If you've been asked to "sort out the team photos", this one is for you. Most of the people who book staff headshots with me aren't in marketing. They're office managers, practice managers and team leaders who've been handed the job on top of everything else.
The good news is that it's not hard to organise. A few decisions made early will save you a lot of chasing later. Here's how I'd plan it if I were in your seat.
Why photograph everyone on the same day?
Look at most company team pages and you'll see photos taken in different places, by different people, in different light. One person is on a white wall, another is cropped out of a wedding photo, and a third has no photo at all. It makes a business look less organised than it is.
When everyone is photographed in one session with the same lighting, the whole set matches. Your website, proposals and LinkedIn pages start to look like they belong to the same company.
It matters for individuals too. LinkedIn's own sales blog reports that members with a photo get 21 times more profile views and 9 times more connection requests. If your team uses LinkedIn for work, a good current photo helps every one of them.
Should the photographer come to you, or should your team go to a studio?
For a team, I'd almost always come to you. I bring a full mobile studio to your office and set it up in a spare room. People step out of their day for a few minutes, have their photo taken and go back to work.
The other way round, everyone travels to a studio and back. For a team of 30, that can cost a whole working day of staff time. Studio sessions make more sense for one or two people, and I run those from my studio on the Hibiscus Coast.
How do you pick the right day?
Pick the day when the most people are in the office. For a lot of teams that's a regular all-staff day, a team meeting or a training day. Check it against leave, school holidays and any big deadlines.
Then tell your team early. A week or two of notice gives people time to book a haircut and pick an outfit. Send a short reminder the day before, too. It cuts down on the "oh, was that today?" moments.
What kind of room do you need?
A meeting room or spare office with a bit of space is usually all I need. Somewhere private helps, because most people relax more when their colleagues aren't watching.
Book the room for the whole session, including time for me to set up and pack down. Every office is different, so we'll talk through your space before the day to make sure it works.
How long does it take per person?
Less time than most people expect. For a single outfit, allow around 3 minutes per person. If someone wants more than one outfit photographed, allow 5 to 15 minutes for them instead, plus around 5 extra minutes each if people are choosing their images on the day.
That means a team of 30 with one outfit each is comfortable in a single visit. I'd suggest a simple timetable, with people booked in small groups. Nobody waits around, and I'm not left with an empty room while someone finishes a call.
I work on my own, so it's one person at a time, with the same set-up for everyone. That's what keeps the set consistent.
What should you tell your team to wear?
Keep your brief short, so people read all of it. These are the points worth including:
- Fitted, not baggy. Baggy clothes add weight on camera. A jacket or shirt that fits well works better.
- Solid colours. Agree on a colour family for the team, not a uniform, so the set looks like it belongs together.
- No small stripes or small checks. Fine patterns can create a wavy shimmer on camera that's very hard to fix later.
- Bring it on a hanger. Clean and crease-free makes a bigger difference than people think.
There's more detail on clothing in the questions at the bottom of my corporate team headshots page, and you're welcome to forward it to your team.
Do you need your team's permission to use their photos?
This is the step most people skip, and it's worth getting right. New Zealand's Privacy Commissioner is clear that a photo that identifies someone is personal information under the Privacy Act. Their guidance says anyone using photos for commercial purposes should use a consent form, so people can agree to the photo being taken and to the specific ways it will be used.
The Commissioner has also published a case where a worker agreed to a photo for internal use only, then found it on billboards and in an annual report 2 years later. That complaint ended with the company paying compensation.
So before the day, tell your team where the photos will go: your website, LinkedIn, proposals, print. Get their agreement in writing. If you want to use the photos somewhere new later, ask again. This isn't legal advice, and your HR adviser is the right person to check your wording with.
What about people who are away, or who start later?
Someone is always away on the day. That's fine. New starters and anyone who missed out can be photographed later against the same set-up, so they match the rest of the team.
This is one of the best reasons to use the same photographer each time. Your team page stays consistent as your team grows, instead of slowly drifting back to a mix of styles.
How do people choose their photo, and when do you get them?
Each person chooses their own image on the day. People are much happier with a photo they've picked themselves, and it saves you a round of emails afterwards.
I then retouch each chosen photo and deliver it in high resolution. For corporate groups that takes 1 to 2 weeks. If you need them sooner for a website launch or a proposal, let me know and I'll do my best to work to your date.
What do staff headshots cost in Auckland?
My team headshots are $150 per person for teams of 10 or more. Smaller teams are the same rate with a $250 set-up fee. That includes the mobile studio at your office and 1 retouched, high-resolution photo per person.
I keep the copyright, and your business gets a licence to use the photos however you like: website, LinkedIn, email signatures, print and proposals. If you only need 1 or 2 people photographed, individual headshots start from $300. You'll find everything on my pricing page.
What goes on your checklist?
- Pick a day when most of the team is in
- Book a meeting room for the whole session
- Send a short clothing brief a week or two before
- Get written consent for where the photos will be used
- Share a simple timetable and send a reminder the day before
- Make a list of who's away, so they can be photographed later
If you're planning staff headshots for your office, get in touch. Tell me roughly how many people you have and where your office is, and I'll come back to you with a plan for the day. I photograph teams across Auckland, the North Shore and the Hibiscus Coast.