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In any competitive field, having polished, authentic, professional headshots could mean the difference between prospective clients deciding to go with your business over a competitor. Making a positive first impression online is just as valuable as one you make in person.
However, obtaining high-quality headshots may be more complicated than you expect. In addition to the photo session itself, your office has to execute the following tasks successfully:
- Coordinate an entire office staff’s schedules for a single shoot time
- Research and book qualified photographers
- Pick up and rent out all necessary equipment
- Organize custom backdrops and determine an ideal office wardrobe
We understand these challenges all too well. We created this comprehensive guide to explain everything you need to know about coordinating, funding, and executing an office headshot photo shoot down to the smallest detail. Use this framework to obtain stunning headshots for your entire staff.
Why Your Office Headshots Are So Important
Polished staff headshots often produce more of an impact than you may realize. First impressions these days often come digitally, and cohesive team photos speak to your staff’s credibility and commitment and how they operate as a single, strong unit.
The best way to demonstrate the impact of great headshots is to look at some well-crafted company headshots compared to those with room for improvement.
Let’s review this first set of headshots:
These business portraits have a consistent theme and pose, highlighting each team member’s authentic smile. Every well-lit photo is paired with the staff member’s name and title, helping potential customers find the staff member they seek.
Now, let’s compare these headshots to another example:
While these headshots are well lit, they lack cohesion and don’t necessarily work together as a unit, given the variation from one background to the next. The photos aren’t all framed at the same level, leaving the final right-hand headshot to appear cut off.
The contrast between these headshots may seem inconsequential, but these small differences can sway potential clients to choose one business over another. Strong visual communication is the key to success for any small business wanting to display a confident aura of professionalism with its customers.
Planning a Headshots Session for Your Office
Putting together an office headshot session for your entire staff can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. There are two routes you can take to secure professional headshots.
The Traditional Way (A Challenging Route)
For a typical office headshot photo session, follow this basic framework. Note that teams spread out across multiple locations may not be able to execute this type of photo shoot.
1. Rally Your Office Together
First, sit down with your entire team and map out possible dates for photo sessions. Depending on the number of people in your office, you might have to break down your shoot into multiple sessions. Note that splitting your time across several dates comes with increased costs.
You also want to agree upon a standard wardrobe, background, and general poses and brainstorm any need for equipment rentals. Photographers book several weeks in advance, so try to schedule the shoot at least two weeks ahead for the best results.
Your team may have to take time away from clients to accommodate the photo session, which you should factor into your scheduling decision.
2. Find a Photographer
Next, you need to find a photographer. Have your ideal budget, concept idea, and the number of employees needing headshots on hand to share with your photographer. Your photographer may provide a price per headshot or charge a day rate for their time prepping, shooting, and editing the photos.
Work together to communicate your vision and be sure your staff has all their questions answered before the day of the shoot.
3. Have Your Office Headshot Photo Shoot
It’s time for the big day! Have your office staff show up to set a few minutes early to prevent any hiccups. Your photographer will help guide each subject’s pose against your agreed-upon backdrop.
4. Anticipate Receiving the Final Headshots
After the shoot, you can usually expect the finished photos back within two or three weeks, though every photographer is different. Your photographer may charge extra for retouching or certain types of editing. Once you receive the final photos, you can update your promotional materials and company website accordingly.
Headshots.com (Optimized for Efficiency)
A traditional photo shoot can be quite an undertaking and might not be feasible for teams working across multiple locations. Fortunately, you can opt for a more efficient option done 100% remotely— the Headshots.com virtual solution allows you to obtain headshots at a fraction of the time and cost using just a cell phone.
The Headshots.com team starts by setting up your dashboard, or you can get started on your own (here). The next step is to choose your background, or engage our team to curate a custom backdrop that matches your unique branding sensibilities. From there, our interactive guide directs your staff to capture and submit photos using their phone cameras, eliminating the need for costly equipment rentals.
Once we receive the photos, each headshot is hand-edited (we never use AI) and retouched to perfection. You can expect your finished headshots back within three business days, and we stand by each photo with our Happiness Guarantee.
Upon receiving your photos, download them directly from an online portal for your immediate use. Your team can update their business cards, LinkedIn profiles, social media profiles, and any other digital assets representing your brand.
What Your Colleagues Should Wear
Your office staff may not know what to wear to the shoot. It’s best to outline your expectations up front to ensure your business headshots have a cohesive, consistent look from the get-go. Here are some general wardrobe guidelines to get you started:
Women’s Headshots
Headshot attire for women should revolve around solid, dark colors that don’t wash out the skin. Avoid patterns that may detract from the photo’s focus—your smile! Light accessories, makeup, and jewelry are fine, but each headshot should reflect, more or less, how each staff member appears on a day-to-day basis.
Pair a solid shirt with a blazer or jacket outer layer to complete the outfit.
Men’s Headshots
Men’s headshot attire should also revolve around solid, preferably dark, colors. A light-colored base layer is fine, but the outer jacket or suit should be darker so it doesn’t wash out the skin. Ties can be solid or have a small pattern, as long as it isn’t distracting.
In any office headshot, the subject should aim for good posture and try to get a solid night’s sleep ahead of the shoot. A confident and approachable smile goes a long way to securing a potential client’s trust. Remember that each headshot only showcases the subject from the shoulders up.
Examples of How to Pose
Don’t go into a headshot photo session without a clear idea of what you want your finished shots to look like. Here are some suggested poses you can workshop with your staff members to produce polished profiles.
Squared and Centered
This pose is a classic! For this headshot, have your subjects stand with their feet shoulder-length apart and their hands resting at their sides. Center the subject against a clean backdrop with professional attire and a confident yet collected grin.
Out in the Field
This headshot option highlights a bit more about your business, whether that’s an office setting with the company logo or an outdoor background featuring the area you service.
These details should be subtle but noticeable enough to give the customer more information about your company. Center the subject and aim for a soft smile.
Casual Fridays
Pull off a more welcoming look with business casual garb, polished lighting, and an award-winning smile. Do away with the traditional blazer or suit jacket for these disarming headshots.
Typical Cost of Headshots for an Entire Office
The cost of your office headshot session will largely depend on your chosen route.
For a traditional in-person photo shoot, you have to factor in the fees for your photographer, equipment rentals, and potential expenses of a photo studio. You may also pay for availability if you live in a high-demand area. As a result, it’s not unreasonable to estimate each headshot may cost a couple of hundred dollars.
The traditional route also doesn’t account for the time your team may need to take off from their usual work to participate in the in-person shoot.
Approximate Price Paid per Finished Headshot
| Traditional Photo Shoot* | Headshots.com |
| $100 to $1,000 per headshot | $25 to $50 per headshot |
*Not including pre-planning or opportunity costs due to the logistics involved with a traditional photo shoot
By contrast, Headshots.com is entirely virtual, cutting costs without sacrificing value. Our services are as low as $25 per headshot and won’t take valuable time away from your clients.
The Headshots.com team walks your staff members through the steps to capture and submit their photos. Then, we hand-edit each headshot to perfection. The process only takes a few clicks and allows remote or hybrid teams to create a polished, cohesive online presence.
Next Steps: Get Studio-Quality Office Headshots at a Fraction of the Hassle
You shouldn’t have to go to extraordinary lengths to obtain high-quality, professional office headshots for your staff. Learn more about our 100% virtual headshot services here.
Get headshots for your entire team with just a couple of clicks. We manage the whole process from beginning to end, so you don’t have to lift a finger.
