Creative Agency Headshots: Planning, Costs, Examples & More

As a creative agency, your team knows better than anyone that branding matters. Your clients need high-quality assets to establish credibility with their customers.

Therefore, your agency website should reflect the gold standard of what a professional, polished business looks like.

Having studio-quality headshots that your employees can use in email signatures and on LinkedIn is essential in solidifying your agency’s stellar reputation. However, obtaining professional headshots for your team of creative professionals may be more challenging than you think.

More than simply capturing a photo, putting together a creative headshot shoot can involve any of the following tasks:

• Curating or building custom backdrops to align with your brand
• Coordinating your staff’s schedules
• Securing studio time and rental gear
• Working through potential reshoots and edits

We created this comprehensive guide to cover cost and planning considerations and share real-life examples to shed light on the process. We break down each stage of the process so you can easily create stunning creative headshots for your team.

 

Why Your Team’s Headshots Are So Important as a Creative Agency

Professional photos on your company’s website and social media platforms help your clients put names to faces, but this isn’t the only benefit.

Headshots are a subtle branding opportunity. It’s a place to demonstrate your design skills and communicate to current and potential clients that you have a cohesive, creative team.

The proof is in the pudding, as the saying goes. So, the best way to understand the importance of high-quality headshots for your creative agency is to evaluate the impact yourself.

Let’s take a look at this first set of photos:

These creative agency headshots are playful yet professional and help you clearly identify each team member. The photos are well lit and posed, and they have a consistent background, which radiates a feeling of togetherness.

Now, let’s look at another set of headshots:

These headshots show clients who the agency’s team is, but the inconsistency in backdrops, framing, posing, and lighting throughout the photos can seem unprofessional.

Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression. In today’s digital age, you want modern headshots that indicate your staff and creative agency are industry leaders.

 

Planning a Headshot Session for Your Team of Marketers

Ready to secure headshots for your creative agency? Though the process might be a bit complex, let’s review two possible routes that help you get the job done as quickly as possible.

The Traditional Way [A Challenging Route]

1. Coordinate with Your Staff

One of the more challenging aspects of a traditional shoot is scheduling the session. You need to find blocks of time that align with your entire staff’s availability. You may even find it’s easiest to close the office for a set number of hours or opt for a shoot outside of working hours.

You want to have 3 or 4 potential dates in mind when securing a contract with a photographer. You also need to know your budget and share expectations with your team. A headshot session for your entire staff can take several hours, so once you have a date, they should mark their calendars accordingly.

2. Find a Photographer

Hiring a photographer can depend on your location and proposed timeline. Keep in mind that tight deadlines can come with a premium price tag.

Before signing a contract, be sure you and your photographer agree on the scope of the work, budget, and project milestones. Understand you may have to secure additional equipment or studio space separate from the photographer depending on what you need for the shoot.

3. Prepare for Shoot Day

Before the photo session, outline wardrobe expectations with your team to ensure your staff puts their best foot forward. Remind your staff to show up on time for the shoot, preferably several minutes early, so your agency doesn’t incur extra charges for delaying the session.

4. Host the Photo Shoot

The big day has finally arrived! Though your photographer handles most of the direction on set, it’s a good idea to check the monitors to ensure you get the shots you want. If no monitors are available, ask your photographer for a quick look at the photos they’ve taken.

5. Work Through the Editing Process 

At the shoot’s conclusion, be available to help guide your photographer through the editing and retouching process. You can expect your finished headshots within a few days or weeks.

Once your photographer delivers the photos, you can update your company website and social profiles.

Headshots.com [A Modernized Approach]

Want to get high-quality headshots with a lot less hassle? The better approach for you may be a service like Headshots.com.

Our process is 100% virtual, making it great for in-person and geographically dispersed teams that might not have time for a traditional photo shoot.

We manage the entire process for you, from offering guidance on capturing the pictures to hand-editing the final headshots. Your whole team can get professional images simply by snapping some photos with their phones.

Our trained staff directs your team on posing and lighting, then frames their photos against your pre-selected or custom backdrop. We edit and retouch each picture and deliver your finished headshots within 3 business days, backed by our Happiness Guarantee.

Once you approve and accept the photos, you can update your agency website, social media pages, and any other marketing materials.

 

What to Wear

The right outfit is the foundation of a positive first impression. Use these general wardrobe guidelines to help plan your shoot accordingly.

Women’s Headshots

Creative agency headshots may have more wiggle room when determining the ideal attire for women, but starting with a top that has a simple neckline and a solid, dark-colored palette is always a great idea.

Pair that with light jewelry, makeup, and possibly a layer on top like a cardigan, sweater, or blazer.

Men’s Headshots

Men’s headshot attire should also feature a solid, dark-colored collared shirt. You can tie this look together with a lightly-patterned tie or bowtie or wear it alone. Additional layers like a professional jacket or blazer are acceptable, too.

You can add accessories, such as glasses or even props that demonstrate your role (for instance, a camera for the photographer), but try to keep things as simple as possible. The primary focus of the photo should be the subject.

 

Examples of How to Pose

With either a traditional photographer or our virtual Headshots.com team, you get guidance on possible poses for your professional headshots. That said, it helps to have some signature looks in mind for shoot day.

Let’s look at a few go-to poses designed to dazzle your clients.

The Creative Close-Up

Dress up a traditional headshot pose with creative lighting or accessories to emphasize your agency’s brand identity.

Have your subjects stand facing the camera or with one shoulder slightly angled towards the camera. Combine a confident smile, a focused gaze, and great posture, and you have a winning headshot!

The Playful Professional

This pose produces a natural, playful look that’s perfect for creative agencies.

Have your subjects stand tall, with feet shoulder-width apart for balance. With their arms relaxed by their sides or lightly crossed, they can give a big grin or even a light laugh to highlight your agency’s approachability. Then capture the shot from the chest up. Have fun and experiment!

It Comes Naturally

As a creative agency, you have more leeway when composing your headshots. For example, let your photos communicate something about your brand or where you’re based.

For this shot, have your subjects strike a relaxed pose, standing open to the camera or with arms lightly crossed. Let them know they’ll be framed from the waist up to provide enough room for the backdrop to tell a story.

 

Typical Cost of Headshots for Creative Agencies

Professional headshots are well worth the time, money, and energy required. However, the price tag may be more than expected. For a traditional shoot, a single headshot can cost you several hundreds of dollars:

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

Though that amount may cause some sticker shock, you can see how those costs add up when you factor in the photographer’s time, studio space, gear rentals, and editing expenses.

If a traditional shoot doesn’t fit your budget, opt for a virtual shoot instead through Headshots.com. Since our process is entirely online, we can offer a convenient solution and a more affordable price point for your whole staff, regardless of their location.

Our team walks your agency through posing and capturing photos using equipment you already have on hand. Once we receive those photos, our experts hand-edit each one to produce stunning, professional headshots within 3 business days.

Our service costs just $50 per finished headshot and is sometimes as low as $25. You can be confident your investment produces amazing headshots, all backed by our Happiness Guarantee.

 

Get Studio-Quality Headshots for Your Creative Agency with a Fraction of the Effort

Excellent headshots for your entire staff are just a few clicks away. Learn more about our virtual headshot services and pay a fraction of the price to showcase your team’s talents and boost your creative agency’s visibility.