
Distinctive Business Portraits in Downtown Chicago


A fast and easy process with guaranteed results.
You’ll have a business portrait to be proud of.
Here’s Our Offer
• You’ll get a distinctive, upscale, business portrait.
• You’ll look friendly, competent, and trustworthy. A leader in your field.
• You’ll be proud to post it on your firm’s website and your LinkedIn profile.
• The process will be fast and painless.
• The fee will be reasonable, just $185. Big discounts for groups of 2 or more.
• Retouching, extra shooting time, extra looks, extra poses are all included. One custom clean-up is also included. Extra clean-ups are $25 per image. No hidden fees or upsells.
• Just the right amount of retouching–no more, no less. You can request unlimited revisions until you’re happy.
• Final files in a variety of sizes and formats and originals are also included.
• 100% Money-back guarantee if you’re not fully satisfied.
Here’s the way our executive portrait sessions work.
• Easy to begin. Make an appointment to do your portrait.
• Convenient location. Shoot in our downtown Chicago studio at 180 N. LaSalle. Or we can come to your office. (North Shore residents can shoot in our Lake Bluff studio.)
• Low fees. The fee for one person in studio is $185. Discount for 2 people is $50 each. Bigger discounts for larger groups. There might be a small extra charge for shooting on location.
• All inclusive. Includes: Expert custom retouching of the image of your choice, no limit on number of poses or looks. Some clients bring in extra wardrobe for additional variations. No charge for extra shoot time. No upselling. No hidden fees. Unlimited usage.
• Fast or slow. Shoots can be fast (15 min.) if you prefer or un-rushed if you’re not in a hurry. Same great quality.
• Immediate proofs. Your online private proof gallery will be available usually within an hour of the shoot.
• Original images. If you would like original images for your files, you may get them in high-res, low-res, or both formats. No extra charge.
• Breakthrough retouching. Retouching can usually be completed the day you order it, including same day. This includes any revisions you might request. No extra charge. No one can match the quality and versatility of our retouching. Careful attention to details. Fixing problems in wardrobe, grooming, expression, etc. can make the shot really excellent. Custom means getting just what you want–not too much, not too little. It’s included for one image of your choice. For extra images the fee is $25 per image.
• Get it the way you want. We can shoot according to the specs of your company. Your finished image can have any background or style you like.
• Get variety of final images. Final image files will be provided in a variety of formats, including black-and-white and LinkedIn versions. No charge.
• Easy process. We’ll guide you through the entire process, which most people find to be a pleasant experience.
Enjoy our pleasant and enjoyable process!
It doesn’t have to be painful.
Some people hate doing portraits.
I meet some of them every week. And I know exactly how they feel and have probably felt the same way myself many times. I love being behind the camera but always hated being in front of it.
The wardrobe is not right. The double chin is now showing more than it used to. The jacket doesn’t button. The eyes squint too much. The lower lip always looks strange. The yellow teeth. Stray hairs everywhere. And a million other things to make you feel uncomfortable.
Until now.
During the shoot and during the retouching, I’ll fix those things. You’ll look natural, like yourself, but you’ll look good. Flaws in any portrait can take away from what’s really important. This is especially true with business portraits. Poorly fitting jackets and ties will keep the shot from looking upscale. Flaws like this only create distractions from what is important.
Every week I fix men’s jackets that no longer close properly. Sometimes the chest has gotten too big from exercise; other times the stomach has gotten too big from food. I fix ties that hang too low and shirts that are too wrinkled or don’t fit well at the collar. On a few occasions I digitally added a new wardrobe. Once a law firm had me shoot their paralegals without jackets and then changed their minds. Sometimes men wear a suit that is just not appropriate to their position. No problem. No extra charge.
In a portrait for business and professional people, the actual appearance is not what is most important. It is the business traits that count. I’ll make sure you look like a friendly, trustworthy, competent, and self-confident leader in your field. A strong member of any team. The fashion photographer in me cares how you and your clothing look in the shot. And the marketer in me wants to enhance your brand image. Sometimes my coaching during the shoot does the trick. Sometimes it takes a smidgen of Photoshop.
Imagine how good you’ll feel when the process goes smoothly and hassle free. How proud you’ll feel when you send in your new upscale looking photo for the firm’s website or post it to your LinkedIn profile. Problem solved.
