5 Tips: How to create impact with professional headshots
In today’s world of short attention spans and content overload, high-quality content is not only a luxury; it’s a fundamental expectation. Although we rely more than ever on digital infrastructure and increasingly AI, humans are still one of the most powerful business assets. For tech and cyber brands, if your team features at industry events and wants to establish themselves as thought leaders, consistent and high-quality photography sets the standard for their expertise and your services.
Whether you’re the CEO of a global company or a small business owner looking to upgrade your image, getting professional business headshots can be uncomfortable for the best of us. Traditionally bland and sometimes awkward, here are five ways you can communicate your brand’s ethos, culture and values and set that impactful first impression.
Learn More: Want to achieve an Alice Violet Creative style Professional Headshot? Find out how here.
1. Tell your brand story through your background
Set the tone and ethos of your brand with your office or workspace. Is it relaxed, playful, stylish, corporate or elegant? Do you want to be photographed outside, indoors, at night or during the soft morning light? If you’re a podcast host, consider being in your studio or by a mic. If you don’t have an office but host meetings in coffee shops, these also offer an excellent base for photography and when using a plain-coloured background, consider tone and branding.
2. What to wear for your business headshots
Wearing a suit, a polo shirt or a jumper gives a different impression, do you have branded clothing or colours? Consider wearing these. We always encourage bold colours and prints to show your style and ask our clients to bring more than one outfit allowing for variety whilst capturing content. If you’re a leader of your business but wear trainers vs a suit to work, there is no need to tone this down for LinkedIn; authenticity can be key to helping you stand out.
3. Where to get inspiration for business headshots
Glance at your LinkedIn network and the brands you like for inspiration. We encourage looking into your industry and seeing how others are presenting themselves. Business editorials and magazines like Forbes are great examples, but beyond this consider fashion and wider advertorial content for body language and colour styling inspiration.
Tip: Make a mood board to reference.
4. How to style the scene for your business headshot
Fake phone calls and corporate posing are old-fashioned, but if you use a stylish laptop, create a scene at a desk with a coffee and notebook to give more context. Clean and free of smudges. If you’re a public speaker or give talks, consider photography showing you with a lapel mic or next to a speaker podium.
We offer photography and video of speakers at talks and are well-connected to orchestrate an intimate or large talk with a relevant audience and location when capturing your photos.
5. Which lighting works best for business headshots?
If you’re working with professional photographers like us, we’ll create flattering lighting based on the setting and tone of your brand. Natural light is always best, but if in doubt, mornings and early evenings offer soft flattering light, we recommend always facing the window rather than having it behind you for best results.
Outdoor light is also very flattering, so consider buildings with glass ceilings or large atriums. (However, shooting with a window behind you can wash you out!). If you work in property development, for the council, or are integral to a geographic area like Cheltenham, being photographed outdoors with the recognisable sandstone or regency features can be a great option.
Professional business headshots: what to remember
Like all content, headshot photography offers a powerful space to tell your brand story through colours, angles, location and lighting. You’re not limited to standing against a white wall in a suit (unless you want to showcase a corporate and serious image). Photography, even business headshots, offer a creative space to set the tone that resonates with your target audience.
Are you ready to create professional headshots with impact?
We offer a variety of business photography services from team headshots to event and brand imagery.
ALICE
I founded Alice Violet Creative to help technical and cybersecurity brands cut through complexity with sharp, engaging content. With 15 years of experience spanning luxury travel and cybersecurity, I’ve gone from hands-on content production to leading a growing team, shaping strategy, and driving impactful storytelling.
I’m passionate about building communities and sharing knowledge. You’ll often find me speaking at industry events, mentoring professionals, or collaborating in Cheltenham’s creative spaces—always looking for ways to push boundaries and elevate brand storytelling.
SPECIALISMS
+. Strategy
+. Creative Direction
+. Podcasting
+. Photography
+. Video
+. Writing
+. Training