A woman with long, dark brown hair and light skin smiles at the camera in a classic corporate headshot. She wears a brown top and is posed against a plain gray background, perfect for professional profiles at The Umstead Hotel or Macrae.

Headshots

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June 9, 2026

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Corporate Headshots for Macrae at The Umstead Hotel & Spa

When most people think of corporate headshots, they tend to imagine stiff poses, forced smiles, and a room full of people who would rather be doing almost anything else.

Thankfully, this shoot was the complete opposite.

I recently had the pleasure of photographing corporate headshots for the international team at Macrae during their annual meeting at The Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary, North Carolina. The assignment brought together colleagues from both sides of the Atlantic, creating a fantastic mix of British and American personalities and plenty of good-natured banter throughout the day.

A woman with long, dark brown hair and light skin smiles at the camera in a classic corporate headshot. She wears a brown top and is posed against a plain gray background, perfect for professional profiles at The Umstead Hotel or Macrae.
A woman with long blonde hair and green eyes, wearing a black top with buttons and sheer sleeves, poses for corporate headshots against a plain gray background, looking directly at the camera with a gentle expression.
A woman with long, light gray hair smiles at the camera in a classic corporate headshot. She wears a white textured jacket and is posed against a plain gray background.

The Brief: Authenticity Over Rigidity

What I appreciated most about this project was the absolute clarity of the brief. The goal wasn’t simply to update everyone’s LinkedIn profile photo with a standard, cookie-cutter image. The Macrae team wanted portraits that felt:

  • Authentic and true to life
  • Approachable and engaging
  • Representative of the real people behind the executive job titles

That is a philosophy I strongly believe in. Whether I’m documenting a wedding day as a Raleigh wedding photographer, capturing a family session, or shooting a corporate event, my approach remains identical: create an environment where people feel comfortable enough to be themselves. The best photographs always happen when people stop worrying about the camera and simply relax.

A young woman with long blonde hair is smiling at the camera in a classic corporate headshot. She is wearing gold earrings, a necklace, a cream-colored top, and a black jacket. The background is plain and gray.
A man with short dark hair, wearing a white dress shirt and a blue blazer, smiles slightly while standing against a plain gray background—an ideal look for corporate headshots at The Umstead Hotel.
A woman with long, wavy dark hair smiles at the camera in a corporate headshot. She wears a plaid blazer over a black top, standing in front of a plain gray background. Captured by Macrae for The Umstead Hotel & Spa.

Why Professional Headshots Personal

Corporate headshots can be surprisingly personal. People often spend more time looking at their professional headshot than almost any other photograph of themselves, so it’s completely understandable that they care deeply about getting it right.

My job isn’t just to create flattering light and find a beautiful backdrop. It’s to act as a guide, helping people feel at ease in front of the lens so their genuine confidence comes through.

A woman with long, curly dark hair wearing a sleek black blazer smiles directly at the camera, an ideal example of confident corporate headshots against a classic gray background.
A man with short light brown hair, wearing a dark navy collared shirt, smiles at the camera against a plain gray background, perfect for corporate headshots at The Umstead Hotel.

The final result was a collection of portraits that felt natural and genuine, while still maintaining a polished, professional look perfect for company websites, LinkedIn profiles, speaking engagements, and global marketing materials.

Kind Words from the Macrae Team

After the shoot, Gabby from Macrae’s marketing team kindly shared some feedback about our time together at The Umstead:

“Joe was great to work with on corporate headshots during our annual meeting. I felt very much at ease to leave him to it and he understood the brief to a T. All the photos came out amazingly, and he was super patient with all the edits and feedback—not because the photos came out badly, but because people are always so fussy and particular when it comes to their corporate headshots. I would 100% work with Joe again for corporate photos.”

Gabby – Director of Marketing

That comment about people being particular with their headshots made me smile because it’s absolutely true! Most people genuinely dislike being photographed, and almost everyone is their own harshest critic. Taking the extra time to get those details right matters.

A huge thank you to Gabby and the entire Macrae team for trusting me with this project. It was an absolute pleasure working with you all, and I look forward to collaborating again in the future!

A woman with long dark hair smiles at the camera, wearing a bright yellow top against a plain gray background—an elegant example of corporate headshots inspired by Macrae’s style.
A woman with wavy brown hair wearing glasses with red frames, a burgundy top, a blue shirt underneath, and layered necklaces stands smiling in front of a plain gray background, perfect for corporate headshots at The Umstead Hotel.

Book Your Team’s Corporate Portraits

If your organization is planning an upcoming annual meeting, leadership retreat, or conference in the Raleigh, Durham, or Cary areas—or if your team is simply due for an update—I would love to help. Let’s create portraits that feel effortlessly professional while still letting your team’s unique personality shine through.

Get in touch today to discuss your team’s headshot photography needs.

A professional corporate headshot of a woman with shoulder-length light brown hair wearing a light blue blazer over a white top, smiling warmly against a plain gray background at The Umstead Hotel & Spa.
A woman with long, wavy brown hair and glasses smiles at the camera in a professional corporate headshot. She wears a burgundy, sheer polka-dot blouse against a plain gray background, perfect for The Umstead Hotel or Macrae’s executive profiles.
A middle-aged man with short light brown hair, dressed in a navy blue suit and light blue shirt, stands against a plain gray background for professional corporate headshots, looking at the camera with a neutral expression.

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