Team Headshot Day: The Complete Planning Guide
Short answer: To run a smooth team headshot day, book the photographer at least 2 weeks out, pick a Tuesday through Thursday, and reserve a conference room for the portable studio. Send your team the date, their time slot and wardrobe guidelines a week ahead. Schedule people in 5-minute slots with a few open spots for latecomers, and name one person to keep the day on track. A 20-person team usually takes about two hours.
After photographing hundreds of corporate teams across Utah, I’ve learned the difference between a stressful scramble and a smooth morning comes down to preparation. Here’s the whole plan.
Why do a team headshot day?
Your team’s headshots appear on your website, LinkedIn, proposals and marketing. When they’re mismatched or out of date, your company looks less established. Photographing everyone at once gives you a consistent look and costs much less per person than individual sessions. Team headshots are quoted per event, based on team size and time on site.
Step 1: Plan the basics (3–4 weeks out)
- Decide how the photos will be used. Website, LinkedIn, speaker bios and print each have different needs, and they shape the style.
- Match your company culture. A law firm usually wants a traditional look; a tech company might want something more relaxed. Your photographer should reflect that.
- Pick the day. Tuesday through Thursday works best. Avoid big deadline weeks, because stress shows in photos.
- Choose the room. I come to your office with a portable studio, so you just need a conference room or quiet corner with space for a backdrop and lights. Your team never has to leave work.
Step 2: Tell your team (2 weeks out)
- Explain the why. When people know the photos are for the website or LinkedIn, they show up prepared.
- Share the schedule. Give everyone a specific time slot. About 5 minutes per person works, plus buffer for latecomers.
- Reassure the nervous ones. Let them know I’ll direct every pose. No one needs to know what to do.
Step 3: Send wardrobe guidelines (1 week out)
Rather than identical outfits, give simple rules that keep the group consistent:
- Solid colors; no busy patterns or logos
- A shared color family if you want extra cohesion, such as navy, gray and white
- A dress code that matches your culture: business formal, business casual or smart casual
- One backup top or jacket
Share What to Wear for Your Professional Headshot with your team.
Step 4: Run the day
- Name a day-of coordinator, ideally someone not being photographed, to keep the schedule moving.
- Start with your most confident people. Their energy sets the tone.
- Set up a waiting area away from the shooting space, with a mirror nearby.
- Keep a small kit handy: lint roller, stain pen, safety pins, comb, powder and breath mints.
How do you keep team headshots consistent?
Consistency is what makes a team page look polished. I keep these the same for every person, all day:
- Lighting and backdrop. Same setup from the first person to the last.
- Camera height and angle. So every face sits at the same size and position.
- Posing and crop. A few standard poses adapted to each person’s comfort level, cropped the same way.
- Editing. The same color, retouching and crop style across the whole set.
I record the setup, too, so new hires photographed months later match the rest of your team.
What happens after the session?
I select and edit the strongest image of each person in the same consistent style and deliver everything in an online gallery, sized for web, LinkedIn and email signatures. Delivery takes 2 to 4 weeks depending on team size, or 1 week with rush delivery. Update your website, LinkedIn and email signatures all at once, so no one is left with an old photo.
What are the most common mistakes?
- Squeezing too many people into too little time. Build in buffer.
- Mixed messages. Have one person send all the details.
- A style that doesn’t fit your culture. Overly formal photos of a casual team feel forced.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a team headshot day take?
About 5 minutes per person. A 20-person team takes roughly two hours, including buffer time.
How much space do you need?
A conference room or quiet corner with enough room for a backdrop, two lights and the person being photographed. Rooms that can be darkened work best.
Can new employees match our existing headshots later?
Yes. I recreate the same lighting, backdrop and crop so new hires blend in with the rest of the team.
Do you photograph teams outside Salt Lake City?
Yes. Team headshots are always on site, and I regularly photograph teams in Park City, Heber Valley, Salt Lake and Utah County. Travel is included in Summit and Wasatch counties; Salt Lake and Utah counties have a $100 travel and setup fee, and other Utah locations are quoted per event.