Our Studio Background Headshot Guide

Studio backgrounds can have a big impact on the overall look and feel of the photo. It’s important to choose a background that will make you stand out and look professional. In this guide we will show some of our studio background options.

Let’s explore some of the best backgrounds to consider in the studio for your professional headshot.

Examples of our studio backgrounds in this guide

1. White or Gray Background
2. Black Textured Wall
3. Burnt Orange Wall
4. Light Green Wall
5. “Office” Setup Background
6. “Greenery” Setup Background
7.  Any Color Background Option (made post production)

Below we show examples of each of our most popular studio backgrounds for some of our clients. Depending on their needs we customized their background to match either their exsisting headshots or to make new ones.

Pro Tip: Background colors can be endless. We can change the color in the post production process to your desired brand color.

What are the best studio backgrounds for professional headshots?

In our Natural Light Studio located in NW Portland, Oregon, we photograph with a white background for most of our headshots. Depending on the client’s needs, we can desaturate the background, add a gradient, or change the color completely.

Studio backgrounds can provide a solid-color for your professional headshots. For corporate photos the most commonly used color are shades of gray. Shades of gray are clean, classic and suitable for most industries and work great with social media and website layouts.

Questions to consider when deciding on a studio background:

• What background set up or color works with my business?
• If I don’t know can my photographer suggest a background color?
• What background colors or textures does my industry use?
• Does my company already have an existing background color?
• What colors am I wearing? Will the background wash me out or contrast with the colors I’ve chosen?

Pro tip: Know what your headshot will be used for before you decide on the look you want.

1. Classic White and Gray Wall Option

Client Background: Studio light gray

Our client, TCA, Tyee Carr Advisory were photographed in our studio with natural light as our light source. We used the classic white wall backdrop for these headshots in our Natural Light Studio located in northwest Portland, Oregon.

Client Background: Studio light gray and dark gray backdrop

Client Background: Studio light gray wall 

Client Background: Studio light gray wall without desaturation in post production 

2. Black Textured Wall Option

Client Background: Studio black textured wall

Our client, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center headshots were photographed in our studio with strobe flash as our light source to match exsisiting headshots already made for the team. We used the black textured rolling backdrop for these headshots in our Natural Light Studio located in northwest Portland, Oregon.

Client Background: Studio black textured wall, added blue hue in post production

3. Burnt Orange Wall Option

4. Light Green Wall Option

5. Office Studio Setup Option

6. Greenery Studio Setup Option

7. Any Color Background Option (made post production)

For additional questions about headshots and photography sessions, visit our FAQ or view our guide to preparing for your headshot session.

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Team Group Photo of Janet Hoffman and Associates

Showcase the leaders, team members or work group of your business.

We offer company group photos for businesses. Either book a group photo session or add-on to your headshot booking. We’ve got it covered. 

1. Preparing ahead of time

When preparing for your team group photo, you’ll want to consider:

• Coordinating the group’s clothing
• Carefully choosing the location

For clothing, decide if you’d like the group photo to be more casual or professional. Having the team wear suits and ties or more causal with jeans and polos will allow everyone to prepare their outfits ahead of time.

For choosing a location, depending on the size of your team you’ll need more space to get everyone in the shot.

Pro tip: Sometimes going on-site a few days prior can allow for location scouting and coordination for the session.

2. Coordinating with your team

Time your group shot well. The best time to book your group photo for your team is close to your teams lunch hour. Scheduling the session prior to lunch or just after lunch allows for your team to continue the days work with meetings or tasks.

Pro tip: Provide a buffer for your team to freshen up before the session.

3. Do some candid group photos

Want to get a professional group photo but still show your team’s personality? Add a candid group photo to your website. Let your team know ahead of time that you want to do a fun shot at the end.

4. How to book your team group photo

We can come on-site to your office or schedule a studio session.

Team Group Photo (no headshot sessions) include:

• 1 final image selection from the proof gallery. Additional selections are $55.00 each.
• Cost: $325.00 USD

5. Adding a team group photo to your headshot sessions

Already booked headshots for your company team? Add a team photo to your headshot sessions.

• Includes 1 final image selection from the proof gallery.
• Sessions can be on location or made in studio.
• Cost: $55.00 USD

What you receive
Final high-resolution images in multiple crops in two file formats for easy use.

Booking Schedule
To book a session, a 50% deposit and contract is required.

Pro tip: Establish a color theme or textures for the team to wear for the group photo. For example, ask everyone to wear a shade of blue.

For additional questions about headshots and photography sessions, visit our FAQ or view our guide to preparing for your headshot session.

Interested in Working Together?

