Corporate headshots are the new retro portraits because they try to do the same strange thing old studio photos did: freeze who you are in one careful, slightly staged moment. The clothes and cameras changed, but the basic idea is almost the same. So when you scroll through LinkedIn or a company “About” page, you are basically walking through a modern version of those stiff family portraits, school photos, and studio sessions many people grew up with. If you look at something like corporate headshots on a specialist site, you can see how close they are in spirit to those older images, just with cleaner lighting and less sepia.
I think this surprises people. They see headshots as something dry, maybe a bit boring, and very work focused. Old portraits feel warmer, or at least more romantic in hindsight. But if you put them next to each other, the overlap is hard to ignore.
You have the careful pose, the “this is the good version of me” expression, the nicer-than-usual clothes, and the hope that this single picture will make sense for a few years. That is not new. That is exactly what your grandparents did when they sat under heavy lights in a small studio, staring at a big camera that took one exposure at a time.
How we moved from painted portraits to profile photos
If you like nostalgic things, you probably think of portraits as old paintings, cabinet cards, or those matte prints in cardboard frames. They feel slow. Corporate headshots feel fast. But the steps between them are not that many.
Early studio portraits
Early portraits were rare and expensive. People saved them for big moments. Weddings, anniversaries, graduations. Everything was heavy and serious. Clothes, furniture, expressions, even the air in those rooms seemed heavy in the photos.
Studios had painted backdrops, stiff chairs, and that signature soft, slightly blurred look. People did not smile much. They were told to hold still, look straight ahead, and “behave.” You can almost hear the photographer saying it.
Those images sat in frames on pianos, mantels, and side tables for decades. They were not just pictures. They were proof that someone “existed” in a formal way.
The slow shift to casual portraits
As cameras became lighter, portraits became a bit more relaxed. School photos, mall studios, Olan Mills, Sears portraits, all that. The poses were still staged, but there was more smiling and more variety.
You probably remember at least some of these:
- Graduation photos with a fake column or a pile of books
- Family photos with matching shirts
- Black turtleneck “serious artist” photos
- Soft focus glamour shots
We now laugh at some of those, but at the time they felt modern. And they served the same function: a record of you, dressed up a bit, looking like you gave it some thought.
From the mantle to the monitor
Now, instead of the mantle, the place of honor is your profile photo. It sits on:
- Company websites
- Conference speaker pages
- Zoom profiles
That little circle or square thumbnail is the digital version of the framed portrait on the wall. Only this time the room is not your living room. It is the internet.
Corporate headshots are just studio portraits that moved from the photo album to the search result.
Once you see them that way, they feel less boring and more like another link in a long chain of portrait styles.
Why corporate headshots feel nostalgic, even when they are brand new
Some people think nostalgia only happens with old things. But sometimes a current trend feels nostalgic because it mirrors older habits. Corporate headshots do that in a few ways.
The ritual of dressing up for the camera
Think about what happens on headshot day. You plan an outfit the night before. Maybe two or three, just in case. You fix your hair a little more carefully. Some people bring a lint roller. Some practice a smile in the mirror and then feel awkward about it.
This is very close to how people treated portrait day in the past. It was a small event. Not huge, but not casual either.
There is something oddly comforting about the shared stress of “I hope my photo turns out well” across different generations.
Your grandmother worried about her one studio portrait. You worry about your LinkedIn headshot. Same nerves, different camera.
The “good side” and the perfect moment
Humans have been arguing with cameras about their “good side” for as long as cameras existed. Old portraits show people tilted just slightly, chin a bit high, shoulders angled. Today, headshot photographers still guide you into nearly the same poses.
Corporate headshots often use:
- Soft but clear lighting on the face
- A simple, clean background
- A half-turn pose that feels open but not too casual
- One expression that tries to mix friendly and competent
Compare that to older studio portraits, and you see the pattern. The background used to be painted clouds or a curtain. Now it is a clean wall or a gentle gradient. But the idea is almost unchanged.
The image that outlasts the moment
A strange thing about portraits is that they last longer than the person who sat for them hoped, or even wanted. Someone takes a headshot for their job and expects to replace it in a year or two. Then it hangs around for six years. Or ten.
Old portraits did the same. A single studio portrait could end up as the “official” face of that person for decades. That is kind of heavy, if you think too hard about it.
The idea that one image stands in for a whole person does not really make sense, but we keep doing it anyway.
This is part of why corporate headshots feel like modern retro portraits. They are not just quick snapshots. They quietly turn into symbols of your “official self.”
How modern headshots copy retro portrait styles
If you look closely, corporate headshots are full of small design choices that echo older portrait trends. The change in clothes and tech makes it less obvious, but it is there.
