How to Photograph Corporate Portraits
I have been getting many requests lately to write an article on corporate portrait photography, after my last corporate event photography tips article that I wrote a few weeks ago. Photographing employees for corporate websites and magazine articles is very different from corporate event photography - it is similar to photographing a portrait in a professional studio. Obviously, the atmosphere is different, lighting is different and the gear you use is also very different. You must be equipped with portable lighting equipment that you can assemble and disassemble in minutes. In this article, I will go through the different types of corporate portrait photography and what you can do to get the best possible results with the least amount of money spent on gear and lighting equipment.
Corporate Portrait
Andrea and Dan: Engagement
See the cute dog in the first picture? That's Francois. A french bulldog with a fancy name and absolutely adorable owners. Francois was adopted a little over a year ago by Andrea and Dan. Frankly, if I were Francois, I wouldn't want anyone else adopting me. He is so loved, cared and pampered. Can you expect less affection from two people already madly in love with each other?
Dan is into social work. Andrea works for a non-profit Pediatric AIDS Foundation. I am sure I do not have to write more for you to understand that this couple is all about giving.
I will spare the beginning of their love story until they get married on March 21st. Nothing short of a miracle. Nasim and I are honored to be chosen as their wedding photographers and are looking forward for the perfect day! 21st of March is special. It is the day when day and night are equal in length. According to the Zoroastrian Calendar, it is the first day of Spring and the beginning of a New Year. Coincidence? Let's say Andrea and Dan are a match made in heaven. Let 21st of March, the first day of spring be a symbolic meaning of their new life as a husband and wife.
We met for the engagement session at a park right next to their new home. While it was a little chilly, both Andrea and Dan were filled with energy. Oh, and Francois was über-cooperative. Isn't he adorable?
StudioWed Denver Grand Opening Soiree
Along with many wedding professionals of Colorado, I was invited to witness the grand opening of the new and fabulous StudioWed Denver. I simply couldn't pass this wonderful opportunity to participate in this event and get to know wedding professionals of Denver during this event. The studio is hip, stylish and very cozy. I am sure every bride who enters the premises of StudioWed will find comfort and assurance that their special day is in the safe hands of true professionals. Debbie and her team did an outstanding job creating such a warm atmosphere. Kudos to you guys!
Below are some of the images I took last night. I love this table setting and the floral design!
Corporate Photography Tips
There are two types of corporate photography - event photography and portrait photography. Event photography means taking pictures of employees and guests in corporate events such as conferences, birthday parties, Christmas parties, receptions and sales events. Corporate portrait photography means taking formal pictures of employees for websites, magazines and other various publications. In this article, I will provide some tips on how to photograph corporate events.
Images of Love
I am the type of person who likes to sit and go through some old boxes and check out the contents. I get excited like a baby when I find something very memorable and interesting. It can be anything from a receipt of my favorite purchase, 11 year old torn T-shirt given to me by my best friend or my son's first teether, etc. I might also drop a tear or two remembering those moments embossed in far corners of my memory.
Nowadays, my habit goes beyond boxes and pockets of my jackets - I carried it on to our Lightroom folders. When I went back and reviewed older images, I found some amazing pictures, which were not chosen as favorites at the time and were bound to be not seen until someone accidentally stumbled upon them. I decided to break this torturous routine and started picking another set of my favorite images. For this particular post, I chose images from Kristi and Don's wedding. There are some details and emotions that I really like in these photographs. I decided to post them here so that people can remember how good it is to witness love and its perky details over and over again!
Dunes – me
Sergey just sent these shots that he took of me while we were hiking and taking pictures at the Great Sand Dunes:
Walking up
Studio photo shoot: Uma and Maslin
My favorite little buddies Uma and her little brother Maslin visited us today for a short photo shoot. We initially planned to have it outside but the cold and shortage of time didn't make it a flexible choice for us. So, Laura and I decided to have a photo shoot indoors.
Before I go on to write about the photo shoot I just want to tell all of you how delighted I am to know Laura, mommy of Uma and Maslin. She is so sincere and absolutely lovely! Laura, if you are reading this, I want you to know that I am glad that I met you and I am looking forward to many, many photo shoots and play dates with you and your adorable children.
Halloween Fun
A couple of days ago, we thought about taking pictures of people on Halloween. We first decided to go to Denver downtown, but then changed our mind and decided to check out the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder instead. I'm glad that we picked Boulder, because people were awesome, their costumes were very creative and funny and above all - we had a lot of fun!!!
Click "Continue Reading" to see lots of cool photos of vampires, zombies and other cool characters!
We started out by taking pictures of families with kids:
Uma and Maz: Children Portraits
Uma and Maz are a sister and a brother. I am delighted to have the chance to photograph such adorable children. I know that their mother is fantabulous! So, no wonder we had so much fun with Uma and Maz. I hope that I will see them soon enough to get more pictures done. We had a good time blowing bubbles, throwing leaves, jumping, laughing and running. I love their energy and their willingness to pose in front of the camera. I love, love, love, Uma and Maz!!!
Here Uma is in process of demonstrating her bubble blowing skills to her brother Maz.
Random thoughts and shots
As much as autumn is a beautiful season I discovered that I do not like it as much as other seasons. For some reason this gloominess undoubtedly tries to become a part of my mood. If not for my family and photography, which always brings extra energy, I think I would probably go bonkers. Here are some random shots that my husband and I took recently. Some of them are from the photo walk we did couple of weeks back. Some were taken during summer, and some are just nice coincidences. There is nothing like seeing a warm, smiling face when you are in one of those autumn-y weather! Except the first couple of shots... My son was so upset, even going to his favorite Thai place didn't help much :)
