What Makes a Great Executive Headshot? …Location Helps.

By Dolin Photo Los Angeles

A great executive portrait is not about perfect teeth, power suits, or the magical tilt of the chin. It’s about credibility. Nobody hires a leader because they can smolder like a super model under studio lights. A strong portrait communicates competence, confidence, warmth, intelligence, and because I do it right—a strong dose of actual humanity. 

Too often, executives lean on clichés: the crossed arms, the fake smirk, the mistaking of looking mean for looking competent, or being so dry that they look like they are pondering the next fiscal quarter or the minutia of a balance sheet. A great portrait skips the bad theater and instead lands somewhere in that sweet spot between polish and authenticity. Your best TRUE you.

Location is the underrated accomplice in this endeavor. A boardroom might scream “corporate,” but does it scream “your brand”? For some it's a luxury estate, for some it's a writers office, and for others it IS a boardroom. But the location must match and enhance your brand. 

Place someone in a context that reflects their industry, their personality, or even their ambition, and suddenly the photo says something bigger than “I own a suit.” A venture capitalist photographed in an urban high-rise suggests reach and scale; a creative director shot against street art implies edge and innovation. The right setting functions like a visual shorthand, adding layers of story before anyone even notices the subject’s choice of tie. A sterile studio image is a blank page; location gives you prose.

And let’s be honest—in business first impressions make lasting impressions, and every headshot is a ad for your brand. Executives know this, which is why they get very specific about their LinkedIn photo, with more urgency than their quarterly filings. The choice is simple: look like another generic figure with a LinkedIn Premium subscription, or use portraiture and location to make your personal brand feel like it has actual weight. After all, people remember the leader who looked like they belonged exactly where they were standing.

Shot in my client’s home office.