Service Highlighted: Team Headshots for Organizations
When an organization grows, its visual identity often lags behind. New hires come on board, roles evolve, and headshots slowly become a patchwork of different styles, ages, and quality levels. That’s when it’s time to bring in a photographer to reset and bring the team together.
After all the photos come back, the team can use them on their LinkedIn, website staff page, professional bios, speaking engagement programs, Teams/Slack/Zoom images, and so many other places.
Coordinating professional headshots for a large team is rarely about photography alone. It’s a logistics challenge of balancing schedules, maintaining visual consistency, and creating an experience that feels efficient and fun rather than disruptive to the workday.
This is the same structured approach I use for on-site team headshot sessions with organizations of all sizes. Like all the others, this project was designed to do exactly that: produce a cohesive set of team headshots while minimizing downtime, uncertainty, and decision fatigue for both leadership and staff.
Planning team headshots for your organization?
Learn more about how I structure on-site team headshot sessions →
The Challenge: Photographing 30 people in 2.5 hours
The Hometown Health Care Management Team held a beginning-of-the-year staff meeting in a central location, making it easy to set up and schedule everyone.
I worked with their marketing director to set a date, plan the location, and look at examples of their ideal style. The initial goal was for their graphic designer to make a directory guide for the team to reference, but I’ve already seen the headshots pop up on LinkedIn since then.
Once all the logistical concerns are arranged, the on-site setup really makes a difference. Beyond lighting, a smooth session depends on a predictable, human-centered flow:
- People need to sign waivers
- Stand in the right place
- Feel relaxed and calm
- Pose and smile (or not, if you prefer a different expression)
- Shoot multiple pictures
- Review
- Select
- Feel good and let the next person in
Photographing 30 people in 2 hours means everyone received about four minutes to do all of that. And I can’t be fussing or moving anything.
The best way to keep that flow is to create a sign-up sheet internally so people can pick which 30-minute time slot they want come. Inevitably, people show up whenever they are available or with their work friends, and that’s OK, but we at least start with an expectation of structure.
The Strategy: A set-up meant for speed and comfort
My favorite “invention” is the SelfieView headshot process. I tether my camera to a laptop, meaning pictures instantly download, where we can see each picture in the moment. But I add an iPad facing the subject, so they can see what I see. We take time going through a few photos at a time, making ratings and adjustments, shoot some more, and pick the best together.
I want people leaving the spotlight happy and excited to see the final images a few days later. With additional edits, the photos only get better. If someone seems displeased, we keep shooting.
If someone is nervous or worried, I pause, talk with them, and help them think happy thoughts before moving on.
One of the best reactions I got from this shoot was when I gave a woman my foot stool that I typically stand on for taller subjects. But the moment she felt taller than me, her face lit up and she was so excited. We captured a fantastic, genuine smile in that moment.
The Results: 28 happy people
Most people don’t enjoy getting their picture taken, and some downright hate it. I try to be aware of that because even I don’t like taking my own pictures! But the process of capturing a great smile, with beautifully done hair in professional clothes, gives people something to be proud of and show off.
And shooting the photos at work, where people can run in, get a great photo, and run back to work, is even better.
The final images gave the organization a consistent visual library they could use immediately across their website, LinkedIn profiles, internal tools, and professional materials—without chasing individual updates for years to come.
Planning Team Headshots for Your Organization?
This type of session is designed for organizations that value consistency, efficiency, and a professional experience for their staff.
