What’s the difference between a headshot vs. a portrait?

Headshot

Headshots are a type of portrait and are generally used for bio pages, profile photos on social media, and employee intranet photos, for example.
Headshots are typically lit more evenly with your face straight forward.
Headshots serve as a general representation of who you are and what you look like (while still looking awesome of course, because it's not a passport photo).

Portrait

Portraits can get a little more creative or editorial with the photographic style. You can be looking off to the side instead of straight at the camera.
Portraits allow for moodier, brighter, or more stylized lighting. The colors can be more intense, and the clothing you choose can be more stylistic.
Portraits can be in front of a plain backdrop, in an environment, or in a lifestyle portrait you can be performing a task like sitting at a computer, walking, or holding a prop.

Chicago Lifestyle and Portrait Photographer

When a plain headshot won’t cut it and you need something that looks more like it was clipped from the cover of Forbes, we can take more editorial-style portraits of you either in our studio or on location.

Lifestyle photography sessions are perfect for entrepreneurs, artists, consultants, speakers, authors, and anyone developing or maintaining a robust online presence and needing a library of social media photos.

See our portraits and lifestyle photos

A man in a dark suit and white shirt laughing during a meeting in an office setting with a window in the background. A coffee cup and papers are on the table in front of him.

A woman with long blonde hair smiling, wearing a checked blazer and pants, with a red blouse, black open-toe heeled shoes, standing on a gray background.

A group of six professionally dressed women and one man are gathered around a table, looking at material samples and color swatches, in an office or design studio setting.

A woman with long brown hair, wearing a black dress, smiling and standing with her arms crossed in an office building corridor with glass walls.

A diverse group of six professionals seated around a conference table in a modern office, with one woman standing and presenting from a tablet, while the others listen attentively.

A man in a dark suit with a tie standing outdoors in front of modern glass and metal office buildings.

Two men in business suits having a conversation during a meeting in a modern office. One man is smiling and leaning forward, the other is blurred and listening.

A woman with long brown hair, glasses, wearing a sleeveless checkered top and yellow pants, sitting sideways on a chair and smiling.

A smiling man in a blue checkered blazer and light blue shirt sitting in a modern, well-lit indoor space with high ceilings, wooden beams, and exposed ductwork.

A young woman with long brown hair smiling, wearing a pink off-shoulder top, sitting indoors with her hands clasped, against a blurred background with natural light.

Three professionals, two women and one man, engage in a conversation during a meeting at a round table in an office setting, with notebooks and smartphones on the table.

A woman with light skin, long brown hair, wearing a green blouse and dark jeans, leaning against a textured concrete wall outdoors with green trees in the background, smiling at the camera.

A woman with long dark hair and tattoos on her forearm, wearing a navy blue sweater with bee embroidery, sitting in a bright room with large windows, smiling at the camera.

Four diverse professionals in a modern office, three of them looking at a laptop screen and smiling, one standing and looking at the screen, with city skyscrapers visible through large windows.

A man with curly dark hair, glasses, and a beard is sitting against a dark textured wall. He is wearing a dark jacket over a black shirt, with olive green pants, and is looking at the camera with a neutral expression.

A woman in business attire smiling while talking on her cellphone at her desk with a Dell laptop in front of her. The photo is taken through a grid or partition dividing the workspace.

A woman sitting at a desk working on a desktop computer in an office environment, with other employees working at their desks in the background.

A woman with long black hair sitting at a grand piano, resting her arms on the open piano. The piano lid is raised, and the background shows a room with large windows.

Two men are sitting at a table reviewing documents in an office or conference room with architectural or design plans on the walls behind them.

A woman sitting on a stool in front of a brick wall, wearing white pants, black heels, a white sleeveless top, and a leopard print blouse with a matching tie around her neck, smiling at the camera.

A smiling man sitting on a park bench outdoors with greenery and trees in the background, wearing a gray suit jacket and white shirt.

A healthcare professional holding a patient's hand during an MRI scan in a medical facility.

A diverse group of professionals sitting at a conference table with laptops, engaged in a lively discussion and smiling in a modern office with large windows showing a cityscape.

A man sitting alone in a theater with red cushioned seats, wearing a red and green plaid shirt, black pants, and brown boots, smiling at the camera.

A man smiling outdoors, wearing a blue and white checkered shirt with beige pants, standing on a bridge with greenery and a building in the background.

A man standing indoors in front of large windows with a cityscape view, wearing a navy blazer, checkered shirt, khaki pants, and brown shoes, smiling with hands in pockets.

A man with short black hair and light skin, wearing a gray striped polo shirt, smiling softly, standing by a window with curtains in the background.

A middle-aged man wearing glasses, a navy blazer, lavender shirt, and gray pants standing and smiling in a modern living room with a bookshelf, colorful pillows, and a sofa.

A woman sitting on a stool against a solid yellow background, smiling at the camera. She is wearing a light pink blouse with puffed sleeves, black pants, and black high heels.

A young woman with long brown hair sitting on a metal stool in a photography studio, wearing a black dress with lace details and black high heels. Studio lighting equipment and black curtains are visible in the background.

