7 Ways I do Office Headshots Differently

Corporate and office headshots are sessions that are typically done on-site, in the company’s office, and include photographing multiple employees during the span of a few hours. It’s something that several photographers in the area specialize in, but the way I like to do things is a little differently. To my knowledge no one else does it this way, so I felt it was worth going over—the process can be surprising if you’ve worked with another photographer before.

Why do I structure my corporate headshot sessions differently, you ask? After looking for ways to improve the process, I’ve found my current approach makes it easier on my clients. Why not take on some of the work that is simple and easy for me to do (albeit still time-consuming), but hard and frustrating for someone else? I strive to provide the best service (not just show up on the day of the shoot) and to do things the easiest and quickest way possible.

Below are some of the ways I do office headshots differently…

1. Complimentary Office Walkthrough

Prior to the actual headshot day, I conduct a 15 minute walkthrough of your office. Some might think, why bother with an office walkthrough at all? What benefit is there to traveling all the way to your office for an exercise that can be done the morning of headshot day? It’s because this walkthrough guarantees a smooth and timely setup on headshot day! By doing a visit ahead of time I will know where to park, the most direct way to your office, and where we should set up for the headshots—which is important for good lighting. It gives you a chance to communicate directly with me, face to face, about any concerns or specific requests you might have. Quite simply, it eliminates most issues that can derail headshot day and guarantees that things will go as smoothly as possible!

2. Custom Background

While not necessary, having a custom background color for your headshots is a complimentary option when you book your session. While most businesses go with the standard white, there’s no reason why you can’t do a light gray or even black if you like! Just make sure we have a few days allowance so I can order your custom background on my end between the office walkthrough and the session.

3. Posing Guidance

Standing or sitting in front of the camera isn’t the most natural or comfortable thing for most people. While headshots might seem simple, getting expression and body language right is the difference between looking relaxed and looking (quite frankly) terrified. And when you hire a photographer, they should have the knowledge to direct whoever is in front of the camera to look their best, don’t you think? In addition, the most important thing I always keep an eye on is the details. Fingertips that aren’t quite relaxed. Hair out of place. And un-centered tie. A pocket square that’s not exactly even. It might seem trivial, but these little details are what sets the great headshots apart from the rest.

4. Immediate Image Review & Selection

The standard process for headshots is for the photographer to take everyone’s pictures, go home, and then deliver a gallery of hundreds of shots for you to choose from. While that’s probably the most time-saving process for the photographer, it’s actually quite a challenge for the business. You now have to gather opinions from all the employees or end up facing their wrath if you choose poorly—not to mention having to sort through a bunch of nearly identical images in the gallery.

My process is exactly the opposite. It takes more time on my end, but eliminates any back and forth on yours. After the employee or executive is photographed, we immediately sit down and go through all the image options together. They select their favorite shot (or we photograph again if none of the captured images are to their liking) and approve it on the spot. They walk away knowing we got a headshot that they love, and there’s no internal back-and-forth on your side.

5. Retouching

Modern cameras capture a lot of detail. And we live in a world of long working hours and international travel. It’s almost impossible for everyone to look their best during headshot day at the office. This is exactly why retouching is so essential. We can take care of a shiny forehead, under-eye circles, and whiten teeth to perfection after the portrait has been taken. Best of all, it’s a standard part of the process and there’s no extra charge for this service.

6. 48-Hour Delivery of Final Images

Depending on how many people are being photographed, you will have your final images within 48 hours of the session (otherwise the turnaround is 5 business days, to allow for retouching). This is important because you never want to be waiting around for photographs, prolonging the process to weeks or even months. I always make sure to provide the exact timing for when you can expect things and, most importantly, deliver on time, every time.

7. Different Formats Provided

We tend to use our headshots in several different ways. They go on the website, in the annual report, on a banner for a conference, or on LinkedIn and other social media sites. While most photographers provide the high resolution digital version of the headshot, I make sure to export all the variations as well, so that it’s easier to use the images in all the different places. There is the square crop that’s optimized for LinkedIn. And there are web-ready files that are optimized to download quickly while still looking crisp. Not every business has the ability to resize and save these different formats on their end, which is why I make sure to do the extra step of cropping and exporting the different versions during my workflow.

Headshots can be a commodity purchase. You can approach it thinking that all photographers are pretty much the same and it really doesn’t matter who you hire for the job. While that’s certainly true for the majority of the photographers out there, headshots are so much more than just the final product. The process actually matters quite a bit, especially when it involves organizing several moving parts and various busy people into a one day event.

That is why I spend so much time developing the process my sessions follow. That is why I insist on the office walkthrough, try to anticipate any issues before they have the chance to derail the day, and keep clear and open communication going throughout. It’s important. And it provides the kind of experience that makes a potentially headache-inducing day almost effortless.

If you’d like to learn more about corporate headshots that I do on-site within Fairfield County, Connecticut, you can visit this page here: https://nlalorphotography.com/headshots. And let me know in the comments what you think about my process, if you have any suggestions for improvements, or if you simply have a question I can answer.