Professional Headshot Post-Production & Delivery

From color correction to retouching and file delivery, understanding the post-production process helps you set realistic expectations and make informed decisions about your company headshots. Whether you're a business owner coordinating headshots for your entire team or an individual professional updating your image, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about headshot post-production and delivery.

What Happens After Your Headshot Session

After your headshot session concludes, our team begins a carefully orchestrated post-production workflow designed to transform your images into polished professional headshot portraits. Most photographers will first cull through all the photos taken, selecting the strongest images based on the best expression, lighting, and composition. This initial selection process typically takes 1 business day.

Throughout your session, we’ll get your buy-in to understand what features and profile you prefer to be photographed. This collaborative approach ensures your satisfaction with the final photos in identifying the most flattering images.

The entire post-production timeline can vary by each project, but you can generally expect to receive your completed headshots within 2-3 business days of your shoot; if we suspect things might take longer, we’ll let you know ahead of time.

Understanding Headshot Editing and Retouching

Professional headshot editing involves two distinct processes: basic editing and detailed retouching.

Basic editing includes adjustments to color, exposure, contrast, and cropping to ensure technical quality.

Retouching, on the other hand, focuses on enhancing appearance while maintaining authenticity.

For corporate headshots, natural retouching is standard practice.

This includes:

Temporary skin blemish removal (acne, scratches, etc.)
Light skin smoothing that preserves natural texture
Subtle reduction of under-eye circles and uneven skin tone
Minimal whitening of teeth and eyes without looking artificial
Stray hair management and basic wrinkle softening

Professional photographers carefully balance enhancement with authenticity—the goal is to look like yourself on your best day, not an artificially perfect version that clients wouldn't recognize in person.

Editing complexity affects turnaround time, with more detailed retouching requiring additional time but yielding superior results for high-visibility business applications.

File Types and Delivery Methods

Your professional headshots will typically be delivered in a high-resolution JPEG file format. JPEG files are standard for web and general use due to their universal compatibility and reasonable file size. For high-end print applications, we can deliver TIFF files which offer superior quality but come with larger file sizes. PNG files can also be provided if transparent backgrounds are needed for design purposes.

We deliver your photos in your dedicated online gallery, where you can download your images directly. We typically store your images for a limited period, typically 90 days then archive them online in 2 locations, so prompt downloading and personal backup is essential. For large corporate projects, we may provide a USB drive or shared cloud folder containing your team members' headshots.

Resolution requirements vary by application, but you can expect high-resolution files suitable for printing (300dpi). File sizes range from 1-10MB for print-quality images, so ensure you have adequate storage space when downloading your complete headshot package.

Using Your Headshots Effectively

To maximize the impact of your professional headshots across different platforms, proper sizing and formatting are essential. Social media platforms have specific dimension requirements: LinkedIn profile photos work best at 400x400 pixels, while company websites often require larger dimensions of 1000x1000 pixels or more for team pages. We can provide guidance on optimal sizing for various applications.

When cropping your headshots, maintain the original aspect ratio whenever possible to preserve quality. If you need specific crops for different platforms, we are willing to provide these variations upon request.

Consider when to use color versus black and white versions of your headshots.

Color photographs are standard for most business applications, but black and white portraits can create a timeless, cohesive look across team members with varying clothing colors or for specific artistic branding purposes.

Consistency in cropping, background, and overall style across all team members creates a cohesive, professional company image, particularly important for websites and marketing materials.

Headshot Licensing and Usage Rights

Understanding the licensing terms for your corporate headshots helps you make appropriate use of these valuable business assets. In your contract, we include a limited commercial license that allows you to use the images for professional purposes including company websites, social media profiles, press releases, and internal documents.

Standard licensing typically permits:

Personal professional use without time limitation
Company use for employee directories and team pages
Use in business-related marketing materials
Social media profiles and professional networking sites

However, be aware of common restrictions that may apply. Some photographers require attribution when images are used in certain contexts, particularly in media publications. Additionally, extensive commercial usage such as advertisements, billboards, or product packaging often requires extended licensing agreements and additional fees. In our initial discovery call, we ask how you’ll be using your photos so we can make sure any licensing needs are met.

We specify a recommended timeframe for updating headshots (usually 2-3 years) to ensure your visual representation remains current, though this is typically a recommendation rather than a strict licensing limitation. Always review your contract which includes photo usage permissions to understand your usage rights and limitations.

Maintaining Consistent Headshots Across Your Organization

Creating a headshot style guide for your company establishes clear standards that ensure visual consistency as your team grows. This document should specify background style, lighting approach, clothing guidelines, cropping ratios, and file formats to maintain a cohesive look across all team members regardless of when they joined the organization.

Implement a regular update schedule, typically every 18-24 months, to keep images current with changing appearances and brand evolution. Establish a system for managing headshots for new team members, whether through scheduled "makeup days" with your photographer or by providing detailed guidelines to ensure consistency with existing imagery.

Develop an organizational system for your company headshot library using standardized file naming conventions (e.g., LastName_FirstName_Position_Date) and centralized storage solutions that appropriate team members can access when needed.

Consider implementing a digital asset management system for larger organizations to streamline access to current headshots and reduce time spent searching for proper files when updating marketing materials or website content.

Conclusion

Post-production and delivery are critical components of the headshot process that transform raw images into polished, professional portraits.

By understanding these steps, you can better communicate with us to make the most of your investment in professional corporate headshots.

Remember that quality post-production takes time, but the results—consistent, professional images that represent your company well—are well worth the wait.

Ready to take your company's visual identity to the next level?

Discuss these post-production details with our team before your session to ensure you get exactly what you need.

book your headshot session