Types Of Headshot Backgrounds
Gray Background
The reason gray is so ubiquitous is that it works with just about anything. The density of the gray, light or dark, is simply controlled by how much light you put on it.
Environmental Headshots & Business Portraits
Using an environment can be a way to add a bit of your company culture to your shots. If you want a portrait of a key player in your company, shooting them in an environment in an editorial style is a great way to feature them.
The biggest issue is having a great environment. For some, the solution is blurring the background beyond recognition. That can work but personally I’d rather see gray or some subtle color on seamless paper. There’s a few reasons for that and as a photographer I’m sure I overthink those reasons.
If you are an individual looking to get environmental shots from me, we’ll have to talk about a location.
Some ideas for environments are:
Air Bnb rooms
Hotel rooms
Does the hotel your meeting in have an area they’ll let you use for a time?
Shared workspace like WeWork or Spaces
Your home or a friend’s home that has large rooms
A venue on an off day might give you a deal for a few hours in a couple of their rooms
Using The View Through The Window
This is especially good if your office floor has a view through the window with an iconic view of your city. If your brand inherits some of it's gravitas from the city you operate in, it’s a great way to show your allegiance to that city and gain the prestige that comes with that city.
The downside is weather. You might have to reschedule or have a plan B. There are some instances where once I have a the “backplate” shot of your view through the window, I can shoot your folks and composite them into that shot.
Outdoors
The slideshow on my homepage has a number of examples. Most of which are done in my front yard. If you can find an area that has layers of different types and heights of greenery, you’ll get an image with dimension. For a headshot that background is a lot like clothing in the sense that you don’t someone to look at your professional headshot and say, “Wow! Where was that?” Generally speaking at least. Just like you don’t want a tie or blouse that’s so busy it distracts from your face.
Options might include a park, outdoor courtyard at your office complex, a neighborhood clubhouse with landscaping. Even a hedge row lining your parking lot can work. But the more more layers and variety in the greenery, the better the image works in my opinion. Many of my outdoor headshots for companies are in their parking lot. This is easy especially if you’re in an office/light industrial space. That is a single story office type space. For offices downtown I often meet at Piedmont Park or some other city park.
Downside of course is weather. I share the risk with you on outdoor headshots. Most often I do them in my front yard which provides the background with depth and dimension.