By Liene Boutens, business and team photographer in Brussels
If you’re organising team headshots at your office, we’ll need a room we can reserve, individual appointments and clear guidance on what to wear. I usually have around ten minutes with each of you, plus about half an hour to set up and half an hour to pack away. Group photos and breaks need extra time.
Before the day, we’ll talk through the arrangements on a video call, including where you want to use the photos and how formal you’d like everyone to look. You don’t need to have every detail worked out beforehand. “We need some decent new photos” is often enough as a starting point.
What should you wear for team headshots?
If some of you wear suits and ties while others choose very casual jumpers, your team photos can show differences in seniority that don’t reflect your actual roles.
You’ll notice this particularly when your portraits go on the company website or we bring you together for a group photo. Each of you may have chosen an outfit you like, with very little thought about what anyone else will wear.
I want you to keep your own style and still belong together visually. Agreeing on the level of formality gives you a starting point. A general request to dress professionally leaves quite a lot open to interpretation, so it helps to agree whether you’re thinking of jackets and ties or something more relaxed.
A few agreed colours can help too. Navy and beige, for example, give you different combinations to choose from while keeping something in common across the team. We’ll also consider how those colours work with the background.
Within that choice, think about the colours that suit your eyes, skin tone and hair. You should still be able to choose something you like wearing and feel good in.
I recommend well-fitting clothes in solid colours, avoiding distracting patterns, large logos and text. Your clothes should be clean and ironed. Take an alternative top or jacket if you are unsure about a choice.
Remember your shoes if they’ll appear in the photos. They should be clean and work with the rest of your outfit.
If you’re organising the session, give everyone this guidance in good time. It’s much easier to choose what to wear when you know what the rest of your team is preparing for.
Where will you use your team photos?
Your website might be the immediate reason for booking, but you may also need the photos for LinkedIn, conference programmes, brochures, press materials or an internal directory.
Tell me about those uses when we speak, especially if you have a particular layout to work with. A small profile picture needs a different crop from a portrait filling space beside an interview.
I usually recommend half-body portraits because they give you more options. You can often crop a wider portrait to a headshot for LinkedIn or your website and keep the original for other uses. If we take only a tightly framed headshot, there isn’t much room to change the framing afterwards.
If your website designer or communications team has specific requirements, send them over before the session. Let me know if you need full-body portraits too, so we can plan for them.
We’ll discuss the background at the same time. A plain background might work best with your website, or you might prefer to include your office in the background. I’ll have a look at your website before our call so we can discuss what would fit.
How do we organise the day?
Arrange individual appointments
A shared appointment list is a simple arrangement that has worked very well in my experience. Once we’ve agreed on the session times, you can share the list with your colleagues and let everyone choose an available slot.
For a straightforward team session, I usually have around ten minutes for each of you. Some people need a little longer, others less, so it helps to leave some flexibility in the schedule. If you have a meeting you can’t move or limited time that day, let the organiser know so we can take it into account.
Choose a room for the session
A meeting room that you can reserve is often a good option. You can send me photos or show me around on a video call and we’ll look at the available light, background and space for the equipment.
I’ll ask you to come in one at a time. You may get on very well with your colleagues and still prefer to have your photo taken without them watching. Afterwards, you can get back to work and come back for the group photo, if we’re taking one.
If you’re organising the session, please forward my preparation email and the appointment details to everyone taking part.
What happens during your headshot appointment?
When you come in, I’ll ask whether you have a preferred side or anything you’d like me to know. I’ll then guide you through your position, posture and expression as we start taking photos.
We’ll try different options, moving between a more serious expression and a smile and make small adjustments as we go. You might prefer a smiling photo of yourself in a suit, or you might like a more serious expression. We will try both and see what you think.
I’ll show you some photos during your appointment and ask for honest feedback. Please tell me if you don’t like an angle, prefer the version with your jacket on or feel that something isn’t quite right. We make adjustments while you’re still there.
I want you to recognise yourself in the photos and be happy to use them. Seeing them during the session gives you a chance to tell me what you like before we finish.
Frequently asked questions
What sort of room do we need for team headshots?
A meeting room is often suitable for individual team headshots. We need enough space for you, the camera and the lighting, with a background that works for the photos we’re planning.
A plain white wall can work well. Natural light is helpful and I’ll bring my own lighting too. If you’re unsure about the room, send me a few photos or show me around on a video call so we can assess it together.
How much time should we allow?
For a straightforward office portrait session, these are the approximate timings I use as a starting point:
- Setup, lighting and test shots: 30 minutes
- Individual portraits: 10 minutes per person
- Packing away: 30 minutes
For ten people, that adds up to around two hours and forty minutes. For twenty people, it’s around four hours and twenty minutes.
We’ll need extra time for group photos and breaks. These are estimates, so we’ll adjust the schedule to what you need and leave a little room for delays.
Can we include group photos?
Yes, we can take individual portraits and group photos during the same office session. Tell me which groups you’d like so we can choose a location and allow enough time. You might need a photo of the whole team, the management team or another combination.
Where your schedules allow, I prefer to take your individual portraits first and the group photos afterwards. By then, each of you has already spent some time working with me.
What should we tell colleagues beforehand?
Give everyone their appointment time, the room or meeting point, the agreed clothing guidance and a brief explanation of what to expect.
After our preparation call, I’ll send you an email covering the arrangements and styling advice, which you can forward to everyone taking part.
How do we choose our final photos?
After the session, I’ll prepare a selection for your private online preview gallery. The previews receive basic adjustments and I fully edit and retouch a few examples so you can see the finish to expect.
You can mark your preferred photos by clicking the heart in the gallery. I recommend giving each of you the opportunity to choose the portrait you like, while agreeing who will collect and confirm the complete selection.
It helps to give everyone a deadline for their choices, so we can move on to the final editing.
When will we receive the finished photos?
Once your selections are confirmed, I’ll begin the final editing and retouching. You’ll receive the finished photos in colour and black and white, with delivery following receipt of proof of payment.
We’ll discuss the delivery schedule for your session. If you need the photos for a particular publication or event, tell me when we first speak so we can plan the session and selection period around that deadline.
What affects the price of an office team session?
My pricing consists of a session fee plus the finished photos you select. I’ll prepare your quote based on the number of people, your location and any additional requirements. The final amount depends on your selection.
For an initial enquiry, send me the number of people, your office location and whether you’d also like group photos.
You can read more about my business photography in Brussels and get in touch to talk through what you have in mind for your team.