As a company, having portrait photos of employees taken 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 made is therefore also an 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 a large number of employee photos, there are a few things to bear in mind to avoid unnecessary waiting times.
- Who agrees to have their photo on the website?
- Is there a date when everyone can come?
- Which room is suitable and offers the right background?
- 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?
- Who approves the finished photos?
- How quickly can new photos be created 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 consent
First of all, consent to the publication of employee photos is mandatory and must be in writing. In companies with flat hierarchies, obtaining consent is rarely a problem – quite the opposite. I have also experienced that the photo shoot was a welcome prelude to celebrating oneself with champagne and a cake buffet.
Find an appointment
Once the basic requirements had been clarified, a suitable time frame had to be found in which as many teachers as possible would be present. The shoot was not to take place during the lunch break, but during normal operations. There was one time slot for each of the four locations and an average of 8 portrait shots, either early in the morning or in the afternoon.
During the shoot, the employees organized themselves – the person who had just finished would let the next candidate know.
Image background
Four different backgrounds are associated with the four facilities, which are characteristic of the respective kindergarten in terms of shape and color. Each background is an authentically chosen location in the kindergarten. The photo shoot would have been impossible in the location with the most optimal background because this room has to be used during the day. There were no good alternatives, because the minimum requirements for a room are 3 meters wide and at least 4 meters long. The challenge of finding the right location prompted me to photograph the portraits in front of white, independently of the background, and to bring them together later in the image processing.
I photographed the backgrounds in several variations shortly before closing time when the rooms were empty.
It was important to me to use the same lighting mood at the same time of day in all the facilities. The type of background should be similar, but not the same, in order to preserve the individuality. A calm, bright and slightly blurred image section is best suited. Bright and warm colors are an expression of security. This is the mood that should be conveyed in the employee portraits.
In this image concept, the background represents the identity and connection to the respective kindergarten, while the person’s clothing is individual.
Take your time
It is generally advisable to schedule the photos with enough free space in your diary so that there is no stress. You can see it on your face in the photo!
It has proven to be a good idea to plan around 20 minutes per person for the portrait shoot, especially as we looked at and 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 will never be satisfactory. A lot of lead time was allowed for when choosing the date so that everyone had the chance to go to the hairdresser.
I recommend choosing clothes that you would wear 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.
Set recording 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. In a protected environment without spectators, photography is more relaxed for everyone involved.
Image release
Each employee selected the best picture from a series of around 20 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 clothing and so on. The approval of the finished photo, including basic retouching and a mounted background, was then a mere formality.
Post-shooting
When new employees are hired, new photos must also be taken. Because the lighting setup is logged and can be restored, new employee portraits can be taken at any time. The new photos fit seamlessly into an existing picture gallery on the kindergarten’s website.
Advantages of the variable image format
Producing the photos in front of white as “clipping” has the advantage that not only the background but also the aspect ratio of the employee portraits 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 or future purposes. A good camera resolution is recommended in order to capture fine details and hair in focus and to have resources for cropping.
Conclusion
Not only the result, but also the experience of being photographed is enormously important. Employee portraits bring about an examination of one’s own identity and affiliation to the company or to a certain group within the company. The photo shoot definitely helps to strengthen the sense of community. The final image impression is the same for all photos, regardless of the status of the person or the time of the shot, the location or the background. The image concept of photography under controlled conditions and subsequent photomontage allows both the individuality of each person and their identity with the company to be expressed.
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