There comes a time in every company’s life when staff photos need to be taken. Whether it’s for the website, business cards or a gallery wall in the office – every employee’s face needs to be captured in a professional, yet interesting way. Our most current photos were taken only a few months ago and we want to share with you our tips and tricks to ensure your staff photos turn out great. Keep in mind, you do not need a professional camera to get great shots – a good phone camera can work – but by using the tips below your choice of equipment will be less obvious. Instead, people will be commenting on how amazing your staff looks!
BACKGROUND & LOCATION
First and foremost, you have to choose a location, the place and background you choose can make or break the photo. Do not pick an all-white background, but also avoid anything that is too dramatic or eye-catching. As we did in our staff photos, it is nice to have a blurred background so that the focus is on the staff member. After you choose a background, it is extremely important that you keep the location and composition of the photo consistent. This will help your photography to look less amateur and ensure uniformity when the photos are shown together, like on your website. Your focus should be on the employee, so keep this in mind when choosing your background and location.
APPEARANCE MATTERS
You can have the best camera money could buy, but nothing will hide an ungroomed employee. Let your staff know well ahead of time when their photographs will take place so that they can arrive looking their best. If you choose to let your employees wear an outfit of their choice, ensure that they stay away from anything too trendy or anything that could become quickly outdated. If you’re concerned about what they may choose, you can ask your staff to wear company shirts or sweaters that will not only look great together, but will match the colors of your website as well.
HAVE OPTIONS
You really don’t know how your photos have turned out until you download them onto your computer and begin to flip through your options, so make sure you have some! There is never any harm in capturing multiple shots of each staff member. This way, you can (hopefully!) avoid being stuck with a shot of an employee who can’t keep their eyes open, or a blurry hand that somehow ended up in the shot. The more shots you take, the less chance you have of having to re-do the photos.
STAY TRUE TO YOUR BRAND
Last, but certainly not least, always remember your brand. If you work in a casual environment, don’t ask your employees to dress up. If you’re known for your company’s color, then make sure to have it appear in the photos. These photographs are just another way to help people remember your company, so make sure it stays true to who and what your company is.
With these tips in mind, have fun! By taking our photos downtown, it was a chance for us all to climb into a car and enjoy a little outing all together. We believe that every work day is a chance to bond and create a better environment – staff photos can be a time for this, too! Whether you use your iPhone or an expensive camera with a specialty lens, the tips above worked for us and we know they will work for you, too!