It’s a common question I’m asked. Usually, it comes from a desire to avoid the corporate feel of a studio setup. For a single founder or a CEO, the answer is often yes, you can do your headshots outside.
For a team of twenty people, the answer is more complicated.
Taking headshots outside can result in lovely photos. If the light and location are right, fantastic results can happen, like these outdoor headshots that I took:
Can we do our headshots outside if we are a large team?
This is about the challenge of consistency when shooting outside headshots
If I’m shooting one person, outdoor headshots can be an excellent option. It can have a look that’s difficult to replicate inside.
However, if I’m shooting an entire board of directors over the course of four hours, the sun moves. Clouds drift in and out. The light at 9am is not the light at 1pm. Maintaining consistency and ensuring everyone looks the same when their photos are side by side on a website can be impossible.
To make it work for a group, you have to a location where the light wont’s shift throughout the day, usually this means finding somewhere that will stay in shade for the duration of the shoot.
Then there is the weather. What happens if we book in a day and Storm Bertha decides to join us?
Pros and cons of outdoor headshots
The Pros
- Presence: People generally relax more when they are outside so I can maybe show more of their natural self.
- Relaxed: You get a sense of the photo being more relaxed by being outside.
- Character: It feels less like an HR requirement and more like a real photo.
The Cons
- Weather: Wind will ruin your hair, and rain ends the session. You always need a fallback inside space.
- The Public: You’re dealing with pedestrians, traffic, and the occasional security guard asking what you’re doing. It’s less private for the subject.
- Logistics: We need to find an outdoor space that works well in a variety of conditions and throughout the day.
So, can you we do our headshots outside?
It depends on the brief.
Yes if it’s just one or a few people and you can book at short notice or easily reschedule.
If you need a high-volume, perfectly uniform set of headshots that can be easily replicated for new hires six months from now, it’s more risks and I’d sight an indoor environment.
But if the outdoor look is what you need, it can definitely be done.goal is presence and a sense of authority for a smaller group or an individual, going outside is worth the extra effort.
