How To Pose for Business Portraits

Awkward, harshly lit, or just plain ugly business portrait photographs in passports and personal IDs may be a great source of laughs, but the last thing you want is for people in the business world to frown or chuckle uncomfortably when they see your personal logo.

Because that’s exactly what your professional business portrait is: the logo of your personal brand. For this reason, you have to ensure the photographs people see on your business website, LinkedIn profile, social media, and resume advance your personal brand rather than hold it back.

With that in mind, here’s how to pose for a professional business portrait:

Good posture is a must

Hunching your shoulders or slouching communicates insecurity and apprehension. That’s why you should make sure your back is straight and your shoulders are thrown back and relaxed. Just be careful not to overdo it, as that will make you appear stiff.

Avoid the mug-shot look

When posing for a professional business portrait, you should stand at a slight angle relative to the camera. Facing the camera directly with your body will not just make the photo look exceedingly formal, like you’re posing for a visa, but may also make your body look wider.

Let your hands relax

Hands aren’t usually shown in business photographs, but they do appear occasionally. Crossing them, letting them drop naturally to your sides, putting them on your hips, and holding a tablet or your glasses can all be good poses in a corporate photo.

Needless to say, fists are a big no-no. The only time you should ever even consider making them during a corporate photoshoot is if your job is to arrange boxing matches at the Pechanga Arena.

Be mindful of your chin

Bringing your chin too high up will make your neck look too long, create the impression that you’re staring down at the camera, and worst of all, give anyone who sees the picture a great view of your nostrils.

On the other hand, dropping your chin too low will not only give you a double chin, it’ll also make you look like an angry child or a movie psycho, especially if you stare directly at the camera.

That’s it for today! Stay incredible!