Executive Portrait Guide: Plan, Pose and Prepare

A good executive portrait comes down to five decisions made before the camera comes out: what the image is for, where it’s shot, what you wear, how it’s lit, and who directs you. Get those right and the session is easy. Get them wrong and no amount of retouching saves it. This guide walks through each one, with practical tips from our London studio, so you turn up prepared and leave with a photo you’re happy to put on your website, LinkedIn and annual report.

What an executive portrait actually is

It isn’t just a bigger, more expensive headshot. A standard headshot is a tight crop of your face for a profile picture. An executive portrait is a bit more considered: it usually has more space around you, a setting or backdrop chosen on purpose, and a feeling of calm authority. Think of the photo that sits next to your name on a board page, a press release or a conference programme.

That means it has a few jobs to do at once:

• Look like you, on a good day, not like a stranger.
• Match the tone of the company (a law firm and a creative agency want different things).
• Work at tiny size on a phone and large size in print.
• Stay useful for a few years, not a few months.

If you’re still weighing up whether it’s worth doing properly, we’ve written about why executives need professional photos. And if you’re not sure which style you need, our rundown of the types of professional headshots helps you narrow it down.

Start with the purpose, not the camera

Before you book anything, write down where the picture will live. It sounds obvious, but it changes everything.

If you’re a founder or freelancer building a name rather than sitting on a corporate board, you’ll probably want more personality. Our guide to what personal branding photography is explains how that differs from a straight corporate shot.

Choose your setting: studio or on location

This is the first real choice, and both are good. It depends on what you want to say.

Studio. Controlled light, a neutral backdrop, no distractions and very consistent results. It’s the best option if you want a classic look or if several people at the same company need to match. It’s also the easiest to schedule: you arrive, we shoot, you go. You can see how ours works on our studio page.

On location. Your office, a boardroom, a building you work in or somewhere outside. The picture says something about where you work and how you work. It takes a little more planning (space, light, and a quiet corner), but it often looks less staged. We shoot on location around Fulham and West London and across London more widely. If you’re curious, read what happens in an on-location portrait session or our guide to on-location photography in London.

A simple rule of thumb: if you want to look polished and timeless, go studio. If you want the image to show your world, go on location. Some people book one of each.

What to wear

Wardrobe is where most people overthink and still get it wrong. The aim is simple: clothes that fit well, feel like you, and don’t fight with your face.

1. Fit beats fashion. A jacket that sits properly on the shoulders matters more than the label. If in doubt, have it tailored or pick the one you feel most confident in.
2. Go for solid colours. Navy, charcoal, grey, deep green and burgundy are all safe. Tiny checks, thin stripes and busy patterns can shimmer or distract on camera.
3. Think about your skin tone. Pick a shade that gives your face some contrast rather than washing it out. Hold the top up under your chin in daylight and see how it looks.
4. Mind the neckline. Collars should sit flat. A shirt that gaps or a tie that’s slightly off is easy to spot at big sizes.
5. Keep jewellery and accessories quiet. Anything shiny or loud pulls the eye away from you.
6. Bring options. Two or three tops or jackets on hangers gives us choices, and a spare layer can change the mood completely.
7. Steam or iron the night before. Creases are surprisingly annoying to remove and can leave a slightly over-smoothed look.

We’ve gone deeper in our headshot outfit examples for professionals and in how to dress for a professional headshot. Worth a look the week before.

Lighting: the thing you notice without noticing

You won’t think about lighting while looking at a good portrait, but you’d feel it immediately if it was wrong. Flat light makes a face look tired. Harsh light from one side can make a serious expression look stern. The lighting we choose changes how approachable or authoritative you come across.

In broad terms:

• Soft, wrapped light looks friendly and open. It’s a common choice for people in client-facing roles.
• More directional light with a bit of shadow gives shape and a stronger, more dramatic feel. It suits leaders who want to look decisive.
• Bright, even light gives a clean, modern look and works well for tech and consultancy.

On location, window light can look lovely, but only if the room allows it and the weather plays along, so it’s usually supported by our own lights. If you’d like the details, read business portrait lighting explained and headshot lighting styles for business.

Posing and expression: how to look natural when you’re not

Almost nobody feels natural in front of a lens, including people who speak to rooms of hundreds. The fix isn’t to relax harder. It’s to be directed. Our sessions are talked through step by step, so you’re never left guessing what to do with your hands or chin.

A few things we do again and again:

• Angle the body slightly, turn the face to the camera. Square-on shoulders can look confrontational or boxy.
• Lean in a touch. Moving weight forward a few centimetres brings energy to the face and slims the jawline without any trickery.
• Push the forehead slightly towards the lens, chin slightly down. It feels odd, looks great.
• Think of a person, not a camera. A colleague you like, a client you’ve just won, a small joke. Real expressions come from real thoughts.
• Mix it up. We’ll shoot a serious frame, a soft smile and a bigger smile. You’ll probably choose one you didn’t expect.
• Hands. Either out of the frame, in a pocket, or resting naturally on something. Never clenched.

If you’re someone who hates having your photo taken, tell us at the start. It genuinely helps, and it’s far more common than you’d think.

Prepare in the week before

Nothing dramatic, just small habits that make a difference.

