The return to authenticity - Why Candid Photography is replacing perfect poses
Something is shifting.
I'm seeing it in the briefs, in the emails, in the first phone calls with new clients. The request used to be: "We want clean, polished, professional." Now it's: "We want real".
A creative agency from Sweden contacted me. And their brief was clear: no slick corporate photography. No over-styled lighting setups. They wanted their lawyers photographed at the office, in their natural environment, with natural light. Reachable. Human. Real.
Five years ago, that brief would have surprised me. Today, it makes perfect sense. The end of the crossed-arms CEO. We all know the look. Arms crossed, chin up, standing in front of a glass building. The "I mean business" pose. I always tried to avoid this 'natural first pose of managers'. Or I let them, and then naturally guided them to other poses.
Thought for decades, it was the default for corporate portraits. And for decades, it communicated exactly one thing: distance. I told my clients really often, to have them change their mind.
The problem is that people don't connect with distance. They connect with warmth. With vulnerability. With a person who looks like someone you could actually talk to over coffee. Clients, customers, job candidates - they all want to see the human behind the title. And the crossed-arms power pose doesn't give them that. The shift toward authenticity isn't just an aesthetic trend.
It's a communication strategy. Companies are realizing that a slightly imperfect, candid portrait of their team at the office actually works better than a glossy studio shot. It feels trustworthy. Approachable. It says: we're people, not a brand manual.
How I make it happen ?
Here's the thing about candid photography: it looks effortless, but it's not accidental. I don't just show up and start shooting. I prepare everything before the person walks in. I scout the space, I find the spots where the light falls right, I decide on angles. All of this happens before the client even arrives.
Tony Blair portrayed in Brussels
Did you know the journalist and me had exactly 10 minutes for this portrait.
At the end of the 9 minute interview I had used those 9 minutes to understand the light, set up my light, prepare my gear… The very last minute was for a series of portrait that felt genuine.
Why before the shoot?
Because when they do walk in, I want to give them 100% of my attention. Not fiddle with settings. Not stare at walls trying to find a backdrop. Just focus on them. The biggest enemy of a natural portrait is an audience. So I try to be alone with the person - no colleagues peeking around the corner, no manager hovering to "check how it's going." That stuff kills the vibe instantly.
People tense up when they feel watched.
And then? I just talk to them. I love people, so this comes naturally for me. I ask about their work, about the building, about how experienced they are with being photographed. Some people need to hear that it's okay to feel awkward. Some just need a laugh. The conversation is the technique. There's no secret trick - just genuine curiosity and a bit of patience. What happens is almost always the same: after a few minutes, they forget about the camera. They settle into their body. They look like themselves. And that's when I shoot.
Why "messy" works
A perfectly lit, perfectly posed corporate portrait tells you what someone looks like. A candid one tells you who they are. There's a reason people are drawn to the slightly imperfect frame - the lawyer mid-sentence, the architect leaning against a wall looking out a window, the CEO laughing at something that just happened off-camera.
These images have life in them. Movement. Personality.
In a world saturated with AI-generated perfection and Instagram filters, authenticity has become rare. And rare things are valuable. The candid shot stands out because it's not polished. It feels real in a sea of fake.
So if you're planning a shoot for your team or your company: stop trying to look perfect. Look like yourselves. That's what people actually want to see.
Need someone who specializes in exactly this kind of work? Get in touch - I'd love to hear about your project.
