Overview - Headshots
Frequently in corporate groups management will decide to represent the company with an consolidated look and feel for all corporate headshot images.
This guide will look at the Business Owner Requirements and the Photographers requirements.
Business Owner Requirements
What is the look you want for your people
The overall dress code and background are all elements of the design of the "Look & Feel" of the images.
The business will need to consider the background for the headshots. You will can to pick a consistent background for all the headshots. Your photographer can provide samples of various backgrounds as a starting point. Solid colors can be used to coordinate with the look and feel of your website and company colors. Shown below are samples of four standard options for backgrounds, Gray, Textured Gray, Black and Pure White,
Samples of backgrounds:
In addition the to above background colors Savage Universal is a leader in the photography background product group. Savage has a catalog of 55 solid color backgrounds and a wide variety of printed scene backgrounds.
By using standard colors for your background these can be standardized across all remote offices. Your photographer should be able to give you and outline of details required to duplicate the look, background and technical information to replicate your look nation wide.
Each photographer will also have a collection of backgrounds available. Be sure to inquire what they have in their inventory.
What should people wear
This should reflect the culture of your company. How do you want people to look at you company? What does the culture of your company represent? Considerations, professional look, business casual or team T-shirts.
This should definitely represent ALL the people in your company, men and women. Do you want management to be represented with a more professional look? What are the dress codes that are acceptable for you everyday business associates?
How much time will this require
We also discussed the amount of time required for each photograph. I recommend five 10 minute sessions per hour. Some headshots can be accomplished with very little coaching, so may take a little time. So some shots might take 5 mins, and some would take the full 10 minutes.
Delivery options
Selected on site. Secondary laptop will allow immediate selection of headshot (Wifi connectivity required). This may be an extra charge for this service to add a person on the photography team for this requirement.
An alternate to immediate delivery is delivery of curated PROOFS which will be cropped and basic lighting applied. A selection of 3-5 PROOFS will be made and delivered to a company representative to coordinate the selection process.
Physical location for photography Session
How much room do a photographer need to create studio quality headshots? Generally a space of about 6-8 ft wide and 12-14 ft long. This can be one side of a large conference room. This also could be a breakroom or hallway in your building.
You should select a photographer that has a professional studio, which can be used for headshots of new people. Many business websites have pictures of all the people, except new hires that were hired after the initial engagement for getting all of the employees updated with new headshots. In my case, I have a Professional Studio space which can be setup to duplicate the original backgrounds, lighting and associated accessories required.
Photographer Requirements
Setup
Setup time would be required. It is highly recommended that a pre shoot visit be coordinated between the photographer and the client. An alternative is to have several conversations between the company coordinator and the photographer.
As for electrical requirements all of my flash equipment is battery driven. I would need one plugin for a laptop.
Timing and coordination
A plan should be established for the coordination of the shooting schedule by the company representative. Several approaches can be implemented to schedule each employee's headshot. A volunteer signup list or a mandatory schedule created by the company. Any scheduling should be completed weeks in advance in order for each employee to create a dedicated time slot for this activity.
Consideration should be given for each employee to have time to check themselves in a mirror to ensure they are ready for their headshot.
Other items to consider
This is usually a long day for the photography team. Some time should be scheduled for lunch and breaks.