EXECUTIVE PORTRAIT SHOOT: YOUR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
There are no stupid questions:
if one would not be answered here, fill in the form to receive our brochure or contact us directly!
I ABSOLUTELY HATE BEING IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA, I AM NOT PHOTOGENIC AT ALL, IT MAKES ME SO SO NERVOUS …
As we love to say, our thing is not to photograph perfect people. It is to photograph real people. Ambitious people. The ones who dare to dream big. And most of the real people (me included) do not feel naturally photogenic. Good news, I and my team are here exactly for that.
The portrait studio is a zero-judgment/ happy vibe zone and we are all part of the same team to create your business portraits. I will guide you all along for you not to have to think a second. It ends up being more of a conversation through which we take pictures, more than a photoshoot per se.
Another thing we often say after seeing so many clients experience it: the least photogenic you feel at the moment (we all have times in life when we feel in bad shape or more down than usual), the better the portrait shoot feeling will be! We know (and have witnessed it so many times) how positively impactful a great portrait of you can be. You will walk out of the studio really boosted & ready to tackle any challenges ahead of you!
I AM NOT A HUGE FAN OF THE TYPICAL EXECUTIVE/CORPORATE HEADSHOTS LOOK, I WANT SOMETHING MORE ‘ME’, MORE CASUAL, WHILE STILL PROFESSIONAL. CAN YOU CREATE THAT KIND OF IMAGES?
Our m.o. (modus operandi … in short: how we do things 😉) is to tailor everything around your needs and your wishes. Alice is fully trained and experienced with professional studio lights, natural light, indoor photo sessions, outdoor photoshoots, in the city, in the green, etc… so we create the photoshoot and portraits depending on what you need and want.
If your brand and energy are about being casual, super friendly & trendy: let’s go for it! We love it!
Do not worry, if on the other hand you don’t really know what you want and need, we got you covered with the pre-shoot consultation and a series of questions and discussion over mood boards and other tools.
I AM CONSIDERED DEMANDING AND VERY PICKY IN MY LIFE SO I AM AFRAID I WILL NEVER BE FULLY SATISFIED WITH MY IMAGES…
If you have your own business or are leading the way in your company, chances are that you are demanding with yourself and with your team to achieve your goals. We are all about serving ambitious and bold individuals and we almost expect you to be as picky and demanding as you wish. It pushes us to serve you even better. We aim at excellence and your entire satisfaction. We love clients who are demanding and highly selective.
We do offer a 'Happy or start over insurance' (see conditions in our brochure), but truth is that we never had to activate it. 100 %. Of all the people we photograph left the studio beyond satisfied with the executive headshots and portraits we created for them.
I AM NOT A C-LEVEL EXECUTIVE BUT MORE OF A SOLO/MOMPRENEUR.
WOULD A PORTRAIT SESSION WITH YOU ANSWER MY NEEDS?
Totally. You are the c-level executive of your solo business and of your life! You have a brand, you have clients, you have a message to convey through your business portraits: so yes, book a consultation for us to discuss your needs, targets & brand perception, and let’s create the professional photos you deserve!
I REALLY WANT TO HAVE A TAILORED SHOOT AND IMAGES THAT REFLECT MY BRAND, HOWEVER, I WAS NOT PLANNING ON THAT KIND OF BUDGET, WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE?
We understand that it feels a bit of an investment. However, it is an investment, not a cost. And the return is a very positive one: telling you that you will get your dream job tomorrow or reach your 6 figures sales target tomorrow would be lying, however, your portraits will get you noticed & remembered, apart from the rest. It will set your foot at the door. A good strong distinctive foot. The one that your target will remember for sure, feel impressed about and be left with a powerful first impression.
Your executive portraits will very clearly set you apart from your competitors & peers. It will be a solid support to grow your career.
We are all about making things easy, so we can definitely organize with you a payment plan at no extra charge. Let’s discuss, make things work for both of us & get your personal brand off the ground!
I JUST NEED ONE PICTURE, I DON’T NEED MORE. CAN YOU MAKE ME A SMALLER PACKAGE?
We want excellence for the people we work with. We want to go beyond average.
We are more than happy to make things smoother with a payment plan. However, we are absolutely convinced that nowadays, you need more than one portrait if you want your personal brand to have the strong impact it deserves. The ‘beginner’ mistake we all make is to use that one professional headshot for all our needs, whatever the platform, project or target.
Exactly like the fact that you don’t have just one personality trait, just one expertise, and just one skill, you should not have just one portrait. You deserve to have different portraits to show all your personality facets through the different media you choose. You also need several portraits to use like real marketing tool: by adapting their use depending on the project and the target to have a full real impact. (Website, Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, press release, Annual report, business plan, speaking engagement at conferences, podcasts, guest blogging, online articles, etc..)
