Owning professional equipment does not imply professional skill. Simply putting someone in front of studio lighting is not going to cut the mustard.

Understanding how light behaves, how to light a specific subject or specific colours, how to create mood with lighting, how to soften skin, how to accentuate the texture of clothing… These are all skillsets that take time and experience to learn.

Your lens choice makes another HUGE difference. Wide angle lenses used close to the subject cause a degree of distortion, and create faces that seem out of proportion.

Now it’s not simply a question of using telephoto lenses. These lenses require some distance between subject and photographer, which a profesisonal studio usually manages without trouble.

The choice of background is also a deliberate decision. Pure black? Pure white? Something in-between. Colour?

When it comes to Business Portraits this is often a critical decision. Does it need to fit in with the design and colour scheme of the website? Do you have specific corporate colours that need to be adhered to?

Different clothing creates a different feeling. Whether it be in the balance of the colours of the image or the impression that it creates of your personality, your choice of clothing is another critical piece in the puzzle.

It’s a no-brainer. Make-up is an important part of creating the right look. So make sure you get it right.