Corporate photography includes architectural photography with or without employees, art directed group shots, environmental corporate shots and portraits. But companies today have cut back on original photography opting instead for stock images. With a shifting employee base, new management and new digs, original corporate photography takes center stage. Companies need fresh, homogenous images for a cohesive look for annual reports, articles, press releases and websites.

A safe lens for corporate photography portraits is the telephoto lens. One that slightly compresses and foreshortens facial features. Strong elements like a predominant nose are softened and more flattering. Broad, flat lightening further softens facial features while focusing on the eyes and mouth. After all, the eyes have it when it comes to telling the tale.

A telephoto lens easily puts the background out of focus. A slightly wide-angle lens adds more of the background and realizes interesting, more dramatic images. Broad lighting still works, but if facial features are not a problem, we use a variety of lighting setups from the butterfly shadow (a slight shadow under the nose resembling a butterfly), to hatchet lighting (a side light placing half of the face in deep shadow), to every lighting design in between. A series of filters soften lines and harsh lights. Our photographers also insist on booking a makeup artist to get rid of 5 o’clock shadow, under-eye circles and uneven skin tones.

Corporate photography at CMS Photography experiences the challenge of corporate portraits. With little time, a photographer must grasp an individual’s personality. Then design lighting that not only reveals inner qualities within the corporate image. Most of our clients are not naturally relaxed in front of the camera. Our experienced photographers often work with people so uncomfortable with picture taking, they would prefer a root canal! How wonderfully rewarding to see a subject transform from nervous, awkward even disagreeable to cheerful, engaging and willing. That’s what our photographers do.