Business Portraits

Why do I need a business portrait? A fresh business portrait is a valuable tool to help your clients connect with you. Sometimes called a business publicity portrait or simply a head shot, this is the photograph you use on your business card, send out with press releases about your business, put on your website, include in the office portrait gallery, print in your company brochure, or use in your yellow pages ad. If you are an executive, sales agent, or in another occupation that demands a great image, you need to keep your business portrait current. Your business portrait represents you and your company. You can't represent your business or profession with an outdated or unprofessional image of yourself. The quality of your portrait affects how the world sees you. Make a lasting impression with an image that conveys the friendliness, warmth, and professional trust you bring to your work. We care how you look, and it shows in what we do. A good business portrait is a necessity, not a luxury. We guarantee you’ll be satisfied with your business portrait from Turner Photographics.

What is a business portrait?

A business portrait is usually a head and shoulders portrait, done in the studio against a solid or lightly-textured neutral background. We use professional lighting designed to flatter your face and create an image that will reproduce well in print or on the web. A broad package of usage rights is included in every business portrait package.

What can I expect at my portrait sitting?

Your sitting will be scheduled for 30 minutes, but we find that most people are finished in less time. I’ll spend a little time getting to know you and learn the personal image you want to convey through your portrait. You’ll have time to adjust your hair, makeup, and clothing. I’ll make final lighting adjustments. Then we’ll shoot a variety of poses and facial expressions, typically about 30 exposures in all.

Most people choose one outfit ahead of time, but you’re welcome to bring a couple of jackets or an extra necktie if you’re not sure which one will look best. Please read our What to Wear guidelines for help in selecting your clothing.

How do I schedule my portrait?

Call Turner Photographics at 360-671-6851 at least two days before your preferred portrait date. More advance notice is better.

How fast can I get my portraits?

We strive to provide your private web previews within a day after your sitting. We’ll notify you by e-mail with a link when your previews are on-line. Allow another day after you select your favorite pose for us to prepare your digital files. You can pick up your finished portrait package at our office or we can mail it to you.

What do I get with the standard business portrait package?

Choose one pose from your portrait session. We’ll do our basic retouching and then prepare your reproduction-ready digital files. You get your portrait in both color and black & white in two sizes, 5” x 7” and 2” x 3”, at 300 DPI (dots per inch) in TIFF and JPEG formats. Your printer can tell you which size and file format is most appropriate for your job. The package also includes one color 8” x 10” print unit, which can be a single 8” x 10”, two 5” x 7”, one 5” x 7 and two 3” x 5”, one 5” x 7” and two 2” x 3”, or four 3” x 5” prints.

What does the business portrait package cost?

The standard business portrait package is $149.00.

Can I get more than one pose, or extra prints?

Yes, for a modest additional fee when you request them as part of your original order. File preparation for each additional pose is $30.00, which includes all the same sizes and formats as the pose included in your package. Extra 8” x 10” print units are $20.00.

Copyright and usage:

All photography is copyright by Mark Turner, photographer. You are purchasing a license to reproduce your portraits in press kits, newsletters, brochures, business cards, websites, and local advertising for an unlimited time period.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept your Whatcom County business or personal check, VISA, MasterCard, and Discover cards. Payment is due at the time of photography.

Where is your studio? The Turner Photographics studio is in Suite G6 on the Gallery level of the Bellingham Hardware Building at the corner of Bay and Holly Streets in downtown Bellingham. Note that we’re only there when a session is scheduled. Can you come to our office and photograph the whole staff? Yes, we can bring our studio lights and background to your office and photograph your staff. This saves time for your people and can be cost-effective if you have many individuals who need photographs at the same time because they don’t have to travel to our studio. You need to provide a room with a 10’ ceiling and at least 10’ x 15’ floor space. Our location charge is $150 to any business in Whatcom County. Individual portraits are discounted to $135 each for five to ten people and to $120 each for eleven or more photographed on the same day in the same location. We include an office master CD with everyone’s portraits at no additional charge.

Why digital?

The big advantage to our professional digital camera is the ability to give you very fast turnaround on your portrait. There is no delay while film goes to a lab for processing and proofs. You get next-day on-line proofs and reproduction-ready final files. All photography reproduced in print today is handled in a digital format, so having a digital original means higher quality and lower production charges as well. The camera we use creates an original file which reproduces very nicely as a double-page magazine spread and can be printed up to 16” x 20” for display.

Do you retouch my portrait?

Our business portrait package includes basic retouching to minimize blemishes, correct most eyeglass reflections, and remove stray hairs. We take a subtle approach to retouching so it isn’t obvious that anything has been done.

Please see our What to Wear page.