Corporate Portrait, Executive Headshot and Annual Report Photography
As a Commercial Photographer based in Winnipeg, I’ve had the opportunity to photograph portraits of some of the most notable Winnipeg executives, including Presidents and CEOs from from corporate giants such as Manitoba Hydro, MTS Allstream, Rogers Communications, Nygard International, Red River College and Great West Life as well as many others. This page will familiarize you with my approach to annual report photography, Corporate Portraits and Executive Headshots.
Corporate Portrait or Executive Head Shot – What's the difference?
The difference between a Corporate Portrait and an Executive Head Shot is subtle. The two terms are often used to describe the same thing. The difference is that an executive headshot will generally be of one person and will include only head and shoulders and very little, if any indication of where the photograph was taken. A corporate portrait, on the other hand, is a photograph of one or more people. It's taken in a meaningful location and includes some of that location in the photo. Since executive head shots are very simple, they don't require much explanation. Below is some information about my corporate portrait work.
The Corporate Portrait Concept
The concept for a corporate portrait can spring from a number of considerations. No matter what type of business you're running, you likely have an idea what sort of public face your company is trying to convey. For instance, the public face of a bank or insurance company would need to convey strength and stability, whereas a clothing manufacturer, design firm or architectural firm would likely want their corporate portraits to convey their own unique sense of style to the public. Anything is possible in photography these days, especially with the digital techniques that are common now. To get the photograph that's right for you, though, It's important that your photographer listens and understands what you're trying to communicate.
Some Examples
I always try to capture a facet of the executive's personality in the corporate portrait. Sometimes that means incorporating their favorite hobby. A good example is my portrait of Kishore Kapoor of Wellington West. I learned from his assistant that he is an avid golfer. So we brought in a beautiful vintage putter for the shoot and I got a few frames of him putting with his office as a backdrop. Strangely enough though, once we got through taking the portrait with the putter, I noticed that he had some boxing gloves sitting on the window sill of his office. He is, after all, a heavyweight in the investment industry so I casually asked if he would be willing to put the gloves on for a few shots and those were the shots that made the publication. It's smart to do as much preparation as you can for a corporate portrait but some portrait concepts are born completely of spontaneous inspiration.
Occasionally, an executive will be known in the community for one thing or another and we can incorporate that element in the photography. For instance, Larry Macintosh, President of Peak of the Market is known for his use of a carrot as a microphone in his television ads, so I was able to take his portrait with him sitting in the middle of the pile. At one point we even had him buried completely up to his neck in carrots. It was a blindingly bright sunny day in July and I had to take the shot from above to give the feeling that he was completely surrounded on all sides by carrots. As a result, Larry was staring directly into the bright summer sky for more than a few minutes. He's a great sport.
In a more conventional corporate portrait, David Schioler, President of the Insurance Brokers Association of Manitoba wanted to convey with his photo the fact that he is a tireless lobbyist of the government on behalf of a broker force that drives billions of dollars in business annually. To do that, we took a shot of him that included the legislative building dome, a very familiar Winnipeg landmark and the seat of the Manitoba Provincial Government, in the background of his portrait.
As you can see, the concept for a corporate portrait is as individual as the company and the executive being photographed. Whether a more refined, traditional photo or a more progressive, fun look is what the client is after, anything is possible. And a well thought out portrait arrived at through cooperation between photographer and subject can grab the attention of the viewer and contribute to the message the company is trying to convey.
If you would like to see more examples, I've supplied a link to a more complete gallery of Corporate Portrait, Executive Head Shot and Annual Report Photography.
The Process
If you need executive head shots for one or more people, arrangements can be made over the phone or by email. Your executives and staff can come out to my studio in Winnipeg or I can come out to your office and take the photographs right there. Most people find this very convenient because the average executive has very little time to devote to a photo shoot. Because head shots are more simple to set up than corporate portraits, photo sessions can often be scheduled within a day or two of the initial contact.
The process for a corporate portrait is a little more involved. Because the amount of time each executive can afford to be in front of the camera is limited, usually I will meet with an assistant a few days in advance for a consultation and to scout the location for the shoot. This meeting also gives me a chance to hear any ideas that the client may have for the photo and get a sense of what their public face needs to be. The assistant will usually be able to tell me a bit more about the company and the likes and dislikes of the executive. Generally, every company will have a clear vision of how they want to be portrayed to the public. I'm very respectful of those issues and try to work within those guidleines.
Each one of the corporate portraits you see on this site took from 10 minutes for single person shots to upwards of 45 minutes for some of the more complex group shots. I realize that these people are very busy but this level of quality does take time and I strive to make the time I spend with the executives enjoyable by being casual but respectful and trying to make them feel at ease. With their cooperation, great images result.
If you'd like to set up an appointment for a consultation, feel free to contact me.
Fast, Online Delivery of your Images
Once your images have been shot, you can expect delivery of them within a day or two. If you're in a hurry, same day delivery can be arranged. Images can be delivered on a disc or via our online ftp service. If you choose online delivery, an email will be sent to notify you that your images are ready for download. The email will contain a private link to our server that, when clicked, will automatically begin your download. Not only is this service fast, but if your graphic design team is at another location or even in another city, or if more than one person in your office needs to have the images, all you need to do is forward the email to those team members (no images actually get forwarded, just the link) and they can download the images directly.