A business portrait tells a story in a single image. Every business, I believe needs to connect with their audience on a personal level by revealing who the employees are in the positions to help. There are many ways to do a business portrait. I have done them in a studio, I have done them in a studio to make it look like the subject was outside, I have done them outside with a studio look, and I have done straight up environmental portraits. (Presently, when I photograph business portraits indoors, I wear a mask and use disinfectant wipes on everything I touch.)
Safely Done Outside
Business portraits shot outside are a safe alternative to ones done indoors. Typically, I utilize an empty conference room within the facility to set up and shoot the portraits however, given the understandable hesitancy to invite a vendor into the facility at this time, outdoor portraits are a great option. Weather is an ingredient that must be considered, (rain and/or wind). Below are a few behind the scenes set ups I have done for outdoor portraits.



Diffusion Diffusion Diffusion !
The larger the diffusion, the softer the light! I lucked out on this image. I placed the subject under this huge arched diffused greenhouse scrim for this environmental portrait. Her vocation lined up with the setting. No other lighting was used.

Do It Yourself

Garage Door Portraits
In a previous post, I talked about placing my subject just on the inside of an overhead door. This will provide a huge source of light without being direct. It is beautiful light in any weather. All I need is an open overhead door. Below are a few environmental business portraits done this way.



Electrical Outlet?
If I am lucky enough to be near an electrical outlet while shooting, I use studio lighting outdoors. There are many powerful portable lights on the market. When I am able to plug a light in outside, I use my trusty old 1600 watt second Paul C. Buff Alien Bee studio lights. Employing an assistant to hold that light gives optimum professional results. The key is placement of subject to background and effective direction of the HLS ( Human Light Stand) !

