[Kombisaurus]

I hope I'm not boring anybody with this topic... but it presented an interesting challenge to me and I've never really seen corporate portraits discussed on Shuttertalk before, so I thought I'd post this.

I shot about a dozen informal portraits of some of my workmates yesterday. They needed to be shots of them at their own desks doing work and I only had 5 mins max per person to get them done.
They had to be informal but at the same time I wanted them to look like more than just snapshots. It's not always an easy thing to balance.

So... I used a single off-camera flash to bounce off a wall/ceiling to help balance the available light, and tried to keep things as simple and uncontrived as possible. I could move this setup from office to office without doing multiple trips and it was quick and easy to get things sorted for the different lighting found in every office.

These shots are far from perfect, but I'd be interested to hear what you think and any suggestions you might have.

I have to shoot another dozen people tomorrow too. I think the biggest problem I'm having is trying to get the photos looking good without making them too formal or staged. Also, there are only so many ways you can shoot a person sitting at a desk in front of a computer! If anyone has any good ideas on keeping each of these photos looking different and fresh then I'd love to hear them.

Have you done similar shoots before? If so, do you have any tricks to share? How do you shoot corporate portraits without them becoming boring?


1. Programs Manager


2. Executive Assistant/Events Coordinator


3. Marketing Assistant. I know I chopped his head a little, but it is the border around this photo that makes the head-chop look bad.


4. Program Consultant. The shininess on her head is from the overhead lights, not my flash. Still, I wish it wasn't there. :/


5. Rowing Coaches


6. Receptionist


7. Biomechanist

None of these shots have had any photoshopping. The only tweaks have been lightroom tweaks to optimise exposure.

Thanks!

[smarti77]

The one thing that stands out the most is that all the women appear more relaxed and natural (& photogenic) than the blokes! I'm not sure if that says something about the subjects or the photographer.

This would be a tough assignment. 5 minutes is really quick to get a natural pose with the subject looking 'cadid' while looking at the camera. You've done a great job with these so far. 2 & 6 really stand out so far with the best combination of lighting and interesting compositions.

Sorry I havent given more helpful suggestions. Keep doing what you are already doing - you have a good mix of poses.

[Irma]

I like very much the colors and light in your pictures. I think they look very nice, the feeling of friendly people is delivered. I like them.

I have no experience about this, Kombi, but I would give my thoughts....

#2 the composition looks a bit too far. I mean she looks a bit small in the overall picture. Maybe if the monitor is a bit closer to her or you concentrate your composition in keyboard and girl?

I like #3 expression because he looks friendly without a wide smile. I think you don't need to have a wide smile to look friendly. So this might be a variation no to get monotonous.

I like very much #4 because of the boke and she really stands out from the rest of the office. I looks very nice to me. I don't mind the light in her face.

The receptionist is a nice picture unfortunately she blends a bit into the background as the shirt and the background are both dark and I think nearly the same color.

The last one gave me the idea that if some people have an special device in its work would be nice for a change to concentrate pose and composition in the device they work with and have the computer out of focus as a background.

It is indeed a very difficult assignment, and as I said I don't have any experience but these are just ideas that came from watching your pictures and thinking about some other options.

Hope this helps...

[matthew]

Some quick thoughts before I dash off:

1 - it's hard to make computer cables look attractive.

2 - I like this one, but it's also the most 'corporate' and is something that I feel like I've seen before. Skin tone looks a little green; I can see that you're working with a daylight white balance, so it's probably a little fluorescent sneaking in.

3 - good job on being able to photograph the image on the monitor as well as the surroundings.

4 - she looks natural and happy, but I'm not loving the strong line of dots at her eye level.

5 - I would have liked to see it without the extra chair, but the existing composition might be the stronger option, especially when paired with #2.

6 - probably my favourite, but receptionists must get tired of people looking at them from this angle.

7 - I love the toys, and this is the most natural-looking of the men. I think this is also the most rewarding photo for the viewer, with some interesting tones and shapes in the background. (Is the camera an FX7?)

[shuttertalk]

Hey Adrian, nice shots! Love the candid nature and they look fantastic.

Agree with Irma regarding #2.

#6 is my favourite - love the angle.

[Kombisaurus]

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions. They are very helpful.

I've got to shoot some more tomorrow so I'll see how much of that I can remember and put into practice.

Cheers!

[NT73]

#1........ I don't like the mug on the desk or the glass with the fork in it, behind the screen.
Managers should have little coffee cups on a silver tray.
# all the rest....... I am not sure if they should all be looking at the camera.
The photo's themselves...I am sure everyone likes them.

[Rabid Penguin]

I reckon you did great under severe limitations! I think 2 and 6 are the best.

[Pavel]

Hello,

For me these photos generally work very well. They do look natural and not contrived, both in terms of compsition and in terms of your "models" reaction to your presence. I only wish I could do that! I like the fact that the flash did not in general make itself feel too much and the photos appear to be naurally lit. It is also interesting that you got a good white ballance, given that you probably used some combination of artificial lights, flash and outdoor light. I think these photos work well as an informal, relaxed photo, showing the workplace like an approacheable, easygoing yet productive place. Well done in my view. DP.