As a company, having portrait photos taken of a large number of employees for the website not only has an effect on the outside, but also on the inside. The person in front of the camera feels noticed, they are not “just” a personnel number. Having employee portraits taken is therefore also employee motivation.
Portrait photography is a win-win situation for both sides: the company has up-to-date photos of its employees to present to the outside world and the person in front of the camera feels valued and comfortable with their personal snapshot.
Tips for preparing employee portraits
When planning employee photos, there are a few things to consider in order to realize their full potential.
- How do I get everyone to an appointment?
- Which background is suitable?
- How much time per person do I need to allow?
- What do I need to think about in terms of hairstyle and clothing?
- Are the time and cost of make-up appropriate?
- Which location or room is best suited
- Who judges the finished photos afterwards and releases them?
- How quickly can new photos be taken in the same look?
- Which image format is best? Portrait, landscape, square?
A specific case: For an employee shoot at the Nezabudka kindergartens and crèches with four locations in Frankfurt, the best solution was to photograph all the people in front of a white background under controlled and therefore repeatable lighting conditions and to place the shots in a separately recorded background during image processing.
Clarify date and location
There were four dates in the four different locations, so that there were enough alternative dates available. Employees organized themselves. The person who had just finished was the one who informed the next candidate.
Image background
Four different backgrounds are associated with the four facilities, which are characteristic of the respective kindergarten. Each background is an authentically chosen location in the kindergarten. It would have been impossible to do the photo shoot at the location for the ideal background because the rooms are all used during the day.
I photographed the background shortly before the end of the day when all the children had been picked up and the rooms were empty. It was important to me to use the same lighting mood and to ensure a calm, slightly blurred and rather bright image section. Bright and warm colors are an expression of security and that is the mood that the kindergarten radiates. Parents with the next generation of children are the core target group, but so are nursery school teachers who are looking for a new employer.
In this image concept, the background stands for the identity and connection to the respective kindergarten, the clothing is individual.
Take your time
It is generally advisable to schedule the shoot with enough free time in your diary so that there is no stress, which you can then see on your face in the photo. It has proven to be a good idea to plan around 20 minutes per person for the shoot, especially as we discussed the photos directly on the computer. This also made it possible to directly implement various alternatives with the hair or facial expressions. All the photos are therefore a joint effort, so that every employee had the feeling of having a good photo.
Hairstyle and clothing
Basically, it is important that the person in front of the camera is happy with their hair, otherwise the photo can never be satisfactory. The choice of dates was based on the fact that everyone had the chance to go to the hairdresser.
It is advisable to dress as you would in everyday life, perhaps a touch more chic. If it is possible to bring alternative items of clothing to the photo shoot – so much the better. The decisive factor is always that the person in front of the camera feels comfortable, because only then can they take on this aura. This “nuance chicer” is an expression of “I care that I am being photographed here. I’m all about it and I stand by it. I am who I am.”
Make-up
The attitude to make-up is very individual. The vast majority of nursery staff generally use very subtle make-up, so that each of them has taken responsibility for it. Basically, make-up is a psychological factor that should not be underestimated. Most women feel more attractive with subtle make-up and radiate this. Most men appreciate it when shiny spots on the forehead disappear.
Location
The movement room was the best place for the photo shoot in all four facilities because the space and shooting distance were sufficiently large, the lighting conditions were controllable and the room was absolutely quiet on the day. Taking photos in a protected environment without spectators is more relaxed for everyone involved.
Image release
Each employee selected the best picture from a series of 20 to 40 photos together with me on site. The spontaneous good feeling is always a good guide to the best picture. The tethered shoot, i.e. taking photos directly into the computer, is extremely valuable for discovering important details immediately: Hair that is out of place, jewelry that shows under the blouse, wrinkles in the clothes and so on.
Post-shooting
Because the lighting setup is logged and can be restored, new series of recordings can be made anytime and anywhere. The topic becomes relevant when new employees are hired.
Image formats remain variable
Producing the photos as “cut-outs” has the advantage that not only the background but also the aspect ratio of the photos remains variable. The square format for the website was specified, but the photos can also be used in landscape or portrait format for social media.
Conclusion
The process of being photographed is at least as important as the result. Employee portraits bring about an examination of one’s own identity and affiliation to the company or to a specific department or group within the company. Being photographed can definitely contribute to strengthening the sense of community. The uniform background in the photo allows both the individuality of each person and their identity with the company to be expressed.
