Background Replacement

Providing background replacements is a common request for corporate headshots. Choose this option when you need something different for your headshot photography.

Swapping a white background with licensed stock photography, a stock photograph you commission through me, or a solid color is helpful when consistency is required between sessions and locations over time.

As a headshot photographer with 20+ years of experience, I discovered background replacement is also beneficial when available locations are unsuitable for environmental headshots.

Background Replacement Examples

Here are some background replacement examples that illustrate several options. In most cases, the final photo would be a close crop of the head and shoulders only, without displaying the entire environment.

Choosing Background Images

For my white seamless work, Ideal backgrounds are bright and light. Lighter colors help ensure that clipping work is minimized. If you prefer a darker background, I’ll need to photograph your team on a dark background instead—preferably one that is similarly toned to your preferred background image.

Although you can choose your stock background image from any source, I’ve shared a recommended curated background collection here. If you want to select your stock photo, please send me a link to your preferred example before purchase so I can help you determine suitability.

To view the iStock number associated with each example image in this gallery, hover over the image and note the tooltip number displayed. Alternatively, click on any image to view the full-size photo and then scroll down to view the filename.

I suggest you purchase the license you need for your background images for optimal pricing. This will minimize your license costs; you can use that background image for future projects.

Alternatively, you can hire me to create a custom environmental background unique to your brand, ideally suited for background replacement.

Depending on your preference, I can also adjust any background photos, so it favors a cool, warm, or neutral white balance. I can also blur backgrounds on request.

Finally, since I typically photograph subjects with a 3/4 view and expand the canvas area when I’m performing background replacement, you’ll have dozens of cropping options—including the face only, the head and shoulders only, head to belly button, and a full 3/4 view.

I’ve created 3/4 portrait cropping examples to aid your visualization.

Generative AI

Photoshop provides an option called Generative AI that quickly replaces backgrounds based on textual prompts (e.g., “replace the background with blurry office environment”). However, the results just aren’t there yet from a quality perspective—although that may change one day.

Pricing

background replacement
licensed images only
1 photo	$30
5 photos	$150
10 photos	$275
contact me for large projects

In addition to background replacement, retouching services are also available. Note that the fees listed here are for background replacement only.

This service includes a precision mask of each subject and not just a quick selection using automated tools.

My fees for background replacement assume typical hairstyles. Additional fees may apply if a hairstyle is unusually “poofy” and includes tiny hairs at the fringe that must be included in the final delivered image.

These prices don’t include any required image license fees.