Portrait & Branding Guides

Portraits for artists and galleries are not the same as corporate headshots, and these guides start from that difference: what a motion portrait for a website header needs, how a press kit portrait differs from a website one, when two artist partners who share a practice need one portrait instead of two, what a gallery's brand film needs when there is no single maker to follow.

Find the guide closest to what you are planning. Some cover a specific portrait use, like a press kit or an office space. Others cover a judgment call, like how much of the artwork itself should appear in the frame with you.

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What a Talent Agency Needs From a Performer's Portrait Portrait Photography for a Prize Program's Jury and Curators The End-of-Year Portrait Refresh After a Full Show Season The Portrait You Need the Week You Win a Fellowship What Makes a Guest Portrait Work as a Podcast Thumbnail What a University Needs From a Faculty Artist's Portrait Batching a Roster's Portraits vs Spreading Them Across the Year What a Licensing Partner Needs to Sign Off On First What Gets Retouched in an Artist Portrait and What Doesn't When Should a Gallery Commission a New Artist's Portrait? The Motion Portrait: A Ten-Second Loop for a Website Header Architectural Office Photography: Documenting Your Branded Corporate Space One Portrait or Two: Artist Partners Who Share a Practice Artist Portraits Are Not Just Headshots Portraits for an Artist's Press Kit vs Their Website Artist Studio Photography: How to Tell Your Story by Showcasing Your Creative Space Author Portraits for a Book Jacket, Not Just a Portrait Sitting A Board Chair's Portrait for a Nonprofit Annual Report Branding Photography for NYC Therapists: Creating a Safe and Approachable Image Environmental Portraits: When the Neighborhood Is the Image Filming a Studio Practice Without Turning It Into a Tutorial What Makes a Founder-Artist Portrait Different From a Corporate Headshot? Keeping a Gallery's Artist Roster Portraits Consistent Gallery Team Photos: The Whole Staff, Not Just the Director Headshots for Creatives: Studio, Location, or Work Context? Headshots vs. Portraits in NYC: A Guide for Professionals and Creatives How Many Looks Does an Artist Portrait Session Actually Need? How to Prepare for an Artist Portrait Session What a Milestone Anniversary Film Should Actually Include Press Photo or Album Cover? Decide Before You Shoot a Musician One Booking, Two Deliverables: Stills Plus a Short Clip Personal Brand Photos Without the Hostage Note Energy Photographing a Visiting Artist With Only One Hour in Town Photographing an Artist Collective: The Group Portrait Problem What a Program Director's Portrait Has to Do That an Artist's Doesn't Portraits for a Studio Assistant or Collaborator A Portrait for an Artist Moving Cities or Opening a New Studio Does Your Portrait Need a Refresh, Not a Whole New Concept? Why a Gallery Signing Puts a Deadline on Your Portrait A Portrait Without a Face: Hands, Tools, and the Back of a Head Portraits for a Gallerist or Curator, Not Just the Artist Portraits for an Artist Who Hates Being Photographed What Does a Residency Application Portrait Need to Do? How to Photograph a Collector With Their Art Collection Portraits When the Work Can't Be Photographed Should Your Artwork Be in Your Portrait? Why Your Small Business Needs Professional Branding Photography Studio Visit Photography: What It Should Actually Show Three Cuts From One Brand Film: Homepage, Pitch, and Social What Makes a Creative Portrait Feel Like You? We Kept the Landmarks and Threw Out Everything Else Who Pays for an Artist's Portrait: Artist, Gallery, or Split