5 business portrait mistakes you’re probably making (and how to avoid them!)

Are you planning a professional headshot photoshoot to level up your brand? Researching is the perfect way to start! Let’s talk about some common mistakes business owners make when getting their business portraits taken.

5 Business Portrait mistakes to avoid at all costs:

Bad Lighting

Poor lighting can negatively affect the quality of your business portrait. 

Lighting affects how colours, textures and facial features will appear in a photo — so getting this wrong can ruin a business portrait. Harsh lighting can cast unflattering shadows, making you look tired, or appear older then you actually are… Conversely, dim lighting can make a photo appear bland and lifeless.

An ideal lighting scenario will be a large light source such as a window or a sky on an overcast day – it will  sufficiently light your face, whilst complimenting your skin tone for a natural, clean and sharp final photo. 

Different aesthetic requirements will require different types of lighting, but the basics must first be met to ensure great professional results!

Uncomfortable Outfit

It’s very tempting to purchase brand new outfits for a photoshoot — after all, a new set of clothes will look great, right!?

Unfortunately, an often overlooked aspect of new clothing is that you may not yet know how to move and position yourself comfortably in them. A new dress or a suit on a hanger can look fantastic, but once we are wearing it we are often ‘unsure’ about something. 

“Belt or not? Tuck the shirt in? Fold the sleeves up? 

When we wear clothes we have worn numerous times before, we are comfortable and confident with how to wear them and how to move in them — this confidence translates over to the photos!

Your business portraits should project confidence and approachability. If you are uncomfortable, you may appear tense and awkward in your portrait.

Here’s an extensive guide on What to wear for professional business headshots.

Uncomfortable Posing

Just like your clothing, poses you do will make or break your professional portraits. Striking a pose that doesn’t feel natural is the most common business portrait mistake I see.

Let’s say you’re attempting a pose you saw in a fashion magazine. It looks unique and interesting, but doesn’t feel particularly comfortable. In this case your photos will look exactly how you feel in that moment – awkward, unsure and just not right. 

When posing for your business photo, you don’t need to do any sophisticated poses. On the contrary, I would recommend you sit or stand comfortably (in a pose that actually feels good!) and give the camera the biggest smile you’ve got. This way your portrait will be so much more effective.

“Should I smile in a LinkedIn headshot?” – here’s everything you should know about smiling in a professional portrait.

For example the way I pose my clients is about finding natural, relaxed poses that my clients would do in their everyday life, and then elevating them with good posture and just some positive body language tweaks. 

You might also enjoy The Best Poses For Professional Headshots.

Too much makeup

Makeup can be a great boost to a professional photo — especially when applied by a skilled professional. However, resisting the temptation to go overboard is imperative. 

Aesthetics vary from sector to sector, though it is important that you do not appear unnatural or artificial in your business portrait.

An authentic photo speaks volumes.

Too much post-processing

Post-production (also known as photo editing or retouching) can work wonders to enhance the final result of a photo, though care must be taken to not overly distort the real look.

I personally tell my clients that I will edit them to make them look like themselves “on a good day”. This entails gently touching up tired eyes, removing any temporary skin imperfections (such as acne or other blemishes), taming stray hairs, ironing out creases in clothing etc.

Excessive photo manipulation can remove the ‘soul’ from a photo and make you appear robotic, or simply ‘too perfect’. This can be off-putting for clients, as people want to speak with other humans.

If you’re curious about my photo editing process, make sure to check out this post.

Making sure your business portrait looks great is crucial, though at the same time don’t forget about authenticity. It’s never been easier to manipulate our images online, hence showing up as real, relatable, even slightly imperfect, will be an effective tool in attracting more clients and making a great impact on your business presence.

Dive deeper in this topic by reading How to Look Good in Staff Headshots.

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you know of any other business portrait mistakes that I haven’t mentioned, be sure to share them in the comment section below!