This is an interesting question that I am asked all the time. And my answer would be of course, it is totally acceptable for professional headshots to be taken outdoors. I mean, why ever not? Given that the corporate world has changed so radically over the past decade or so. Firstly there has been a huge paradigm shift in corporate life. People have been dressing more casually in recent years and the lines between work and home life have been forever blurred, particularly since the pandemic hit.

Whereas working from home used to be unusual, the events of the past two years changed that completely. And in some sectors, working from home at least a few days a week has become the norm. Further blurring the lines between home and work. Nowadays, people work from all sorts of places, including their garden, public spaces, cafes etc. So this has made the need for suited and booted, grey background headshots. They just don’t reflect everyone’s working reality these days. Happily, you don’t have to sacrifice professionalism to have outdoor headshots in Brighton and beyond.

And then of course the corporate world has become more environmentally focused, at least nominally. Companies strive to meet the criteria to be BCorp certified and shout about their green credentials. So having headshots taken outside gives a little nod to that shift. And even better if there are plants, trees or flowers in the images.

And as nuts as it may sound, interior trends have also made it more acceptable to have professional business photos outdoors. A few years ago, not that many people had houseplants. However all of that has completely changed! Everyone’s home is filled with greenery, as are corporate offices, retail outlets, restaurants, etc. The trend of bringing the outside in has become vast, as has the trend to live outside as if inside. People now want outdoor kitchens. And new office buildings have roof terraces and encourage employees to make full use of them. Now we aspire to live a more holistic life blurring the line between interior and exterior spaces. And this has all made it seem so much more normal to have professional headshot photos outdoors. Outdoor portraits reflect how we feel and how we want to live. Not confined to inside spaces while working, or living.

Luckily for me, this trend works compliments my style of photography and personal aesthetic. I am an outdoorsy and I am passionate about natural light photography. The abundance of nature has always been a huge spirit lifter to me in my work and in my life in general. I have a whole series of images of woman photographed outdoors. And a portrait is a portrait, whether a headshot, a family portrait or a female empowerment portrait. The lines are blurred so it stands to reason that I would take my head shot photo outside. Just look at the images of my website to see how much this is the case.

And if you are looking to have some professional business portraits, whether in your office, outdoors, on location or in my Brighton studio, I would love to help. You can email me on hello@hannahjudah.com, or ring me on 07976 846 810.

Corporate Headshot Photographer Hannah Judah Professional Headshots in Brighton