Client Highlight: Professional Headshots and Work Environment Photography
I have lived in the Indianapolis area for a long time, and have enjoyed working within our city’s growing tech industry. Todd Richardson, a notable leader in the Indy business community, needed professional headshots and work environment portraits for his business website and social media presence. Creative Quarterback, a marketing company, was rebuilding his website, and they brought me in to photograph Todd.
I have known Todd for years, personally and professionally. Todd has a warm personality and fun approach to his work, and he often partners with hip, young companies. To reflect his friendly persona, Creative Quarterback chose The Speak Easy, a co-working space in Broad Ripple for the photoshoot. With its unique décor and open set-up, The Speak Easy was the perfect “corporate-yet-casual” environment to capture Todd at work.
Creative Quarterback set our agenda for the photoshoot, as they needed specific images for Todd’s website pages. We worked together to create photographs that not only showed Todd in action, but also incorporated the feel of his brand—that open, friendly warmth that pervades his person. For any headshot or business photography project, I always choose a backdrop that will convey the qualities of the company. If I were to take photos for a financial institution, I would likely choose a clean backdrop, perhaps stonework, that portrays confidence and strength. For Todd, I chose backdrops within The Speak Easy that had warm colors and interesting details, allowing the space to offer an impression of him personally.
The challenges of working in an environment rather than a studio revolve around lighting—I have to incorporate the existing lighting with my own gear to create illumination that is flattering to my subject. How light falls across the face can either hide features you don’t want, like wrinkles, or it can accentuate them. Natural light from windows and other good sources can be hard to come by outside of a studio, so I usually make my own lighting to add to what is already there. My end goal is to create photographs that are well lit, but don’t look artificially bright. In this project, the lights of the Speak Easy lend to the warm colors and feeling of the photos.
I have worked with Todd on many occasions, and he had some nice things to say about me, which I very much appreciate. “I have known Paul for many years, as both a photographer and a technologist. In both roles, he was detail-oriented, focused on providing a high-quality output, and incredibly easy to get along with. I have used Paul’s services on dozens of occasions over the years. Without fail, I can count on Paul to be reliable, easy to work with, insistent on a quality product, and creative in his approach. Whether for work or personal, I know I can trust Paul to deliver what I need when I need it.” Thanks Todd.
Representing Todd and his brand took the right location, equipment, teamwork and attention to detail. The result is a stock of professional headshots that capture personality as well as subject. If you need anything from simple business portraits to unique brand photography, I am comfortable taking portraits in the field or the studio. You can contact me here.