What are the best tips for choosing a headshot background?

Discover the best backgrounds that will make you stand out in this guide.

When it comes to professional headshots, the background you choose can have a big impact on the overall look and feel of your headshot photo. In this guide, we’ll show examples of some of the best backgrounds to consider for your headshot.

Whether you’re taking a headshot for your LinkedIn profile or for your company’s website, it’s important to choose a background that will make you look professional.

What are the best backgrounds for professional headshots?

Let’s explore the most commonly used backgrounds that will make you stand out in this guide.

The backgrounds we feature in this guide are

1. Studio
2. Outdoor
3. On-site
4. and creating backgrounds to match existing headshots

When it comes to professional headshots, the background you choose can have a big impact on the overall look and feel of your headshot photo. In this guide, we’ll show examples of some of the best backgrounds to consider for your headshot.Whether you’re taking a headshot for your LinkedIn profile or for your company’s website, it’s important to choose a background that will make you stand out and look professional.

Questions to consider when choosing a background for your headshots

• What background set up or color works with my business?
• If I don’t know can my photographer suggest a background color?
• What background colors or textures does my industry use?
• Does my company already have an existing background color?
• What colors am I wearing? Will the background wash me out or contrast with the colors I’ve chosen?
• What environments would work for my headshot with my industry?

Pro tip: Know what your headshot will be used for before you decide on the look you want.

1. Studio Headshot Backgrounds

Studio background options can provide exactly what you are looking for with a clean professional classic look or leave you wanting more elements like the outdoor or office environment.

In our studio we photograph with a white background for most of our headshots. Depending on the client’s needs, we can desaturate the background, add a gradient, or change the color completely. We offer a wide range of studio backgrounds: office set up (pictured below), white backdrop, gray backdrop, burnt orange backdrop and a black textured wall backdrop. View our studio background examples for more.

Studio backgrounds can provide a solid-color for your professional headshots. For corporate photos the most commonly used color are shades of gray. Shades of gray are clean, classic and suitable for most industries.

View our Studio Headshots Gallery

2. Outdoor Headshot Backgrounds

The best part about making headshots outdoors are the textures, landscapes, architecture, colors and city environments that nature and man has provided. Some clients want a mix of architecture and foliage while others want garden elements or the textures of a city.

We photograph our clients in public parks, outdoor spaces near offices or public buildings, city streets, bodies of water, public and private landscaping areas and any other natural environment that utilities the outdoors.

When we photograph on site we usually use natural light as our light source. Visit Two Types of Light for more.

New headshot for new hire Aminata with the Portland Housing Developement Center. We use the city streets in front of the main office for each new hire to provide consistant headshots that give an urban feel. The outdoor backdrop aligns with the client’s target community.

View our Outdoor Headshots Gallery

3. On-site Headshot Backgrounds

Client’s offices, private spaces and indoor environments provide the foundation for on-site, or also known as on-location headshots.

These headshots are using exisiting spaces or backdrops for the background of the headshot. Sometimes the client wants their office environment to be the color palette and texture of the background while others provide a white wall to take the classic white backdrop background for their headshots.

Pro Tip: Photographing on-site can be more efficient for companies with larger teams or teams with limited available time. 

For our client Jenni Leasia’s design firm we photographed on-location at their office using the color and textures of their designed space. We utilitized the natural light coming from the large windows on one part of the space. This provides a cusom lighting and background combo for the client.

View Our On-Site Headshots Gallery

4. Matching Existing Headshot Backgrounds

Having updated or new hire headshots that match allows for the headshots on the website to look consistent as if they were all photographed at the same time. This allows for companies to onboard without the stress of making an old headshot work.

Top tips for getting headshots that match.

• Plan to use the same location as previous headshots either in-studio or outdoors.
• Have all headshots have the same textures or colored backgrounds.
• Use the same type of light source, either natural light or strobe flash photography. Visit our post about the two types of light.
• Have the light source coming from the same direction as the previous headshots.

Special Offer: At Erica J Mitchell Photographer we offer a 10% off to returning clients.

To match the headshots we made for the WPI Builds at their Portland office we used the same lighting set up and a neutral gray or white background on-site at their Eugene office.

We used a conference room wall to make these headshots and the same two light set up we used in the Portland office. The light source was a 3 ft octabank modifier on a Profoto B10 strobe head, our second Profoto B10 strobe head was used to light the background. We had the same modifier bounce cards in the same place to match the headshots we already made. Once the client made the selections we mad the background colors all match.

For additional questions about headshots and photography sessions, visit our FAQ or view our guide to preparing for your headshot session.

Interested in Working Together?