Every few weeks someone tells me,
"I just need a headshot."
Usually, after we've talked for ten minutes, it turns out they don't.
They're launching a business. They've been promoted. They're speaking at conferences. They're trying to build trust with clients they've never met.
What they actually need is photography that tells a story.
A headshot answers one question.
What do you look like?
It's clean, simple, and usually framed from the shoulders up. Headshots are perfect for company directories, LinkedIn profiles, conference programs, and anywhere consistency matters.
Every professional should have a current one.
A business portrait answers a different question.
Who are you?
Business portraits include your environment, your body language, and often the details that communicate your leadership style.
They're designed to create connection before the first meeting ever happens.
The office. The architecture. The window light. The way you naturally stand when you're talking about your work.
Those details become part of the story.
Most professionals don't need one photo.
They need several.
Think about how many places your image appears:
- Your company website
- Speaking engagements
- Podcast interviews
- Press releases
- Articles
- Social media
- Marketing materials
Using the same tightly cropped headshot everywhere eventually limits your marketing.
An executive portrait gives you flexibility.
Which should you choose?
If all you need is an updated LinkedIn profile, a headshot may be exactly right.
If you're growing your business, building your personal brand, attracting clients, recruiting employees, or becoming more visible in your industry, business portraits become far more valuable.
They show people not only what you look like.
They begin to communicate what it's like to work with you.
That's an important distinction.
Because people rarely hire someone simply because they're qualified.
They hire people they trust.
