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There’s a lot going on in Chicago. One look at the city’s skyline dotted with more than 1,300 high-rise buildings or a walk down the Magnificent Mile is enough to convince anyone of this. From science and engineering to retail and finance, the Windy City is home to businesses and corporations across countless industries. Being a city replete with constant commercial success, there comes a time when enterprises must celebrate the people and behind-the-scenes operations that deliver results. One way to do that is through images, and that’s where our list of the best corporate photographers in Chicago will come in handy.
At Wonderful Machine, corporate photography “broadly encompasses the world of business, often showing people dressed in business attire in business environments doing business-like things. This can be shot in reportage, lifestyle, portrait, or conceptual styles.”
The story behind your business and the people leading it can be told in many different ways. And when it comes to telling that story in images, we have a selection of strong contenders with some unique selling points. So here’s our list of 10 exceptional corporate photographers in Chicago.
We start our list of Chicago corporate photographers with Jon Hamblin. He has more than a few feathers in his cap, creating both video and photo assets for websites, commercials, documentaries, and brand films. These are all deliverables that he has managed for production companies, agencies, and corporate clients.
While his heart’s set on campaigns in the agriculture, construction, and manufacturing environments, Jon is more than up for photoshoots in the corporate sector. His assignments with Pregis and Clearcover are fine examples of this, revealing a deft hand at capturing people in their daily grind at work.
Chicago-based corporate photographer Cynthia Lynn brings a light and airy finish to her photos within the specialty. It’s a feeling embodied by her subjects as well, both in portraits and functional settings. She makes work life seem pleasant and idyllic, straying away from our usual perceptions of the corporate world as a hectic and unforgiving one.
She’s equally adept at capturing photographs in indoor and outdoor environments, getting the men and women in front of the camera to be comfortable and at their best. There’s a talent in documenting those hidden moments of camaraderie between co-workers, when they’ve set aside their responsibilities for a quick break or at day’s end.
John Boehm is someone who’d prefer not to talk or write about himself, so it’s a good thing we’re doing it instead. He’s on our list of Chicago corporate photographers for his exceptional approach to portraits, unveiling businesspeople through their place of work. Whether it’s an entire background full of bookshelves or the faded stock tickers on trading monitors, John gets the subject’s natural habitat to assist his photoshoots. It’s a process that reveals their personality through indirect means, but one that livens up the picture without question.
As an extra option, he’s also adept at posterizing people from the corporate world in black and white. By draining the color from photos, he removes any distractions that may be present, letting a few key characteristics of the subject and surroundings shine through.
Some of John’s clients include Crain’s Chicago Business, Forbes, BusinessWeek, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Harley Davidson, and Apple.
To call Matthew Gilson quite the character would be an understatement. Just take a look at his website for an accurate first impression. He has run the Boston Marathon four times, collected 31 antique hammers, driven the family Volvo on a German F1 track, and slept in an igloo in the Arctic Circle. He also happens to be a really good corporate photographer in Chicago.
His portfolio in this space may carry a few eccentricities, presenting people in the corporate world by rejecting conventional wisdom if needed. He can string together color combinations, lighting setups, and items in the environment to weave a distinct composition that matches the subject’s personality. It’s a style that has worked for everyone from tailors and designers to C-level executives.
Rest assured, though, if you prefer a more conventional approach to corporate photos, Matthew can still deliver the goods. He has worked with the likes of Harvard Business, Pfizer, Delta Airlines, Bloomberg Markets, and New York Times Magazine to name a few.
Another standout presence on our list of Chicago corporate photographers is Andy Goodwin, someone with years of experience in this specialty and many others. Andy ensures that his photoshoots are efficient and comfortable for all those involved, making a point to have fun along the way. He also has fun playing with light and shadows in his photographs, adjusting those variables with concise calculations to bring out that trademark Chicago grit or a more contemporary air of enthusiasm to his portraits.
