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Distributed teams are those made up of employees who work entirely remotely rather than at a central headquarters. Such teams, consisting of two or more employees working in different locations, have been growing in popularity over the past year.
These team members don’t share the same physical workspace and aren’t even necessarily centralized in one geographical area. However, employers still want to create team cohesion and unity. And with over 74 percent of employees assuming that remote work will become the new normal, it’s time to adjust. Read on to see how distributed team photos are a tool to create visual and emotional connections among your team. Wherever they are located!
What Are Distributed Team Photos?
Team photos are a set of business headshots typically used for company websites, business cards, press releases, financial pitch decks, and LinkedIn profiles. And with the shift to remote work, distributed teams are also using these headshots on virtual meeting platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Some workers use their headshots on their company email, so people they correspond with digitally can see their faces.
Distributed team photos can focus on showcasing your far-flung team members’ professionalism, friendliness, and competence. And when these images are visually cohesive and integrated with your brand, your team will feel closer than ever. Thus, a set of great headshots is the perfect first step for building an awesome brand and united team. Read on for seven valuable reasons your company needs a plan for headshots for distributed team photos.
Why Does Your Team Need Them?
Creating a warm, dynamic office culture is a challenge under the best of circumstances. But with more employees working remotely, it can be difficult for companies to build that sense of togetherness. When you dedicate time to your brand’s visual identity, each member of the team will feel and see how they are a part of something bigger.
There are many valuable reasons to get distributed team headshots. Read all about those here! Now that you recognize the importance of these photos, let’s move on to planning them.
Planning Your Distributed Team Photos
Planning your distributed team photos comes down to two main ideas: what your brand is, and how you will convey that message through your team’s photos. Remember, these photos are a great way for your various stakeholders to get an idea of your company and your values. So spend some time honing in on your brand and clarifying your message.
Defining Your Brand
Many companies spend a good chunk of their funds on branding and marketing. If you’ve already done the work to develop your brand, you’re off to a great start!
Consider a few main points when planning your distributed team photos. What colors do you associate with your brand? If you have a specific palette of approved colors, consider how you can use them either in a custom background or in your employees’ attire.
What about your mission statement and core values? If your business is all about creativity and humor, you may want to play that up in photos. That might be achieved by having all team members pose with wide smiles, or by having them wear something personal and quirky.
Conveying the Message
As you focus on bringing in key traits of your brand, make sure you maintain consistency. For example, if you plan to allow your employees to dress colorfully in their headshots, make sure you use a brand color for the background in everyone’s images.
If you have a more serious or formal business, you can create consistency by having everyone wear suits and face right in their headshots. However, you may then elect to have each team member choose a background color from an approved list of 2 or 3 brand palette colors. This will add personality and color, without sacrificing visual cohesiveness.
You want to make choices that will best convey your brand’s message. Color, attire, facial expressions, and body language can each add to (or detract from) this messaging. So take some time to research and plan. The better instructions you give to your team, the better the results will be.
How to Get High-Quality Photos
Your distributed team’s photos can do the heavy lifting to create and convey the feeling of team unity. Once you’ve done your planning homework, your team members will be ready to take their photos. Right from the comfort of their own homes! These tips can help:
Lighting
Lighting will be hugely important for your employees to take their own headshots. But that doesn’t mean they will need to invest in fancy lights or screens! Natural light will be the most flattering lighting, preferably soft/diffused light from a window. Artificial lighting can highlight problem areas, while natural light will give the photos a more organic and authentic feel.
Height
Camera angle and height will impact the photos, but these adjustments won’t require any fancy tools. If you or your employees will be taking the photos alone, a phone tripod and a stack of books can help. Regardless if you’re setting up the phone for yourself or if a friend or family member is taking the photo, pay attention to height.
Direct your employees to set themselves up at the same height or just below the camera lens. This will help to avoid awkward angles like the dreaded, universally unflattering “under the chin” shot. Providing this as a clear instruction to your employees will also help the photos look similar and cohesive.
The more thought and detail you put into the photo preparations, the better the output will be.
Getting Started on Your Distributed Team Photos
We designed the Headshots.com tutorial to meet the needs of non-photographers. It’s essentially foolproof! We will give you tips that will make sure you get a great shot, followed by high-level retouching and finishing. And you’ll have what you need to make your distributed team photos really stand out.
As we all know, time is money, especially in this rapidly-paced digital world. Don’t let another day slip away without putting your team’s best face forward. With Headshots.com, we can help you create a cohesive and high-quality look for your team’s photos, in a snap. For any size team, no matter where they are in the world. Sign up for your virtual headshots today!