It’s unfortunate, but you will be judged to a large extent by your professional portrait. Especially when seeking a new position. Don’t let it compromise your professional image.
Shooting Business Portraits for the Best Companies–
Since 1987



GET A GREAT EXECUTIVE PORTRAIT
GET A GREAT EXECUTIVE PORTRAIT
tel. 312-399-6342
Testimonials from Clients
John was professional, collaborative, and very responsive. Top end service, skill set and value. Highly recommended.
John is very professional, thoughtful, and the product is terrific! Thoroughly enjoyed the process and outcome!
John did my graduation portrait for nursing school! His skills are very advanced and my headshot turned out exactly how I wanted. Thanks John!
Amazing experience, really good pictures!
Last week our company engaged the services of John Manning Photography to do professional head shots of new employees and existing employees if they wanted a ‘do-over’. i jumped at the opportunity because i’ve never liked my pic (even though i was 7 years younger). Well, thanks to John’s ability to make one very comfortable in the session and his technical skills, he produced a head shot that totally blew me away! Thank you John for your skills and ability to make one comfortable and relaxed. I totally enjoyed the experience and recommend the opportunity to anyone who is looking for a professional, great quality head shot. And John’s access and response to inquiries was unbelievably quick!
John did a great job executing professional head shots for me. He took the time to understand my motivation for having the photos, and how I planned on using them. He was quick and efficient, and provided multiple formats of the finished product to use in different circumstance, whether they would be for website, print, etc. I would definitely recommend him to anyone who needs professional head shots for their business or personal needs.
I’d definitely recommend him to anyone looking to get great professional pics.
Working with John was fantastic. He was friendly, very experienced, and made the entire process incredibly quick and easy. 10/10 would highly recommend.
Who am I–and why should you care?
It’s like my whole professional life prepared me to shoot the business headshots and portraits that I now do.
It wasn’t planned that way, of course, but that’s how it worked out. I used to own and operate a small Michigan Avenue advertising, marketing, and public relations firm.
We served a variety of clients in several service categories, primarily financial services, law firms, health & fitness, and automotive aftermarket.
We had some big successes and won some awards for creative excellence. But the fun side of the business for me was brand personality and brand development.
When we picked up a new client, we would send the top people to a corporate photographer for headshots to use for our publicity campaigns. I would plan and art direct those images.
Although I worked with top corporate portrait shooters and saw a lot that I liked in their work and learned from it, I also saw a lot that needed improvement.
These photographers usually had a poor knowledge of marketing and image management. Their backgrounds were technical or art-school oriented.
They either disdained the world of business or managed to keep themselves ignorant of how it worked.
They were more savvy than wedding and portrait photographers, but they didn’t know what their corporate and professional work was really all about.
When I left advertising for photography and new challenges, I didn’t immediately go into corporate work. Instead I was drawn to the world of fashion and the excitement if offered.
The fashion world teamed me with excellent models, fashion stylists, and beauty people. It brought me to New York City, Miami, London, Paris, and Milan. My aesthetic development shifted into high gear.
And I learned how to concentrate on details and elegance. How to make something and someone look really good and appropriate for their role in the world. How to make light your servant in the interest of your client.
Advances in technology played a big part as well. I became an expert digital photo retoucher and compositor. Skills I now use every day shooting business portraits and headshots. Skills that often save the day when we run into problems.
Today when clients need my advice and guidance on how their professional images should look, I speak from many long years of experience in this and related fields. When they don’t need guidance, I help them achieve their goals as they see fit.
There was a time when I had shot only a few lawyers and a couple small firms. Then Latham & Watkins, today the second largest law firm in the world, called me in to show my portfolio.
It had no people wearing business attire, just models wearing formal and casual fashion. After shooting for the firm for about 20 years, I have now shot thousands of lawyers for four of their offices and over 10,000 lawyers and judges altogether.
When you choose me to shoot your headshot or to do headshots for your people, all of this experience and expertise is on your side.
John Manning
GET A GREAT EXECUTIVE PORTRAIT
GET A GREAT EXECUTIVE PORTRAIT
tel. 312-399-6342
Business Portrait Samples





