HOW LONG IN ADVANCE SHOULD I BOOK MY PORTRAIT SESSION?
Our photoshoot schedule gets busy fast so we would advise booking something like 4 weeks in advance.
However, we do know that executives and business owners have some very hectic & busy lives and sometimes deadlines are much shorter: feel free to get in touch as we might be able to fit you in on an evening or a weekend morning.
WHEN DOES THE PRE-SHOOT CONSULTATION OCCUR?
It depends how long in advance we got in touch before your portrait shoot but it can be 1 week before the shoot, to minimum 2 days prior to your session. We want you to have the time to get the clothes you want for your session.
I HAVE A PACKED SCHEDULE: HOW LONG IS THE CONSULTATION? IS IT HELD IN YOUR STUDIO OR VIA PHONE/ZOOM?
Don’t worry, we are all about delivering the best experience in an efficient way: the consultation is around 20-30min but if we need more time to discuss all your different needs, messages, etc, we can definitely take the time needed.
As much as we love meeting our clients face to face before their professional photoshoot, time is always the barrier on our client end. So we can organize a face to face meeting, but in real life, we do use more skype, zoom or facetime most of the time.
I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT TO WEAR FOR MY SESSION! HELP!
Seat down, breathe… we got you covered.
First, you can head to some tips on what to wear on professional headshots. It will start to give you general guidelines. Then, the outfit is a topic we cover during your pre-photoshoot consultation. Last but not least, we will send you a pdf guide before your portrait session to summarize all you need to know about your outfit choice.
HOW MUCH IS YOUR PACKAGE? HOW MANY IMAGES DOES IT INCLUDE?
We have a base package that includes 4 images to choose among your 20 edited favorite images from your portrait session. The whole Portrait Executive Experience (before, during & after the shoot) starts at 850$. If you would need more than 4 images, there is a purchasing option. Everything is detailed in our pricing menu in the Portrait Executive Brochure that you can receive directly in your inbox.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN EXECUTIVE PORTRAIT SHOOT AND A PERSONAL BRANDING SHOOT?
In reality, these are the same type of portrait photoshoot but some people refer to it as ‘executive portrait shoot’, and some other ‘personal branding shoot’. They both answer the same purpose: to create professional photos for your personal brand. Your personal brand is, in short, ‘your reputation’ (offline and online) and whether you are leading a career in the corporate world or leading your own business, you need to differentiate yourself from your peers and competitors, offline and online. That’s where your personal brand enters the scene and that’s where your professional portraits impact your online reputation.
This is not something you want to leave up to chance as nowadays, the first time people see you is through Internet in most of the cases.
WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING FOR MY SHOOT?
You will bring different outfits and accessories. All of those depend on the message you want to convey, which we will discuss during your pre-photoshoot consultation.
HOW MANY OUTFITS CAN I BRING FOR MY PORTRAIT SESSION?
There is no real limit to the number of changes as we prioritize results over quantity. We are here to tailor the portrait experience and create the best photos for you. So it can be through 2 outfits, or 5 outfits, it will all depend on your needs, objectives, and project. On average there are about 3,4 outfit changes. But again, we are not here to set some strict rules (you already face enough of those in the other areas of your life !), we are here to get a job done with excellence and care.
IS THERE A MAKEUP ARTIST OR HAIR PROFESSIONAL AT YOUR NYC PHOTO STUDIO?
For women, we definitely recommend booking our hair and make up additional options, to make sure the results are neat from scratch. First, it is very time efficient to have everything done on-site: no need for you to run around getting your hair and makeup done. You are already too busy and your time is precious.
Second, it puts all the chances on your side for the flawless and hyper professional result you expect.
For men, feel free to ask us for a makeup and hair quote if you want that additional service.
CAN I SEE THE PHOTOS DURING MY PERSONAL BRANDING SHOOT?
A personal branding/executive portrait shoot is all about conveying a message and a story. For that particular type of session, we like to shoot ‘tethered’: meaning you see the images directly on a big screen. What it does is to make sure we build together the professional pictures you need through the right body language and expressions… it helps us correct and build up. You will only leave the studio when you are in full satisfaction with your images.
- New York & Paris's premier portrait photography studio -
MEET ALICE !
“A PORTRAIT IS NOT JUST A PRETTY PICTURE OF YOURSELF.
IT'S NOT SURFACE-BEAUTY. IT GOES WAY DEEPER THAN THAT.
IT'S NOT JUST PHOTOGRAPHS THAT WE ARE CREATING:
WE ARE SHAKING & AWAKENING SOMETHING IN YOU.
YOUR SELF-ESTEEM, YOUR CONFIDENCE, AND YOUR SELF-WORTH.
