Behind the Scenes at a Staff Headshot Session

Situations at staff headshots are incredibly varied. When working on location as Sydney corporate photographers we need to be flexible to get the results we need with what we have. Here is a recent office session in Sydney.

This is a headshot session for a medical/insurance related company. Situated in a modern commercial building in the Sydney CBD, we were lucky to have spacious hallways, high ceilings, and large windows overlooking the city.

As with all location photography, we have to be mindful of not disturbing staff during their work. In this case, they also had customers who come to the office, so we had to be additionally careful in all that we did.

Profile Headshots

The first requirement was to capture profile photographs that were professional but friendly.

We had a small room that was constrained by the off-centered door. This is really what a normal office has for shooting space. We don’t need a lot of room to get great headshots.

In this case we pushed all the furniture to the sides and shot diagonally to get the distance required! In the past we’ve had cases where we had to shoot behind desks!

The challenge with teams is getting everyone relaxed and feeling comfortable within a short timeframe. Each person only had a few minutes. However we didn’t want them to feel rushed, as that would lead to forced and strained expressions, which the viewer would pick up subconsciously.

Because the locations where these images would be used was not yet determined, we photographed each staff member facing both left and right for maximum flexibility. Here are a few of the headshots we ended up with. You’d think they were taken in a studio!

Corporate Group Photographs

Next we wanted to capture some group shots. The boardroom was the only large area available. It was a bit of work getting everyone in, and again we were limited by the location of the door to the room.

Because we were using professional lighting that would show up as reflections in the windows, we also had to capture an empty frame to combine later in post production to give a natural look. Here is an example of the two frames we combined to give the final result.

As with all group shots, the more people you had the higher the chance of someone blinking or being mid-sneeze in a shot! We combined several shots in order to have everyone’s best expressions. Once everyone was in position it only took a few minutes to get the shot required!

Do your photographs reflect your brand?

Small businesses in Sydney are understanding the importance of professional photography. The challenge is navigating hundreds of photographers to find one suited to you.

What sets us apart?

We specialise in working with small businesses to create imagery that connect with their customers. We do this by discussing with you the market you are targeting, and discovering what personality traits those consumers are looking for when searching for a service provider.

We treat each person as an individual, no matter how many staff you have. Even when you have 50+ staff, each will have a portrait headshot they are proud of. The most common feedback we have from clients is that our sessions are so much more relaxed, and even enjoyable, compared to the staff headshots they have had in the past.

When people are relaxed, they can show genuine expressions, and they can connect with the viewer. This is what makes an effective headshot or team photograph. Contact us now and let us help you discover how you can show off your brand.