Your team works hard: they put in the hours, they overcome obstacles, they drive the business forward as a team; they achieve so many wins and you are proud of them. But your headshots are from 2018 since your team is more focused on delivering your product or service, not on marketing yourselves.

However, in this day and age of increased authenticity and transparency, clients are now trusting brands more because they trust the people behind the brand. Your team’s headshots can make a serious difference in shaping your organization’s professional image, helping to humanize your organization while signaling that your team is professional, accessible, and up-to-date.

We’ve noticed that headshot photography continues to evolve, driven by ever-changing tastes and technological advancements. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the latest trends shaping professional headshots in 2024, offering insights, statistics, and expert tips that help both brands and photographers approach any headshot sessions with confidence.

Traditional vs. Lifestyle: The Great Debate

When it comes to headshot photography, headshots used to be very one-note: traditional i.e. formal. People looked very professional-but-stiff, framing was either chest or shoulders up - it was not altogether that different from school photos, just for adults. Traditional headshots have long been favored by businesses and professionals. 

However, we’ve been seeing an increasing amount of lifestyle-oriented photos being used for headshots. These photos are characterized by more movement and a wider range of backgrounds, framing, and/or expressions. You might see full-body shots, people not necessarily looking at camera, or wide, joyful laughter.  The result? More creativity, spontaneity, and most importantly - personality.

While traditional shots continue to dominate the corporate world, lifestyle shots have carved out a niche among those seeking a more personalized and relatable approach to reaching their clientele. At Shoott, we’re seeing 20% of businesses now opting for lifestyle headshots. These types of businesses include direct-to-consumer brands, media companies, therapy practices, and the like.

Indoor vs. Outdoor: Finding the Perfect Backdrop

Another key decision that photographers and clients must make is choosing between indoor and outdoor backdrops for headshot sessions. Indoor shoots offer the advantage of more controlled conditions - temperature, uniform lighting, and privacy, which makes indoor locations a popular choice for more corporate organizations seeking consistency among their team’s photos. Over the past 6 months, 60% of Shoott’s headshot clients opt for indoor shoots; these clients tend to be larger, more traditional organizations like banks, financial services, law firms, and SaaS companies.

On the other hand, the other 40% of Shoott’s headshot clients have been opting for outdoor shoots, which provide more options for both photographer and client. There are both natural or architectural backdrops to play with (i.e. trees and buildings), the lighting options are endless, and there is much more space to move and thus opportunity for different poses and angles. This flexibility often results in photos that are infused with spontaneity and personality. Despite the logistical challenges - most notably unpredictable weather - many brands are drawn to outdoor shoots, especially when they want to convey a sense of personality as a team. As a side note: since Shoott is a service that allows clients to only pay for the photos they want, we find that clients tend to buy more photos when shots are taken outdoors vs indoors given the increased photo variety made possible by outdoor locations.

Framing Preferences: From Mid-Chest to 3/4

When it comes to framing preferences, traditional headshot clients overwhelmingly request mid-chest framing - this is a tried-and-true headshot composition structure that conveys professionalism. 90% of traditional headshot clients choose photos with mid-chest framing, proving this to be the continued gold standard of headshot composition.

In contrast, 80% of contemporary lifestyle headshot clients choose photos that feature 3/4 framing (i.e. mid-thigh and up), which allows for greater flexibility in composition and storytelling. People can be standing, sitting, walking, etc. By capturing more of the subject, 3/4 framing offers a broader view of the individual's personality, attire, and surroundings, making it a popular choice among clients seeking a more casual and expressive aesthetic.

Color Psychology: The Staying Power of Neutrals and Solids

When it comes to any visual medium, color plays a pivotal part in shaping perception, mood, and impact. We’re finding that the vast majority of clients opt for donning neutrals or if they go for color, they choose a solid over a print.

Whether it's the timeless popularity of black and white or the understated elegance of earth tones, you can typically count on neutrals to exude professionalism. If you want to opt for color, sticking to a solid color often allows the opportunity for the subject's personality to shine through without being too busy or distracting. 

We typically advise against loud prints (unless that’s your thing!) though we strongly advise clients to avoid thin/tight stripes or dots since tight prints can “dance” around in images (particularly screens), leading to the appearance of “waves” or moire in photos which can be difficult if not impossible to remove afterwards.

The Smile Factor: Capturing Authenticity and Connection

One of the best features of a “good” headshot is a genuine smile that radiates confidence and approachability. 

Our top tip is to prompt the client to think about something they love or imagine that they are smiling at someone real vs just smiling for the heck of it! If you want more authentic smiles, you can experiment with fake laughing (this always works!) which may feel dumb at first, but always ends in a genuine laugh and smile which shines through in photos. 

Clients can experiment with different levels of smiling, but a fun fact is that 70% of our clients choose to purchase photos where they are smiling with teeth showing.

Navigating Glasses Glare: Tips for a Flawless Finish

For individuals who wear glasses, dealing with glare issues can pose a significant challenge during headshot sessions. Whether it's reflections from studio lights or sunlight bouncing off lenses, glasses glare can obscure eyes and create distracting final products. 

To mitigate this common issue, have cleaning wipes on-site for clients to quickly remove smudges and fingerprints from their glasses before each shot. Additionally, photographers can capture photos of clients with and without glasses, providing more options for clients to choose from just in case the glare is significant. If clients only want photos with glasses, play around with the angles and lighting positions until you can get a clean photo.

Retouching Preferences: Enhancing Natural Beauty

In an age of easy and ubiquitous photo editing, retouching is a great solution for really achieving that picture-perfect look for headshots. Given that Shoott provides retouching as part of our photo packages, we’ve found that when presented with a retouching option, 50% of clients are interested in retouching their photos, with a notable gender discrepancy in the types of edits requested. 

Women account for 2/3 of all headshot retouching requests. 70% of their requests are related to beauty retouches which include blemish removal, skin smoothing, and slimming. The remaining 30% of retouching requests are mostly concerning hair (i.e. flyaways) and clothing (i.e. wrinkles in fabric).

Men accounted for the remaining 1/3 of all headshot retouching requests. 80% of their requests focused on hair, clothing, and glasses glare while 20% of requests focused on beauty elements related to blemishes and skin.

Conclusion: Crafting Your Visual Identity in 2024

As we navigate the ever-changing landscape of professional headshot photography in 2024, it's essential to stay attuned to the latest trends and techniques so brands know how to get the headshots that speak to today’s clientele. Whether you opt for traditional shots or contemporary lifestyle portraits, it’s important to understand what your options are so you can get the most out of your headshot session.

Shoott’s new team headshot service is a game changer for teams looking for a high-quality, affordable and reliable headshot service to humanize their team. We love working with all the different personalities within a team to make them comfortable and confident in front of the camera so that the resulting headshots resonate with your clientele and leave a memorable impact. 

So no matter what your team does, investing in high-quality headshots is a worthwhile endeavor that can open doors, forge connections, and propel your organization to new heights in 2024 and beyond. Interested in seeing how Shoott’s team headshot service can work for your team? Check us out here or email us at b2b-services@shoott.com for more info!