How to Convey Trust in Corporate Profile Photos

When building a company website, profile photos often end up being left until last.

It’s not just “bright and smiling”

Companies spend time on the text and design of their brochures, recruitment pages and CEO messages — and then the photos become “let’s just take them here.”

But people visiting a website form an impression from photos faster than from text. Profile photos of the CEO, executives and staff in particular are, I believe, an important way of conveying what kind of company it is.

Profile shoots usually come with the request “smiling, please.” For some companies, that’s exactly right. But not every company needs the same smiling photo.

A lawyer, an architect and a chef each want to convey something different. Among executives, some want to come across as approachable, others as strong and decisive. A creative company can be a little more distinctive; a long-established business might suit photos that convey accumulated time and composure.

Before the shoot, the question isn’t so much “how should we photograph this person?” as “what do we want this photo to say?”

The background means something

We don’t always shoot profiles against white or grey. Sometimes we photograph people where they actually work — offices, factories, hotels, shops, construction sites, studios.

Just a glimpse of someone’s work in the background changes what a photo communicates: where they work, what surrounds them, what kind of company they’re building. Capturing the relationship between a person and their place can be better than isolating them.

Light changes everything

Same person, same place — change the light and the impression changes dramatically. Soft daylight feels approachable and calm. Slightly stronger light and shadow brings out determination. Sometimes not over-polishing the lighting lets the person’s character come through.

It isn’t only about photographing beautifully. We think about what kind of light suits that person and that company.

Clothing is part of the company’s image

There’s no need to decide “it’s a profile photo, so a suit.” In finance, professional services or corporate leadership, a suit may be natural. But an architect, designer or artist wearing a suit they rarely wear, just for the shoot, can look slightly off.

What matters isn’t casual versus formal, but whether the person looks like themselves — and whether it matches the image the company wants to convey.

Think about the whole company, not one person

Corporate shoots sometimes cover dozens of staff as well as the CEO. Then consistency matters even more than any single image — background, light, composition, eyeline, colour. Everyone doesn’t need to be identical, but side by side they should read as one company, and as a grid on the website they should convey its atmosphere. We see profile photos as part of a company’s visual identity.

It’s fine if you dislike being photographed

A great many people tell us, “I’m not good in front of the camera.” Executives and employees aren’t models — of course it’s hard to act naturally in front of a lens.

That’s why the photographer’s communication matters. Rather than saying “smile” straight away, we chat, ask about their work, adjust how they stand or where their hands are, and look for the moment they appear natural while we shoot. Profile photography isn’t completed by camera and lighting skills alone.

That said, profile sessions are often given very little time. With just a little more time, there’s room for conversation, trust develops, and natural smiles and relaxed, wonderful expressions emerge.

Trust comes from being yourself

There’s no special pose for conveying trust in a corporate profile photo. An expensive suit won’t do it; neither will a smile on its own.

What does this person do? What kind of company is it? Who will see the photo? And what do we want it to say? The shoot is planned from there.

If someone looking at the photo feels, even a little, “I’d like to meet this person” or “I’d like to talk to this company” — that, I think, is where the trust a corporate profile photo needs really comes from.

Based in Kyoto, LS STUDIO creates profile photography for executives, board members, staff and creatives — planning each shoot around the company or brand and how the photos will actually be used, across websites, brochures, recruitment, PR and advertising.