There are three qualities you should keep in mind when hiring someone to take your team’s head shots and group portraits.
What should you do when you want to redo your team’s headshots?
Call us for reshoots, of course!
Which is exactly what the office manager for a local cosmetic dentistry office did.
During our consultation, we learned that a recent portrait experience left the team feeling unhappy and unsure of what they wanted – all they knew is that they didn’t want what they got! So we evaluated their initial set of headshots together, and pinpointed the missed opportunities that we could deliver on: attention to detail, creative direction, and comfortability.
Attention to Detail
We know that even the smallest of details can make a world of difference in photographs. Which is why we take such care in making sure everything is staged just right: from the lights to the set to you!
This cosmetic dentist office really appreciated this, as their job is to perfect the smiles that walk through their door. They trusted that every adjustment we made was for the sake of capturing the team at their best. In their initial set of portraits (not taken by us), they had busy backgrounds with plants growing out of their heads – which is so distracting! We eliminated the unnecessary noise and arranged each scene to frame the subject, while ensuring that every strand of hair was in its proper place.
We also shot the portraits tethered to our laptop, so that each person could see for themselves how they looked in the RAW images and be a collaborative partner in creating their portrait.
Creative Direction
It is crucial that commercial and corporate photographers alike understand both your company’s culture and the final destination for your photos: are they going to live on your website? Will they be used on business cards? Will they be printed, framed, and hung in your office? This information should influence how your photographer approaches and manages the session.
“When working with a team of any size, it’s important to me that our photos capture their culture,” Kelly Settle, our founder and photographer, said. “So after a planning call, I brought in our art director Cindy Fair with CM Fair Designs to assist in the session design. We knew we wanted to capture the luxurious, boutique atmosphere this team worked so hard to create. To accomplish this, we used our transportable studio equipment to design softly-lit scenes in spaces around their office that felt authentic to who they are.”
Comfortability
If you don’t feel your best, you’re probably not going to look your best. This is something commercial and corporate photographers can forget when staging 10-hour sessions where clients are expected to be ready for their close up at all times.
But not us! Which is why we opted to break this session into two parts; their first photographer did not give them this option, and by halfway through their session the team was exhausted and disinterested in taking more photos – and it showed in the images!
So we decided that our first session would focus on taking the individual headshots and group photos around their office building, and planned a second session on a different day to create custom stock photography out of their processes and interactions. This allowed everyone to look and feel at their best.
When it comes to commercial or corporate headshots, you’re going to be happiest with a photographer that pays attention to the smallest of details; that takes the time to understand your creative vision; and that makes sure your team feels comfortable throughout the process. If this sounds like something you want for your next round of team photos, get in touch with us today by emailing kellyannphotos@mac.com or calling 937-602-3626.