It’s a flexibility that has been sought after by the likes of PNC Bank, Harvard Business School, Sony, Boeing, John Deere, and many other clients. He has built a formidable reputation in the business over the years, now coming to a point where he “knows what works, what doesn’t, and what’s worth always trying.”
Sometimes, a simple philosophy in a field of work is all it takes to do wonders. For Jeff Sciortino, it’s about finding that shot that expresses a person’s essence. Easier said than done, but he has accomplished this quite remarkably we might add, having been invited to photograph athletes, musicians, and politicians, including a former President of the United States.
Depending on the context, he is known to experiment with different tones and color palettes for his corporate images, introducing either natural or studio lighting to help his cause. A look through his previous work would have you believe that it’s the portfolios of different photographers combined, but that only goes to show you his versatility in this space.
His client list covers Sony, Rolling Stone, Proctor & Gamble, Coca-Cola, ESPN, Newsweek, and Sprint, but that’s only scratching the surface.
Amongst our list of corporate photographers in Chicago, Bob Coscarelli is someone who epitomizes “modern verve.” His portfolio highlights contemporary aesthetics and modernity in the workplace, both in his corporate portraits and depictions of office culture.
This is a result of his approach to composition and lighting which is quite different from those of his peers. Unlike most other photographers, Bob is unafraid to use vibrant, robust colors in his corporate photos, and he frames them in ways that offer a peek into the life of the subject. Does a portrait of a CEO obscured by a patterned glass door reveal an enigmatic presence in the office? Or does a photo of a man gazing into the city’s heart through a towering window reveal someone with boundless ambition?
Bob’s photos certainly make you think, and it’s a quality sought after by clients such as Deloitte, Crate & Barrel, The Ritz-Carlton, Hertz, and Herman Miller among so many others.
While he’s certainly proficient in taking corporate portraits, Tom Maday’s photographs documenting workplace culture deserve a bit more attention. Whether in color or black and white, Tom has an observational style in this field, getting his subjects to be natural rather than act natural.
While he can certainly meet the requirements of a more pre-planned photo shoot, his plan of attack excels when it feels more like reportage and social documentary. His photo assignments have seen him visit 42 countries, for clients such as Abbott, GE, Stryker, Northern Trust, Motorola, and TD Ameritrade.
If you want to document people “being people” at work, Chicago product photographer Alex Garcia is another exceptional choice. He has an award-winning background as a photographer and photojournalist, winning a Titanium Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and a Pulitzer Prize. HarperCollins heralded him as “one of the world’s leading photojournalists,” and this is precisely why his corporate photos feel raw, real, and authentic. Every pixel on the frame is filled with earnestness and sincerity, helping you capture individuals in office settings in the most honest light.
Whether your assignment requires, stills, motion, or a hybrid shoot, Alex’s communication skills and direction on set are exemplary, helping you achieve your creative objectives with ease. You don’t win awards for just any old reason after all.
We’re ending our list of the best Chicago corporate photographers with a wild card entry: Saverio Truglia. Saverio is definitely the odd one out here, billing himself as a portrait and lifestyle photographer, but many would argue that work is indeed a lifestyle.
His corporate portraits feel fun and quirky, using props and production design to convey the nature of the subject’s occupation. A music producer, squished in between two giant speakers, may smile while holding a plastic trumpet, or colleagues in the tech industry could be seen bickering while writing with markers on glass walls. Personality is a trademark attribute of his photos.
Saverio is also a photographer who has a pulse on the next generation’s work culture, capturing Gen Z in business environments new and old, large and small. His style has earned him awards and led to numerous collaborations with brands and agencies, including GM, Toyota, Microsoft, Pfizer, BBDO, Leo Burnett, and Ogilvy.
No two workplaces are the same, and neither are the corporate photographers in Chicago that we’ve listed above. They all bring their own, unique methodologies when photographing corporate portraits and culture, with distinct styles and visions to deliver a tailor-made response for you. Whatever the case, we’re confident the photographers on this list will help you capture the people that make up your business the way you intend to.
Further Reading
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