Ken’s note:
A headshot session is not just about pressing the shutter. It is about helping someone feel comfortable enough to look like themselves.
Some professionals need a clean studio headshot with a controlled background. Others may need an environmental portrait photographed in an office, conference room, lobby, workspace, or other location that gives context to their role or company.
Before booking, ask whether the photographer can work both in studio and on location.
Studio sessions are ideal when you want a controlled, consistent, polished look. On-location sessions can be useful when you want the image to feel connected to your workplace, company culture, or professional environment.
For corporate teams, this matters even more. The photographer should be able to create a consistent look whether the session happens in a professional studio or inside a client’s office.
At Ken Jones Photography, sessions can be photographed in our Manhattan studio on Fulton Street in the Financial District or on location throughout New York City.
Ken’s note:
The right location depends on the final use of the images. A LinkedIn profile, law firm bio, press portrait, and company-wide headshot program may each need a different approach.
Lighting is one of the biggest differences between an average headshot and a professional corporate portrait.
Good lighting should flatter the subject, shape the face, create dimension, and match the tone of the company or individual brand. It should feel intentional, not flat, harsh, or accidental.
For individual headshots, lighting can be adjusted to the person. For team headshots, lighting consistency becomes very important. If several people are being photographed for the same company website, LinkedIn update, press page, or internal directory, the images should feel like they belong together.
Professional lighting helps create that consistency. It also allows the photographer to work in different environments while maintaining a polished result.
Ken’s note:
Lighting is where experience really shows. A good photographer should be able to create shape, polish, and consistency whether the shoot is in a studio, office, conference room, or temporary setup.
Retouching should help you look like the best version of yourself without making you look artificial.
Before booking, ask what level of retouching is included, how many final images are delivered, and whether additional retouched images can be selected.
Professional headshot retouching may include subtle skin cleanup, stray hair removal, wardrobe adjustments, shine control, background cleanup, and overall polish. The goal is to remove small distractions while keeping the image natural.
A strong headshot should still look like you.
Over-retouching can make a portrait feel fake or outdated. Under-retouching can leave distractions that take attention away from the person. The right balance is important.
Ken’s note:
My approach to retouching is to keep the person real. The image should look polished, but it should not look like a different person.
A clear proofing process makes the entire experience easier.
Ask how many images you will be able to review, how proofs will be delivered, how final selections are made, and how long retouched images typically take.
For individual sessions, this helps you choose the strongest image. For corporate teams, it keeps the process organized and efficient.
A professional workflow should make it easy to review images, select favorites, request retouching, and receive final files for web, LinkedIn, press, marketing, and corporate use.
Some sessions may include live review during the shoot, allowing the client or team to see the images as they are being created. This can be especially helpful for executives, marketing teams, and companies trying to maintain a consistent look.
Ken’s note:
Proofing should not be confusing. The client should understand exactly what they are receiving, how to choose final images, and what happens after the shoot.
Different professions often require different approaches.
An attorney may need a polished, credible, and trustworthy portrait. A financial executive may need something refined and confident. A founder may want something approachable but authoritative. A therapist or consultant may need a portrait that feels warm, open, and professional. A creative director or entrepreneur may need something with more personality and visual style.
The photographer should understand how to adjust lighting, expression, wardrobe direction, posing, and background choices based on the person, industry, and intended use of the image.
The best headshots are not generic. They are tailored to the individual and the professional message they need to communicate.
Ken’s note:
A corporate headshot should never feel like a one-size-fits-all image. The best portraits are shaped around the person, their profession, and how the image will be used.
A professional headshot is an important part of your personal and business branding.
It can influence how clients, colleagues, employers, investors, media contacts, and potential partners perceive you before they ever speak with you. That makes the photographer you choose an important decision.
The right photographer should help you feel comfortable, direct you clearly, understand how the final image will be used, and create a portrait that feels polished, credible, approachable, and human.
At Ken Jones Photography, we create corporate headshots, executive portraits, environmental business portraits, and professional interview videos for executives, entrepreneurs, corporate teams, law firms, financial firms, agencies, media organizations, and professionals throughout New York City.
Sessions are available in our Manhattan studio on Fulton Street in the Financial District or on location throughout New York City.
Learn more about corporate headshots and executive portraits in NYC
The length of a headshot session depends on the person, the number of looks, and the intended use of the images. Some sessions are quick and focused, while others require more time for wardrobe changes, background options, or different expressions.
Wear clothing that fits well, feels appropriate for your profession, and does not distract from your face. Solid colors often work well. Avoid overly busy patterns, wrinkled clothing, or anything that feels uncomfortable.
Yes. A strong professional headshot can be used for LinkedIn, company websites, press bios, speaker profiles, internal directories, marketing materials, and other business platforms.
Yes. Ken Jones Photography works with individuals, executives, leadership teams, and full organizations that need consistent corporate headshots or environmental business portraits.
Yes. Sessions can be photographed in studio or on location throughout New York City, depending on the client’s needs, schedule, and desired visual style.
Professional lighting helps shape the face, create dimension, control shadows, and produce a polished image. It also helps maintain consistency when photographing multiple people for the same company or brand.