Backgrounds: from painted scenes to flat color
Old portraits used to have scenic backdrops. Columns, drapes, fake windows. Corporate headshots like clean, single-color backgrounds. It feels different, but both are trying to do the same thing: pull focus toward the person and away from clutter.
| Era | Typical background | Main goal |
|---|---|---|
| Late 1800s | Painted scenery, curtains, columns | Signal status and create a “stage” |
| Mid 1900s | Neutral studio backdrops, simple props | Keep focus on the face while hinting at style |
| 1980s – 1990s | Gradients, colored paper, textured cloth | Add mood and “modern” feel |
| Modern corporate headshots | Plain white / gray / branded color, office blur | Look clean, professional, and “timeless” |
Many current headshot photographers love soft, creamy backgrounds or a subtle office blur. That is just the new version of a painted wall with a plant in the corner.
Lighting: from harsh to gentle to “invisible”
Old lighting was often sharp and contrasty. Shadows were deep, highlights bright. Later portraits softened up with diffused studio lights.
Modern headshots chase “invisible” lighting. You are not supposed to notice the lights. You are supposed to feel like the person woke up glowing and evenly lit.
Again, the goal is not new. Every era has tried to make people look like a slightly improved version of themselves. Just with whatever gear they had at that moment.
Poses: stiff, then relaxed, then intentionally “natural”
Poses have loosened over time, but not as much as people think.
- Early portraits: straight backs, hands on laps, eyes locked on the lens
- Mid century: still formal, but some smiles, arms on chair backs, a few side glances
- Late 20th century: leaning on props, seated on stools, more casual smiles
- Modern corporate: slight lean, arms relaxed, natural smile, “in conversation” look
Modern headshots often chase this almost candid feel, but make no mistake, it is still carefully directed. The photographer says “Tilt your chin a bit, hold that, small smile, try that again.” The casual look is planned, just like older poses were.
Why this matters for people who love nostalgic things
If you are drawn to retro styles, you might like the idea that we are all still doing this very old thing. Portrait day is not gone. It just hides inside work life.
Looking at your own photos as future “retro”
There is a quiet fun in imagining your corporate headshot as a future vintage photo. Picture someone in 2055 finding it in an old file, or an image archive, or some half-broken social network export, and saying, “Oh, this is so 2020s.”
They might notice:
- The specific cut of your blazer
- The hair style that feels normal now but will look very “of its time” later
- The slightly too-sharp resolution
- The smooth, minimal background style that may go out of fashion
This is what we do with old portraits now. We read them like time capsules. There is no reason to think your current headshot will escape that treatment.
Corporate style as the new “Sunday best”
For many people, work clothes replaced “church clothes” or “special occasion” outfits. The blazer that appears in your headshot might also be the one you wear to weddings, job interviews, and formal dinners.
In that sense, your corporate headshot does not only show your work identity. It shows your version of “best dressed.” Old portraits did the same. People did not wear those outfits every day. They were saved for special days.
Office backgrounds as modern studio sets
Some headshots avoid studio backdrops and use real offices, co-working spaces, or city streets. Glass walls, laptops, coffee cups, exposed brick. We think of this as casual, authentic, sometimes even “candid.” But it is still a set.
Years from now, those office styles will read as strongly as lace curtains and carved chairs do in Victorian portraits. They will scream “early 21st century workplace” to anyone who knows what to look for.
How to make your headshot feel classic, not awkward in 10 years
Since these images stick around for a while, it makes sense to think about how they will age. Not obsess over it, just think a bit. There is no perfect formula, and I would be careful with any advice that sounds too certain. Still, some patterns are hard to ignore.
Clothing choices that age more slowly
You do not have to dress like you live in a black and white movie, but some choices tend to last longer.
- Simple solid colors instead of loud patterns
- Classic cuts instead of very trendy silhouettes
- Minimal logos and graphics
- Clothes that actually fit, neither very tight nor very loose
These are not rules, just habits that often help. If you want a headshot that feels like a future “good retro” instead of “what was I thinking,” gentle choices help.
Expressions that feel honest
Forced smiles age badly. You can see it in old portraits where someone looks both tired and tense. The same goes for modern headshots. An expression that is a tiny bit more relaxed will usually last longer.
Maybe ask yourself during the shoot: “Would I make this face in a real conversation?” If the answer is yes most of the time, you are probably fine.
A small thought on retouching
There is a quiet argument about how much retouching is too much. I think heavy retouching tends to age worse. It makes the image feel tied to a certain idea of “perfect” that goes out of style.