• Sleep and water. Boring, but it shows.
• Haircut a few days before, not the day before, so it settles.
• Skip new skincare or treatments close to the date, in case of redness.
• Men: shave the evening before or on the morning, depending on how quickly stubble shows.
• Glasses: bring them. If you wear them every day, you should probably wear them in the picture. If reflections are a problem, we can adjust the lights and angle.
• Look at images you like. Save two or three portraits whose mood you’d like to borrow and show us. It’s the quickest way to get on the same page.

Our full checklist is in how to prepare for a corporate headshot session.

Our perspective: what we see on the day

We’ve done over 500 sessions, and the same thing happens with executives almost every time. People arrive worried about the wrong things. They fuss about their hair or whether they should smile, and they don’t think about the one thing that matters most: whether they’ll feel comfortable in the first ten minutes.

So we spend the start of every session just talking. We direct the posing, we show you the back of the camera early, and we adjust. Within a few frames most people stop performing and start looking like themselves, and that’s the picture you’ll end up using.

The other thing we believe: retouching should be honest. We tidy what’s temporary (a blemish, a stray hair, a crease) and we leave what makes you recognisable. You should look like you on a very good day, not like someone else. If a colleague or client sees you in person a week after the photo goes live, the two should match.

And for teams, consistency matters more than perfection. A leadership page where everyone has the same background, light and crop looks like a company that has its act together. Mixed phone snaps do the opposite.

— Emmet

Who owns the photos? A quick word on copyright

This catches a lot of people out. In the UK, the person who creates a photograph is generally its first owner, unless they made it as an employee or there’s a written agreement saying otherwise, as GOV.UK’s guidance on copyright ownership explains. Paying for a session usually gets you a licence to use the images, not the copyright itself.

In practice this means two things before you book:

1. Ask what you can use the images for. Website, social media, print, press, and for how long? Your use should be spelled out in the studio’s terms.
2. Ask whether others can use them. If your PR agency, a conference organiser or a publication wants to use the portrait, you’ll want to know that’s allowed.

The Intellectual Property Office sets out what copyright actually gives a creator, including the right to authorise copying and sharing with the public. If your situation is complicated (say, a rebrand with a lot of third-party use), a solicitor who handles intellectual property is the right person to ask, not your photographer.

Choosing the right photographer

Without naming names, here’s what we’d check, whoever you hire:

• Portfolio of people like you. Look for executives and teams, not just models or weddings.
• Consistency across a set. Do the portraits look like they belong in one family?
• Direction. Do they guide you or just point and shoot?
• Turnaround. Is it days or weeks, and is it written down?
• Pricing clarity. Are retouching, duration and usage rights included, or extra?
• Practicalities. Can they come to you, and what do they need from your office?

We cover this in more detail in how to choose a photographer for your executive headshot. It’s also worth reading the role of a photographer in branding if the image is part of a bigger rebrand.

What it costs and how long it takes

Prices vary with session length, retouching and location. For individuals, our personal branding sessions start with The Refresh at £120 and go up to The Executive at £450. Our standard headshot sessions are £99 (Single) and £165 (Professional). For a team, pricing is £50 to £80 per person depending on the format you choose, on our team headshots page. On-location prices aren’t published because they depend on the brief, so ask us for a quote.

Turnaround is quick: we aim for the same week. Booking ahead is still sensible, though. Single sessions usually need a few weeks of lead time and teams two to three months, as we explain on our booking lead time page. For a longer look at what you’re paying for, see professional portrait investment explained.

Book your executive portrait with us

If you’d like a portrait you’ll be happy to use for years, our personal branding photography sessions are where executives usually start. The Executive session is £450, and The Refresh at £120 is a good fit if you only need an update. We’re based in London, shoot in the studio or on location, and direct you throughout. Tell us what the image is for and we’ll suggest the right session.

A simple checklist for the day

• Outfits ready, pressed and on hangers
• Glasses, if you wear them
• A note of where the images will be used
• Two or three reference portraits you like
• Water and a snack, since sessions can run on
• Anyone who needs to approve the final image briefed in advance

Send final selections to your comms or HR team the same day if you can. The sooner the images are in use, the sooner the old photo disappears.

FAQ

How long does an executive portrait session take?

A single-person session is usually short, but the length depends on the package, the number of outfits and whether we’re in the studio or on location. Longer sessions give more variety and more time to warm up. Tell us how many looks you want when you book and we’ll plan the time around that.

Should I smile in an executive portrait?

Mostly yes, but not necessarily with teeth. A relaxed, slight smile with warm eyes usually reads as confident and approachable. We tend to shoot a few levels, from serious to full smile, and you pick the one that feels most like you.

Can I use my executive portrait anywhere?

Not automatically. In the UK the photographer is generally the first owner of copyright, so you normally receive a licence for particular uses. GOV.UK explains the basics. Check the terms of your session for website, social, print and press use before you share the images more widely.

How often should I update my executive portrait?

When you no longer look like the photo, or your role or branding changes. For many people that’s every few years. If a client meets you and does a double take, it’s time.

Do you photograph whole leadership teams?

Yes. We run team sessions in the studio or at your office, with consistent lighting and backgrounds so everyone matches. Pricing is per person, and you can read more on our team headshots page.

Sources

• Ownership of copyright works, GOV.UK

Recommended

• Look Natural in Minutes: Photographer Tested Portrait Posture
• Headshot Posing: 8 Poses Tested in Studio for Natural Photos
• Business portrait lighting explained: your practical guide
• Headshot session preparation explained: your complete guide