Where you take your business photos is key to creating the right image for you & your brand. You want a location that compliments who you are & what you do; matches your profession & industry & fits your brand personality.
From a simple headshot to branding photos, business photography is all about helping you to connect & engage with your target market. The location or background of your photos plays an important part in this.
In my last post, I wrote about why simple white backgrounds have become so popular for business headshots. But a white background is not right for everyone. Here, I will explore different locations that make great environments for business photos.
Where to take your business photos: My top 8 locations.
1. In the office
It’s where you work! To capture your authentic business, one of the best photo locations is the place you work.
For the background, think windows, walls, doorways, desks & computers. These are your business photos so an office environment can be the perfect location.
If your office isn’t suitable, offices in shared spaces like Sussex Innovation Centre in Croydon can often be hired for a few hours.
Detail Design (above) had their photos taken in their Reigate Studio whilst sole trader Jerry (below) hired a space in a shared workspace in Central Croydon.
2. At your place of work
Not everyone works in an office…
Think of the gym where a personal trainer works, the kitchen, where a baker works or the garage where a mechanic works.
Using your place of work as a backdrop for your photos can tell the viewer what you do without words.
Caroline, a bespoke cake baker, was photographed in her kitchen with some of her creations whilst the boss of this vehicle repair garage was photographed alongside one of the cars & a PT in a gym.
3. At home
Many small business owners don’t have an office instead choosing to work from home. This can be a great choice of location for your business photos.
Home is your natural environment. It’s where most people feel comfortable & relaxed. Being photographed can be quite daunting so home brings an element of familiarity to your shoot. This familiarity helps put you at ease in front of the camera resulting in comfortable, relaxed & happy photos.
Croydon-based counsellor Lorraine (below) had her business photos taken at home as this is where she works & meets with her clients. Using her home also helped bring an element of her bubbly personality to the images. She is as lively & colourful as her decor!
Home shoots don’t need to be informal. A more business-like & professional look can easily be achieved with a simple plain or white wall. The corporate headshots below were taken in the client’s London homes.
4. Outside your house
In your street, in your neighbourhood. Think doorways, railings, steps & long winding roads.
Simply stepping outside your front door can give an alternative look to your home-shot business photos.
In the first image, we sat the client on his front doorstep. Mortgage Advisor Jo used a front door as a background. Not only a great backdrop but one that alludes to her profession. And with Tanya, we used her garage door as a creative background.
5. In a cafe, bar or hotel
I get it. You work from home but home isn’t the right location for your shoot. Your decor doesn’t match your brand or perhaps there’s too much chaos with partners, kids & pets getting in the way!
If you often work remotely, cafes, coffee shops, bars & hotel lobbies can make an excellent home-away-from-home location for your business photos. (And as a bonus, there is usually coffee on tap! ☕️)
When choosing a cafe or hotel to shoot in, consider your brand personality, who you are & what you do.
Are you contemporary, vibrant & energetic?
Or chic, sleek & stylish?
Try to match the ambience of the location with your profession & your personality.
Lifestyle brand Betty Bramble used a local coffee shop for her recent shoot. We decided it had a French feel so accessorised with coffee & a croissant!
Business coach Gordon used the lounge area of his golf club based in Croydon.
*As an aside, if you want to use a public space for your business photos, you will need to ask permission from the owners. As long as we avoid their busy times, many independent coffee shops & bars are happy to be used as a shoot location, especially if we buy a coffee or two & give them a shout-out on social media!
6. In the park
Depending on the season, think greens, oranges, yellow daffodils, pink blossom, a sea of bluebells or red poppies. Fresh, colourful & vibrant. Creative, different every day & unique to you.
7. In the town centre
Think urban landscapes. Architecture, brick walls, reflective windows, steel, metal & backgrounds of different textures.
Shooting in an urban environment can produce a sleek, professional corporate look to your photos or a slightly more urban & contemporary feel.
Sacha had his business headshot photo taken in Ruskin Square, Croydon. The new buildings provided the perfect sleek, corporate & professional look that he was after.
The same location in Kings Cross gives Mark a sleek, corporate background to his professional headshot whereas Sophie goes for a slightly more edgy & urban vibe.
8. In the studio
For some people, a photography studio is the right location for their photos. It’s simple, clean, minimalist & free from clutter. The focus is 100% on the person in front of the camera.
When you’re photographed in the studio you are the sole focus of the image.
In my last post, I discussed why white backgrounds are so popular for business headshots.
Where to take your business photos: Why does location matter?
Where you take your business photos matters because the location reflects your brand. To attract your target client, you need your photos to compliment your brand personality.
Brand personality refers to human characteristics associated with a brand. They’re expressed as adjectives that convey how you want people to perceive you. For example, fun, cheerful, playful, responsible, serious & sophisticated.
A fun, lively & cheerful brand wants a fun, lively & cheerful location, just like Lorraine featured above. Her photos would not have worked had they been taken in a corporate office or a studio. Her photos work because the colourful location is a reflection of her & her brand.
Sacha an investments expert in Fintech needed a corporate location with a hint of creativity that reflected his brand. Ruskin Square was the ideal location.
Ruskin Square would not have worked as a location for Lorraine & likewise, Lorraine’s vibrant & colourful location would not have worked for Sacha.
Your choice of location gives your photos the gravitas you need to attract & connect with your target market. Where you take your business photos is important & does matter.
Want some advice about where to take your business photos?
With all of my headshot & branding packages I work with you to create your perfect shoot, this includes helping you find the right location for you & your brand!
Corporate photography in Croydon, London, Surrey & the South East
Based in Croydon, I shoot businesses throughout London, Surrey & the South East. With over 10 years of corporate photography experience, I have photographed people in locations ranging from a local cafe to the 38th floor of the Gherkin building in the city. It’s all about finding the location that is right for you & your business.