Corporate Headshots in Cape Town — What to Expect from a Professional Session
A professional headshot is often the first thing a potential client, employer, or partner sees when they search for you. In Cape Town's competitive business environment, a polished, confident image on LinkedIn, your company website, or a property listing can be the difference between a click and a scroll-past. As a corporate headshot photographer with 12 years' experience and clients ranging from Capitec Bank's CEO to estate agency teams across the Northern Suburbs, I've photographed thousands of professional portraits — and I've learned that the best headshots come from sessions that are well-prepared, relaxed, and purposefully brief.
Here's what a professional headshot session in Cape Town actually involves, from booking to delivery.
Need corporate headshots? I've been shooting executive and team portraits across Cape Town since 2004. Call me on +27 82 556 7427, email info@riekertcloete.com, or see headshot pricing.
Types of Corporate Headshots
Not every business needs the same kind of portrait. The three most common formats I shoot are:
| Type | Best For | Setting | Typical Deliverables |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio headshots | Website team grids, LinkedIn profiles, ID badges | Portable backdrop (grey, white, or branded) set up at your office | 2 beauty-edited finals per person |
| Environmental portraits | About pages, marketing materials, social media | Your actual workspace — office, boardroom, site | 3–5 images per person showing the work environment |
| Editorial / CEO portraits | Magazine features, annual reports, press kits | Location selected for visual impact — vineyard, city backdrop, architectural setting | 5–10 images with multiple looks |
Studio headshots prioritise consistency — every team member photographed under the same lighting with the same crop, so the website grid looks cohesive. Environmental portraits trade that uniformity for authenticity, placing people in their real workspace. Editorial portraits are about impact — they're designed for print and high-visibility placements where the image needs to carry the page.
What Happens During a Session
Before the day: We agree on the format (studio, environmental, or editorial), the number of people, and the location. I send a preparation guide covering clothing (solid colours, no busy patterns, ironed), grooming, and what to expect on the day. For team sessions, I'll ask for a shot list and a contact person to keep the schedule moving.
On the day: I arrive 30–45 minutes early to set up lighting and test the backdrop or background. A five-light setup is my default for formal headshots — key light, fill, two accent lights for separation, and a background light. For environmental work, I blend available light with off-camera flash to keep the image looking natural while controlling shadows.
Each person typically spends 10–15 minutes in front of the camera. I direct the posing conversationally — small adjustments to chin angle, shoulder position, and hand placement — while keeping the energy relaxed. The images that get used are almost always the ones where the subject forgot they were being photographed.
After the session: I cull and edit the selected frames within 2–3 working days once selections are made. Retouching is subtle — skin smoothing, stray hair removal, minor blemish correction. The goal is to make you look like yourself on a good day, not like someone else entirely.
Where I Shoot in Cape Town
I've photographed corporate headshots across the city. The most common locations:
- Tyger Waterfront, Durbanville — Multiple shoots for PSG and Bouwer Architects. Modern office parks with clean, neutral interiors that work well for environmental portraits.
- Woodstock — Long-running client Retail Capital. Industrial-creative spaces that suit brands wanting a less corporate feel.
- Camps Bay — International teams visiting for strategy weeks. The Atlantic backdrop adds a dramatic element that clients from overseas particularly value.
- Stellenbosch — Editorial work including CEO Magazine portraits of the Capitec Bank CEO. Wine-country settings for editorial and annual-report imagery.
- Durbanville & Northern Suburbs — Estate agency teams, medical practices, financial services firms. I'm based in Durbanville, so travel time and cost are minimal for clients in the area.
- Your office — The most common option. I bring a portable studio setup (backdrop, lighting, laptop for on-the-spot review) and photograph the team in a meeting room or open area.
Real Projects
Capitec Bank CEO — Stellenbosch (2021)
CEO Magazine commissioned a portrait session of Gerrie Fourie, the CEO of Capitec Bank. CEO-level sessions are brief by necessity — senior executives typically have 20–30 minutes between meetings, not an hour. The format was a clean editorial portrait with a Stellenbosch backdrop. This was a returning brief, which made the second session more efficient because both subject and photographer knew what to expect.
PSG — Tyger Waterfront, Durbanville (2017–2025)
A multi-year relationship producing team headshots for PSG's website and marketing. The brief: matched portraits with consistent lighting, crop, and posing so the website grid looks unified. I've returned multiple times as the team has grown, each session adding new members while maintaining visual continuity with the existing set.
Harcourts — Northern Suburbs (2017)
Estate agent headshots need to work at every size — from a thumbnail on Property24 to an A2 print on a for-sale board outside a house. The brief was friendly and approachable without being casual. We shot a set that each agent could use across all their marketing channels.
