Corporate team photos: how to prepare for them

Preparing corporate team photos takes four decisions made in advance. The company decides what the images will be used for. It draws up a list of who appears and in what type of photo. It gives staff plenty of notice about what to wear and what time each person's slot is. Finally, it books a room in the office where the lighting and backdrop can be set up. With all of that decided, the session runs in an orderly way and the working day carries on almost as normal. The intended use shapes almost everything else. A photo for the 'about us' page calls for a different format from a LinkedIn profile, a sales presentation or a press release. A wide landscape image works for a website header, while a vertical portrait fits better on an individual profile page. Knowing this in advance means you avoid having to repeat the session months later. The list of people, with names and job titles, serves two purposes: allocating the time slots and naming the files correctly when they are delivered. You also need to decide whether there will be a group photo as well as the individual portraits, because getting everyone together at once means setting a specific time. When it comes to clothing, the most important thing is that the whole team dresses with a similar level of formality. Plain colours usually work better than fine stripes or small checks, which can look as if they are shimmering on screen. The room does not need to be anything special. A meeting room with some free space and a power socket nearby is enough. The photographer brings the lighting, the camera, the tripod, the backdrop and a laptop connected to the camera. That way, each person can see their photo straight away and retake it if they are not happy with something. Staff also appreciate knowing what to expect: how long their slot lasts, where they need to go and whether they can see the photos before they are published. This preparation stage is what counts most towards the result. If the planning is done well, on the day of the session almost everything is simply a matter of execution.

A Marchon corporate presentation in Benidorm.

What to do next

The next step is to write down on a single sheet the places where the photos will appear, the number of people who need to be in them and the room chosen for the session. Then send staff a short note with the planned date, the clothing guidelines and the idea that everyone will have their own slot. With that sheet in hand, you are ready to talk to a corporate photographer. That way you can explain exactly what you need, and they can suggest a schedule that fits in with the office's work.

What to do next

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