Photo from evsimon.com · Book your event
Getting the office or premises ready before a corporate photo shoot takes little work. The company has to decide which photos it needs and choose the spot where they will be taken. Then it is a matter of tidying that space and letting the team know what to wear. That is all it takes. Holding the session in the office itself means the team can have professional portraits without interrupting the working day. Each person leaves their desk, has their portrait taken and goes back to what they were doing. The key is to arrive on the day with the decisions already made. If nobody has thought about the background, the light or the clothes, the session drags on and the photos turn out worse. If the office is clear and the team knows what to expect, everything moves faster. Evan & Natalia Simon work this way in Gijón and across the rest of Asturias, with photography and video for brands and businesses.
Review the photos the company already has
The first step is to look at the photos the company already has. Sometimes new images are needed and sometimes they are not. It is worth checking which part of the business does not come across well in the current photos: a team that has grown, a new room, a service with not a single image. Skipping this step leads to a long session that leaves folders full of photos nobody uses.
The visit beforehand
Next comes the visit beforehand with whoever is taking the photos. Together they walk round the available spaces and talk about the photos that are needed. The aim is to find backgrounds with some interest and good light for the portraits. A meeting room without windows may seem convenient, but it is often not the best option.
Photo from evsimon.com · Book your event
Tidy up the office a week before
A week before, it is time to tidy up. Papers, cables and boxes need to be cleared from the background. It is worth checking that no screen is showing client data. Every business has its own details. A consultancy barely needs more than a clean wall. An aesthetic clinic has to think about treatment rooms, equipment and treatments. And if clients or patients appear, it needs their permission.
Tell the team in good time
About 48 hours before, the team should know the time of their portrait and what clothes to wear. Giving guidance on clothing in good time helps a great deal. A last-minute notice leaves half the team in whatever T-shirt they happened to put on that day.
Photo from evsimon.com · Book your event
On the day of the session
On the day of the session, the thing to do is let the photographer work. Choosing the final photo on the spot slows the process down and adds nothing. It is better to do it calmly, afterwards.
Where to start
To get started, a short list is enough: which photos are needed, where they will be used and which corners of the office have good light. With that list in hand, organising the session becomes much simpler. Evan & Natalia Simon do photography and video in Gijón, in Asturias and in other parts of Spain and Europe. They work for brands and businesses, and also at selected weddings. If there are any questions about how to prepare the space, a short, free call is enough to go over everything calmly. There is no need to have anything decided beforehand. It is enough to describe what the office is like and what photos you would like to have.