Retail Capital — Woodstock (2018–2024)
One of my longest-running corporate clients. Their Woodstock offices have an industrial-creative feel that suits their brand. I've photographed formal headshots on grey backdrops, environmental portraits in their workspace, and images with intentional negative space designed for web banners and social media headers.
Medical Headshots — Kuils River & Durbanville
Healthcare teams have specific needs — images that project competence and warmth simultaneously. For a haematology team at Netcare Kuils River Hospital, we photographed staff headshots that would appear on the practice website alongside their qualifications and specialisations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a corporate headshot session take?
A single-person session takes about 30 minutes including setup. Team sessions run at roughly 10 to 15 minutes per person after the initial setup, and a team of 10 typically takes 2.5 to 3 hours including breaks. On the day I arrive 30 to 45 minutes early to set up the lighting and test the backdrop or background. My default for formal headshots is a five-light setup: a key light, fill, two accent lights for separation and a background light. For team sessions I ask for a shot list and a contact person to keep the schedule moving, so people come in one after the other with minimal disruption. Riekert Cloete Photography agrees the format and the schedule with you beforehand.
How many final images do I receive?
For standard studio headshots, two beauty-edited finals per person are included, delivered in full high-resolution and web-ready sizes, and extra beauty edits are available at R150 per photo. For environmental or editorial sessions the number of images depends on the brief: environmental portraits typically deliver 3 to 5 images per person showing the work environment, and editorial or CEO portraits 5 to 10 images with multiple looks. Studio headshots prioritise consistency, with every team member photographed under the same lighting and with the same crop, so the website grid looks cohesive, while environmental portraits trade that uniformity for authenticity by placing people in their real workspace. Riekert Cloete Photography agrees the format and the number of images with you before the session, so you know exactly what you will receive.
What should I wear for corporate headshots?
Solid, mid-tone colours work best: navy, charcoal and muted tones photograph well. Avoid busy patterns, bright logos, pure white, neon and shiny fabrics. Iron everything, and bring a second option if you are unsure. Before the day I send a preparation guide covering clothing, grooming and what to expect, and for team sessions it helps to share the guide with everyone so the set looks consistent. Riekert Cloete Photography also covers this in the headshot preparation guide, so it is worth reading before the session.
Can you photograph our team at our office?
Yes. The majority of corporate sessions happen on location at the client’s office with a portable studio setup. All that is needed is a space of roughly 3 m by 4 m with access to a power point. I bring the backdrop, the lighting and a laptop for on-the-spot review, and photograph the team in a meeting room or an open area. Working at your office means there is no travel time for your staff, and each person typically spends 10 to 15 minutes in front of the camera. I am based in Durbanville, so travel time and cost are minimal for clients in Durbanville and the Northern Suburbs. Riekert Cloete Photography also photographs headshots in Stellenbosch, Camps Bay, Woodstock and at the Tyger Waterfront.
How much do corporate headshots cost?
Pricing depends on the number of people, the format (studio, environmental or editorial) and the location. A team of ten photographed in a boardroom has different requirements from a single CEO portrait for a magazine feature, and a session in Durbanville or the Northern Suburbs involves minimal travel because I am based there. View headshot pricing or request a quote. To get an accurate quote from Riekert Cloete Photography, tell me the number of people, where you would like the session and what the images will be used for, such as a website team grid, LinkedIn profiles, an about page or a magazine feature.
Do you retouch the images?
Yes. All delivered images receive professional retouching: skin smoothing, stray hair removal, minor blemish correction and colour grading. The result looks natural, not overly processed. The goal is to make you look like yourself on a good day, not like someone else entirely, so the retouching is subtle. The images that get used are almost always the ones where the subject forgot they were being photographed, which is why Riekert Cloete Photography directs the posing conversationally, with small adjustments to chin angle, shoulder position and hand placement, while keeping the energy relaxed.
Ready to Update Your Team's Professional Image?
With 12 years' experience and 130+ five-star Google reviews, I've photographed corporate headshots for teams ranging from two-person startups to JSE-listed companies. Whether you need a single executive portrait or a full team set, I'll make the process efficient, comfortable, and produce images your business can use with confidence.
Request a quote or contact me directly:
- Call: +27 82 556 7427
- Email: info@riekertcloete.com
- WhatsApp: Chat via WhatsApp
Browse my corporate headshot portfolio or see headshot pricing.
130+ five-star reviews · 12+ years' experience · Based in Durbanville, Cape Town
Related reading:
- Corporate & Executive Headshots — Project Roundup
- Industrial, Architectural & Product Commercial Photography
- Event Photography Across the Western Cape
About the author: Riekert Cloete is a Cape Town photographer with 12+ years' experience and 130+ five-star reviews. Based in Durbanville, he photographs weddings, headshots, commercial, events and family sessions across the Western Cape and beyond. More about Riekert →