How to plan an office headshot day.

Give each person time to settle in.

For the office headshots I photograph, my starting point is around 15 minutes per person. That gives us room to work on posture and expression and choose the photograph together. For a larger company, we can discuss a 10-minute pace if it fits the brief.

My role is to arrive, set up and photograph your team. I recommend choosing one person in the office to handle the roster, room access and appointment reminders. Employees can come at their assigned time rather than wait outside the room all morning.

Use the shorter schedule only after we agree on the setup and deliverables. Outfit changes, different backgrounds or several portrait styles need their own time allowance.

Prepare a conference room.

A conference room is a practical starting point. Send me a photograph of the room and explain how the furniture can be moved, so we can confirm that the space suits the lighting, background and framing you need.

I need approximately 45–60 minutes to set up the lights and background before the first employee arrives. Put that access time in the calendar separately from the first portrait appointment. Keep the room reserved through the final session and allow time to pack down afterward.

• Confirm who will provide access to the room and building.
• Check delivery access, elevators and any building paperwork ahead of time.
• Make room for the agreed setup and keep the space free of meetings during the shoot.
• Send your company’s background, crop and file requirements before the day.

What a 12-person morning could look like.

At 15 minutes each, 12 appointments need three hours of portrait time. The example below adds an hour for setup and a 15-minute buffer between groups. It is a planning example, not a promise of capacity for every assignment.

Keep a little flexibility for an employee whose meeting runs late. Ask the coordinator to manage swaps, so the photographer can stay focused on the person in front of the camera.

Choose the photograph immediately.

After photographing each employee, we look at the images together and choose the favorite right away. The employee can see their expression and framing before returning to work, and we leave with a clear selection for retouching.

If a marketing team needs final approval, agree on that process in advance. Confirm the number of finished photographs per employee, who receives the files and the delivery deadline in the proposal.

Send the headcount, location and intended use.

Tell me approximately how many people need portraits, where the office is, your preferred date and where the photographs will appear. A company directory, LinkedIn profile and leadership biography may need different crops. A few existing company portraits are useful references if the new images need to match.

Share the headshot wardrobe guide with employees before the day. Clean, pressed clothing and a clear company dress guideline help everyone arrive ready; they do not need to rehearse a pose.

Office headshot days are quoted for the assignment. The $400 and $650 individual studio packages are separate options, not per-person team rates.

Before you book the room.