Taking personal business portraits

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(Edited)


Last Friday I had an appointment with Manon, she needed new a portrait for her LinkedIn profile. With my portable studio, we used her house as the setting, which gave the portrait a personal touch. While taking portraits itself is almost as personal as it can get, using something personal can enhance that feel. Not just a home will do, think about attributes, something in the background/foreground.


Finding the right corner

When using someone's house as a setting, it is always a challenge to find the right corner to get a nice composition. Some places are too small to set-up lights, but this house was just perfect. Enough space to set-up lights without making it packed.


As I mentioned, the portrait needed to be used for LinkedIn, C.V. and future business-related propositions. I went for a little desaturated look while having her look straight in the camera with a gentle smile. Manon did some assistance for me 2 years ago, so I know her a little bit. A little bit shy, but she can also get pretty direct when she has to be.


Fun fact: She asked me twice to assist me on a project. I turn most people down, that's what I did the first time with her, but after she asked me twice I realized she didn't take no for an answer.


Keep it real

If you would know her personally, I think the photographs are just about right. They resemble her more than just a picture that has been taken of her. I try to keep everything as natural and real as possible whenever I capture a soul with my camera.

Curious for the results? Scroll down :)



© 2019 | Ruben Cress rubencress.nl




© 2019 | Ruben Cress rubencress.nl




© 2019 | Ruben Cress rubencress.nl



Find recognizable traits

The first picture is absolutely my favorite. This is how I know her. Eager to learn, a little bit shy, but the look in her eyes tells me she knows exactly what she wants; an achiever and determined to do whatever it takes. If she ever is looking for a new job, I believe recruiters will spot that trait for sure, without having a conversation with her.





© 2019 | Ruben Cress rubencress.nl



Value

A good portrait can be very valuable. While the costs for my portraits are over average, they are usually being used for 3-5 years, and sometimes even longer. Divide those years by X, and that's the average price you paid if you consider most portraits are being used just a year or two tops.

Result

We spent a few hours taking the photographs and the result will be a small portion of the big image. It would look something like this.



I had a pretty busy weekend, working on a pretty cool project for one of the biggest insurance companies here in the Netherlands.

Hope you're all doing great and are prepared for autumn!



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5 comments
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These are clean, Ruben. Portable studio though, is that a lot to carry? And, from one portraitist to another, what's your favorite focal length for these shots? You know, mine's 50mm, and I don't think that'll change but, you never know.

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Thank you. Haha not really, it's a few stands and two lights. On a crop sensor, I love the 50mm, on a full-frame, I'd go for 85mm or higher to get that nice bokeh.

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