Portraits or Headshots: What is the Difference?

Every business professional needs a “headshot”. These are used for websites, social media profile pictures and more. Often a headshot and portrait are thought of as the same thing - especially to someone who may not like getting their picture taken for the sake of the company website. Still, there are some key differences in a headshot vs a portrait. Differences in how they're taken, how you dress and how they’re used. 

Which is best for you and your needs, you ask? Let’s find out.

Headshots

Headshots are a specific type of portrait that are great for a simple, clean and visually simplistic so you can easily recognize the subject. Headshots are close up shots of the person, focusing on capturing their face. This aspect is especially good if it’s going to be used in small sizes or in a grid with others. The background is usually a plain, solid color to not distract from the subject. And, the person in the photo is looking straight into the camera. They may seem kind of basic, but the ability to capture multiple people with varying skin tones and heights with custom lighting is a challenging aspect that often gets overlooked. Getting the right shot still takes proper lighting, skill and rapport between the subject and the photographer.

Portraits

Portraits are a broader type of photo, they mainly focus on the person but incorporate a more contextual background to give more to the photo. Portraits allow for more wiggle room when it comes to candid shots, like a cover of Forbes magazine. The photo doesn’t have to be up close to the subject's face, and allows for other elements like a city or nature background to be seen. 

Portraits are a way to tell a story using a single photo. It shows more of the subject’s personality, gives them an air of authority in their particular industry. For example, if you’re a professional, your photos are great for press releases and keynote presentations. Often we’ll work with our clients to capture headshots of their key staff for their website, yet we’ll also capture many different portraits throughout their workplace to be used as design aspects of their website, marketing materials and more. These portraits give businesses a selection of images of different settings to add a more personal touch to their marketing assets. While some businesses may use stock photos for placement, we always recommend using your own photos to tell your company’s story.

Do you need to choose a headshot vs a portrait?

So when would you use a headshot versus a portrait? Generally, headshots are used for professional settings such as LinkedIn profiles, company websites, when you want yourself or the person to be easily recognizable. Whereas portraits tend to be used for creative ways to tell more about a person (or business). Choosing between the two depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.

What bird + bird studio can do for you

At Bird + Bird Studio, we offer a variety of services for portraits. We believe the portraits, like all photography, tell a story about a person and craft a narrative. From classic headshots to custom business portraits, our team creates compelling visuals that connect. We are in the business of capturing photos for an array of clients, so you can have a custom gallery of photos to pull from for months to come.

So the real question now is, what are you waiting for? Check out our work and kick off your project with us today.