Is it appropriate to smile in an executive portrait?
Posted by Gittings Photography on Thu, Jan 26, 2012 @ 09:20 AM
When creating an executive portrait, our photographers take care to capture a wide range of expressions with the understanding that the customer will select the one that he or she feels is most representative. Our customers, particularly our legal clients, are often reluctant to smile in business portraits. Many feel that what's most important is to convey a sense of authority and confidence and that a smile somehow doesn't achieve it. After the portrait session, however, most of them agree that the poses in which they are smiling are the most flattering and represent them best.
You may be surprised to learn that most people interpret a smile as a message of connection. A contributor to Scientific American put it this way: "Anywhere in the world, a smile conveys a universal point: "I'm friendly, and we can get along." While executives certainly want to be seen as competent, it's important that they also be viewed as responsive and approachable. An expression that's too severe may send an unintentional message..."I know best" or "Don't mess with me."
Gittings photographer Rick Bettinger, who recently returned from a photo shoot in Asia, said he found that while not everyone spoke English, the smile truly is an international language. "Sometimes they didn't understand what I was asking them to do," he admitted, "but all I had to do was smile at them and they immediately smiled back." The results, he said, were wonderful.
If you're interested in learning more about the power of a smile, you can read the rest of the article here.
