Professional headshots are often the first impression your team makes – on your website, LinkedIn, pitch decks, or internal comms. But getting them right takes more than just booking a photographer and sticking your people in front of a camera.
Drawing from my experience of having done this 1000s of times, here is a guide to the full process of organising a corporate headshot session, from planning and styling to delivery and brand consistency.
If you’re preparing for a shoot or thinking of booking one, this will help you understand what to expect.
1. Planning & Preparation
- Clarify the purpose: Define whether the shots are for the website, LinkedIn, annual reports, or internal comms. This shapes style, tone, and consistency.
- Set up a planning call: Confirm how many shots, edited images, usage rights, cost, delivery timeline, and retouching expectations.
- Logistics: Arrange a schedule, usually 10- 15 minutes per person, fitting around 20 staff in a half-day, or up to 60 in a full day.
- Communication with staff: Send a briefing email explaining what to expect, clothing guidance, and why the shoot matters.
2. Wardrobe & Styling
- Dress to reflect the brand: Choose clean, ironed outfits appropriate for your professional environment – solid colours are ideal, avoid loud patterns.
- Preparation tips: Simple makeup; bring a couple of outfit options if you want a variety of looks. If not, just one look will do.
3. Location & Lighting
- Choose your backdrop: Select a consistent, suitable background – whether a plain backdrop in a meeting room, in office setting, or outdoor natural light. I can bring a backdrop if needed.
- Book a room: Usually a largish meting room will do.
4. On-the-Day
- Arrival: I’ll usually arrive around 30 mins before the first scheduled appointment to set up.
- Pacing: Allow 10 – 15 minutes per individual. Either pre-book time slots or run it as a drop in. I can share a calendar for people to book slots if you like.
- Building rapport: The shoot is friendly and relaxed, with conversation to help subjects feel at ease and capture genuine expressions.
- Guidance: I’ll help with posing and everything else to get a natural, confident expression.
5. Review & Selection
- Immediate feedback: Review images during the shoot to ensure satisfaction.
- Shot variety: Provide a mix of expressions or styles – perhaps serious and relaxed versions depending on roles
6. Post-Production & Delivery
- Subtle editing: Light color correction and retouching to ensure consistency, preserving natural skin texture. No heavy airbrushing.
- Proofing process: You select favourites from proof gallery; final deliverables include both print and web-ready files. Or people can make their selects during the shoot.
- File management: I can name files by person, host backups, and deliver via Dropbox, WeTransfer, or your CMS.
7. Consistency & Brand Cohesion
- Align with brand identity: Tailor lighting, background, and editing to reflect the company’s aesthetic across platforms.
- Uniform visual output: A consistent set of headshots builds trust and visual unity – useful across websites, email footers, Slack, ID badges, etc.
Checklist
| Stage | Your Tasks |
|---|---|
| Planning | Define goals, schedule, usage rights, logistics |
| Wardrobe & Prep | Share outfit, grooming, and makeup prep tips |
| Venue Setup | Choose and prep location, set up lighting |
| Shoot Day | Build rapport, guide posing, allow real-time feedback |
| Post-Processing | Light editing, proof review, create web/print deliverables |
| Delivery & Storage | Label files, backup, share via chosen platform |
| Brand Cohesion | Ensure visual consistency across media |
Using this method, you not only get polished, professional headshots, but you also create an enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
Need help planning a session? Feel free to get in touch.