Softening a few distractions, brightening the eyes a little, fixing a sudden skin issue, that can help. Changing the shape of your face or skin so much that you would not recognize yourself in the mirror, that usually feels strange later.
What makes corporate headshots different from casual selfies
If corporate headshots are the new retro portraits, where do selfies fit in? They are closer to old snapshots and Polaroids. More personal, more chaotic, more frequent.
One big purpose vs many small ones
A headshot usually has one main job: represent you in a formal or semi-formal context. That is why people think harder about it. A selfie has dozens of tiny jobs: share a moment, test a haircut, send a quick update, post to a story that will vanish.
In old terms, the headshot is like the framed studio portrait, and the selfie is like the box of random prints under the bed.
Control and expectations
People expect headshots to look polished. They forgive some stiffness because the format carries that weight. With selfies, the expectations are lower and also stranger. You can be messy, filtered, playful, serious, anything.
So when you see someone use a casual selfie as their only professional photo, it feels a bit like taping a disposable camera print to the front of an official folder. It can work, but it sends a different signal.
Why companies care more about headshots than they admit
It is easy to roll your eyes at corporate image. Rows of similar faces, similar smiles, similar backgrounds. But businesses care about these photos because they know people react quickly to faces.
The “meet the team” page as a modern family wall
In older homes, a wall of framed portraits showed the people in the household. Now, a “meet the team” page does something similar. It shows who is part of this “family” of workers, even if that sounds a bit grand.
Visitors scan faces and, without saying it out loud, ask:
- Do these people look approachable?
- Do they look serious enough for the work they do?
- Do they seem like people I could talk to?
This is not always fair, but it happens. That is why companies hire photographers, match backgrounds, and enforce some loose dress code for headshot day. They are shaping a collective portrait, not just 40 individual pictures.
Subtle signals in modern corporate portraits
Corporate headshots can say more than people think. Small choices hint at culture:
- Formal suits for everyone suggest a traditional, careful environment
- Simple shirts and relaxed poses hint at a more casual office
- Mixed backgrounds or visible books, plants, or tools show some personality
Retro portraits had similar signals. A book in the subject’s hand suggested education. A certain dress or uniform said something about role or status. We still do this. We just do it with laptops and plain backdrops.
How to think about your own headshot without overthinking it
It is easy to get stuck and treat a headshot like a life-or-death event. That usually backfires. The more tension you carry into the session, the harder it is to look like yourself.
A simple checklist that actually helps
If you want practical steps, keep them short. Something like:
- Pick clothes you already feel comfortable in, not brand new outfits that feel strange
- Sleep as well as you can the night before, even if it is just a little better than usual
- Drink water and eat something light so you do not feel faint or rushed
- Arrive a bit early so you have time to breathe and adjust
- Tell the photographer what you worry about before they start
None of this is dramatic. It just makes it easier to get through the session without feeling like you are performing a role for the camera.
Letting a bit of your real self show
One small trick is to think about someone you like talking to and imagine speaking to them while the photo is taken. Not a fake “say cheese” grin. More like the face you make when you are actually listening or sharing a story.
You do not have to try to look friendly. That usually looks forced. You just need to think friendly thoughts. It sounds soft, but you can see the difference in the eyes.
A quick comparison: Retro portraits and corporate headshots side by side
Sometimes it helps to lay the similarities and differences out clearly.
| Feature | Retro studio portraits | Corporate headshots |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Mark life events, record presence | Show professional identity, support career |
| Where they live | Frames, albums, old boxes | Websites, profiles, internal systems |
| Outfit style | Best formal clothes of the time | Work outfits, “office” style clothes |
| Audience | Family, close community | Colleagues, clients, recruiters, partners |
| Frequency | Very occasional, maybe once or twice in life | Every few years, or with job changes |
| Typical pose | Rigid or clearly staged | Relaxed but guided, “natural” look |
When you look at it this way, the idea that corporate headshots are the new retro portraits seems less like an opinion and more like a quiet reality we have not quite named yet.
A final question people often ask about headshots
Q: If corporate headshots are the new retro portraits, should I treat mine like a serious legacy image or just another work task?
I think the honest answer sits between those two. If you treat it like a tiny legacy project, you might freeze up and chase perfection that does not exist. If you treat it like a throwaway task, you might miss a chance to present yourself clearly for years.
Maybe treat it like this: a small, meaningful chore. Give it more care than you would a casual selfie, but less weight than a big life milestone. Prepare a bit, show up as yourself, let the photographer do their job, and accept that one photo cannot contain a whole person.
And if in 20 or 30 years it ends up looking delightfully dated, that might be the best outcome anyway. That is how portraits become retro in the first place.