Six women and one man gathered around a table in an office or conference room, reviewing samples of materials and colors for a design project.

A smiling man with dreadlocks, a beard, and a nose ring, wearing a light green t-shirt, seated with his arms crossed, against a brick wall background.

Portrait of a man with dark hair, dressed in a black suit and white shirt, against a dark background.

Two men in a business meeting or discussion in an office, one smiling and the other slightly out of focus, with coffee cups and papers on the table.

A woman with dark hair and glasses sitting in front of a green plant wall, smiling at the camera.

Two colleagues, a woman and a man, sitting at a conference table with coffee mugs, looking at a document together in a modern office.

A group of people sitting together, with a man in a white shirt smiling and looking to the side.

Two women in an office discussing architectural models, with one pointing to a white multi-story building model on the desk.

A diverse group of six professionals in a meeting room, with five seated at a conference table and one standing, holding a tablet and smiling, against large windows with city views.

A man in a blue quarter-zip sweater, checkered shirt, dark pants, and brown dress shoes is standing on a balcony with a cityscape of tall buildings in the background. He is wearing glasses and has a composed expression, leaning slightly on the railin

Three business professionals, two women and one man, standing together and looking at a tablet device in an office setting with exposed ceiling ducts and large windows.

A woman wearing a hijab and a light blue medical coat sitting at a desk with multiple computer monitors displaying medical images and data.

A woman with long blonde hair, wearing a black top and jewelry, smiles while seated at a table with color samples or fabric swatches, engaging in conversation with a person whose back and curly hair are visible in the foreground.

A young man in a dark suit and tie, smiling and talking on his cell phone, standing in a modern, well-lit building with glass railings and architectural lighting.

A woman with glasses and a purple scarf smiling while sitting at a conference table, with a man in a suit in the foreground.

Two men in business suits chatting in a modern office building lobby. One is a young man with black hair and tan shoes, the other is an older man with short hair carrying a black briefcase, smiling.

Two business professionals, a man and a woman, walking and talking on a city sidewalk. The man is wearing a dark suit with a white shirt and light-colored tie, carrying a black bag. The woman is also dressed in a dark business suit with a white blous

Two women having a conversation in an office setting, with one woman facing the camera smiling and the other with her back to the camera.

A woman with shoulder-length dark brown hair, smiling, wearing a black blazer and a white patterned blouse, sitting on a modern blue and black sofa in a bright office space with large windows.

Three professionals, two women and one man, are sitting at a round table engaged in conversation in a bright office or meeting space. The woman on the left is wearing a dark blazer, the woman in the middle is smiling and wearing a dark blazer with a

A man in a suit sitting at a table with a Dell laptop, smiling while talking on a cellphone and holding eyeglasses.

Four people sitting on a beige couch in a modern office, engaged in a discussion. One woman is speaking gesturing with her hands, while others are smiling and holding papers or a phone. A laptop is on a glass coffee table in front of them.

A diverse group of five professionals in a meeting room with large windows, engaged in a discussion. They are seated at a wooden conference table with open laptops, and one man is smiling and speaking.

Four businesspeople smiling and talking outdoors on a city street with tall buildings in the background.

Four colleagues in a modern office, gathered around a laptop, engaged in a discussion, with skyline view windows in the background.

An overhead view of a man in a suit walking up wooden stairs with black metal edges, holding a laptop in his right hand, in a modern interior with wood flooring and green plants nearby.

A smiling woman with long dark hair and a striped shirt standing on a bridge in a park during sunny weather.

Two men in business suits engaged in conversation during a meeting in a modern office with large windows.

A man with dark hair and a beard is smiling while talking with someone in a business suit. They are in a modern office or conference room.

A woman with long blonde hair smiling and wearing a black top and jewelry, sitting at a desk in a brightly lit office, talking to someone whose back is visible in the foreground.

Smiling woman with dark hair talking on a black landline phone in an office, with colleagues working at computers in the background.

A businessman in a gray plaid suit is sitting at a table, smiling while on a phone call, holding a pair of glasses in his right hand, with a Dell laptop and sunglasses on the table, and a plaid upholstered seat behind him.

A woman with short brown hair, glasses, and a colorful scarf sits at a conference table, smiling during a meeting. She wears a dark blazer with a name tag. There are other people in business attire visible, and a TV screen in the background.

A woman with long curly dark hair, smiling, sitting with her chin resting on her hand, wearing a sleeveless white top and blue jeans, in front of a brick wall.

A man in a black suit and patterned tie standing outdoors in an urban setting, with a large red abstract sculpture and a modern building with black windows in the background. He is smiling and looking at the camera.

A man in a blue suit and light blue shirt smiling outdoors in front of a wall of green ivy.

A smiling man in a black hat, glasses, and suit sitting in a barber shop or salon, with hairstyling equipment and mirrors in the background.

A smiling man in a dark blue suit and glasses standing in front of a large wall of photographs of various people, some holding objects or making gestures.

A smiling middle-aged woman with blonde hair sitting at a table with a blue wall background and a modern hanging light fixture overhead.

A smiling woman dressed as a doctor in a white coat and yellow necklace sitting on a stool against a yellow background.