The fastest way to understand what makes a headshot work is to look at real ones. Every example on this page came out of our downtown Vancouver studio — corporate teams, lawyers, actors and founders — and each one illustrates a decision you will have to make about your own photo: expression, crop, background, clothing. Here is what strong headshots have in common, category by category.
Corporate headshot examples
The classic corporate look: soft directional light, a neutral background, and an expression that reads as capable without being stiff. Notice the crop — mid-chest up, eyes in the top third of the frame. This is the format most Vancouver firms standardize on for websites and directories, and it is what we shoot most at our corporate headshot sessions.
Solid mid-tone clothing photographs best. Navy, charcoal and forest tones separate cleanly from a light background and never date the photo the way loud patterns do — the same rules we cover in what to wear for headshots.
Executive portrait examples
Executive portraits push contrast and posture further: squarer shoulders, slightly lower camera angle, moodier light. The goal is a photo that holds up on an annual report cover, not just a thumbnail. More in our executive portraits portfolio.
Friendly and approachable examples
Not every industry wants gravitas. Client-facing roles — recruiting, sales, real estate, healthcare — usually benefit from a warmer expression and a tighter crop. The trick is a genuine smile, which is exactly why session length matters: nobody produces one on command in minute two.
On-location and environmental examples
Shot at the client’s office with portable studio lighting. Environmental headshots trade the perfectly clean background for context — useful for law firms and companies that want their space in the frame. We photographed the entire firm this way in the Lawson Lundell rebrand.
Personal branding examples
Branding sessions produce a set, not a single image — different crops, outfits and energy levels for websites, social profiles and press. See the range in our personal branding portfolio or the session details.
What every strong headshot example has in common
- The eyes are sharp and lit. Catchlights (small reflections in the eyes) are the difference between alive and flat.
- The background serves the subject. Neutral and slightly out of focus — never competing for attention.
- The crop is intentional. Mid-chest up for corporate use; tighter for LinkedIn thumbnails, which render at 60 pixels in comments.
- The expression matches the job. A litigator and a wedding planner should not have interchangeable photos.
- Retouching is invisible. Good editing removes distractions and keeps skin texture. If you can tell it was retouched, it was over-retouched.
Want yours to look like these?
Browse the full portfolio for more headshot examples by category, check what a session costs in Vancouver, or book a session — we shoot tethered, so you will see your own examples appear on screen as we go.