I GET YOU TO RECONNECT WITH YOURSELF
& YOU GET OUT OF THIS SPACE FEELING LIKE
ANYTHING YOU WANT IS RIGHT AT REACH"
Dedicated exclusively to portrait photography, Alice Prenat, is among the very promising french portrait photographers in Europe. After her talent got discovered by the internationally known portrait photographer Sue Bryce (Alice is now one of her 2 associates), she succeeded in extensively expanding her boutique portrait studio and her 2 brands:
www.PORTRAITMADAME.com & www.PORTRAIT-EXECUTIVE.com
Now between New York City and Paris, she is commissioned by a private international clientele who seeks the distinct and unmistakable elegance and aesthetic of her work and the warmth of her personality and energy.
This is not a “bragging section”:
It’s about highlighting that you are hiring someone who is OBSESSED IN DELIVERING THE BEST SHE CAN.
EDUCATOR
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2023: Les bases du posing en photographie de portrait (In French): www.Empara.fr
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2016 to today: Mentor, Supporter & Associate photographer: www.suebryceeducation.com
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2019: Focus Photo Conference : Mise en Valeur de la femme par la lumière
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2019: La photo Corporate (In French): www.Empara.fr
AWARDS
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2019 Finalist Estee Lauder Pink Ribbon Photography Awards
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2019 Outstanding Maternity Award
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2019 Silver Award WPE - Professional Photographer Europe
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2017,18,19, 20 Bronze & Silver Awards - Portrait Masters Competition
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2018 ‘Photo’ Magazine (French) Finalist Nikon Prize
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2018 Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards - Light Of Life Award
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2018 Silver Awards - WPPI 2nd Half Competition
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2018 Awarded Best Portrait Photographer In Paris By Expatriates Magazine
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2017,18,19 Nominated ‘Best Portrait Photographer In Paris’ By Expatriates Magazine
ACCREDITATIONS
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2019 2 stars Level - PPAC Internation Photographers
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2018 Master Level - The Portrait Masters Accreditation
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2018 Associate Level - The Portrait Masters Accreditation
PUBLICATIONS
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2020 Shutter Magazine, April Edition
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2019 FStoppers: Four Tips Behind The Art Of Photographing Non-Models In Studio
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2019 Photo Vogue Italia
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2019 Sheeba Magazine, Interview With Alice Prenat
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2018 Expatriates Magazine
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2017 Sheeba Magazine Feature ‘Madame Parisienne By Portrait Madame’
Other Interviews, podcasts, features & exhibitions:
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The Portrait System Podcast: Corporate Drag to Creative Success Using Dream Shoots with Alice Prenat
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Pronto Pro Blog (French) : 'Une passion, ça se vit" Alice Prenat, photographe de portraits corporate à Paris
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French American Chamber Of Commerce – NYC : Meet Alice Prenat, headshot & portrait photographer in New York & Paris
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Le Monde des Grandes Ecoles "Réussir sa photo corporate en 5 leçons"
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Madame Le Figaro: Portrait of Julie Chapon, CEO of Yuka APP (French)
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She for SHE: Alice Prenat, Expert in executive portraits and personal branding
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Feminalink (French) : Un Café avec Alice Prenat, photographe portraitiste à Paris
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Professional Photographers Of America
On a more personal note !
I have a very recognisable french accent & overall style, so I can not lie: I am French. That being said, I LOVE New York city and I enjoy so much calling it my home, still after 5 yrs living here. If I am not at the studio, you would most probably find me at a café working on Portrait Madame related projects or reading, otherwise cycling or swimming. Long Distance Bike packing is my favorite way for really disconnecting and swimming in open water is another "obsession". Being french, saying I am a foodie would not be surprising, but it comes with a twist as I am completely plant based. Trying new restaurants in New York City makes me over EXCITED ! Vegan chocolate cookies or cinnamon buns are a high currency in my world !
DO YOU NEED A SPEAKER ON
ONLINE REPUTATION & PERSONAL BRANDING?
If you are running a networking group, women in business group, a business owners group, a realtors group, etc, and you want to organize a workshop to help your members power their brand: let us know as Alice would be more than happy to share all her knowledge.
With her background in business and marketing and after years creating personal branding portraits for clients ranging from multinational company CEOs to trending startuppers to solopreneurs, surgeons, lawyers, etc.: Alice has gathered a strong expertise in personal branding and its key components.
THEIR WORDS
"I loved it!! I learnt at lot!! And realize l was wrong when it comes to basics."
Laéthycia S. Business owner - Private Conciergerie in NYC
“I loved the event. Alice - as an educator, I have to give you props for your incredible presentation as well.
Thank you for not just talking at us but providing a truly interactive education experience!”
Kait s. Consultant
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