You work in London, but does that mean you need “London headshots”? The story that your headshot tells is crucial, and if being based in the capital city is important for your professional career, then it could be a shrewd move to make sure one or more of your headshots has a recognisable London background.
That doesn’t mean you want a bland, tourist shot: instead, you can leverage your London presence with a location that speaks to your industry. A barrister might choose a historic corner of Middle Temple, while a brightly-lit West End theatre would make a strong narrative for a theatrical agent’s headshot, and a finance professional could be shown among the glass and steel of Canary Wharf.
Choosing a Central London-based photographer is not only convenient, it gives you access to stylish and iconic London locations like these.
Why does a London background matter?
In any portrait, the surroundings are a big part of what it says about you: people will respond differently to a picture of you sitting in a pub, from you standing outside the Crown Court. London is known as a worldwide centre for financial, creative and tech industries: when it comes to your professional business photos, booking a London headshot with an experienced business photographer gives your image that dynamic, international flair.
For effective images, you also need to think about what the headshot is really trying to do.
Whether you’re an individual looking for a change of role, a company that needs the website to look stylish and consistent, or an entrepreneur or consultant focusing on client relations and PR, collaborating with a good photographer will make the most of your presence in your industry.
London Headshots for Individuals
When you’re trying to progress in your career, London headshots on your LinkedIn profile and elsewhere can make the difference between you and the competition.
If you want to get a London job, or leverage your capital city credentials, the narrative such a headshot conveys will strengthen your application. If you’re looking for a career step up, or to become a partner in a London firm, an appropriate background can give your image the gravitas needed for the role you want.
Choosing a studio in central London means you and the photographer can take your time exploring the right narrative, styling, pose and expression, before you move out together to public locations to catch that London vibe.
London headshots for the company website
Companies know that having a London presence and address can significantly improve the bottom line, and London headshots on your About Us and Our People pages reinforce those London credentials.
There are three ways a good photographer can arrange things to make sure your website images project this message:
Your photographer can come to your office and create a pop-up headshot studio, complete with a make-up artist so everyone’s grooming is perfect. Planning this for a company team-building or conference day can be particularly efficient.
A shoot day at a central London studio can make the most of the studio space, versatile lighting, in-house makeup and styling, and break-out rooms for your people to work remotely.
Or you could allow individuals to book a studio appointment to suit their diary, knowing the photographer can recreate the same environment and style for all your workforce images, regardless of day and location.
London headshots for directors, entrepreneurs and consultants
People with leadership responsibilities will need more than a single LinkedIn headshot, and you and your photographer can collaborate to create a small library of PR and corporate images.
Using a variety of London backgrounds can communicate and reinforce different narratives, ready for different platforms, marketing objectives and media requests. A director wanting to develop export opportunities might choose London City Airport as the location for some images, while their portrait on the Join Us page of the company website might show a cool, a collegiate workspace in the heart of Hoxton.
Using location and green-screen techniques, a versatile lighting setup and in-house makeup artists and stylists, you and your photographer will have a full range of options to create a versatile set of images which project an up-to-date portrait of your business.
What if my company is international?
You want your business imagery to reflect the individuality of your London operation but also consistency with that of your Hong Kong, Los Angeles or Singapore-based business and colleagues.
A photographer who is experienced with location and green-screen techniques will work with studio and natural lighting to re-create your company’s style consistently, while projecting its worldwide presence and responsiveness to different cultures.
Your photographer’s secure and efficient archiving and asset management systems should enable them to change backgrounds and styles, as the company and its people move around the world, and the business develops.
What if I move offices?
If your company relocates you to Manchester or Paris, or a career step-up takes you to Bristol or New York, you’ll want your presence on LinkedIn and elsewhere to reflect that. If your photographer took green-screen shots with a controlled lighting setup, and has them securely archived, new backgrounds can be dropped in to suit your new role, and like magic: the message of your London Headshots become Manchester Headshots.
How has the working-from-home revolution changed London headshotS?
The pandemic has changed the way we work, so it’s even more important to have business imagery which projects energy, effectiveness and collaboration. Many companies know that keeping a London presence and atmosphere is crucial, even though more of their staff work from home much of the time.
However, with a dispersed workforce it can be difficult for companies to ensure quality and consistency across their business images, and to motivate their workforce to keep their images up-to-date. Individuals, meanwhile, can find it daunting to set about getting a really good headshot, with appropriate clothing and perfect grooming, to support their ambitions as the world of work continues to evolve.
London headshots for WFH-oriented companies.
It used to be the case that the only way to ensure consistency was through the traditional “office headshot day”, with everyone taking their turn in front of the camera – but with a dispersed staff it can be difficult to arrange this.
For an experienced business photographer with a well-equipped studio there is no problem: whenever your staff can get there, the photographer can recreate a consistent look in environment, styling and grooming, regardless of day and location.
London headshots for WFH individuals
Working from home has many advantages: it’s more time-efficient, often less stressful, and makes it easier to combine your working life with other responsibilities. But your WFH status can place doubt in the minds of employers and clients about your commitment, risking an impression that home takes priority for you over delivering for clients and the business.
A London headshot removes this doubt, and positions you in a dynamic, collaborative environment. A good photographer will work with you to make sure the message your headshot projects supports your capital city ambition and credentials.
