How to get your company ready for your corporate shoot
A company’s greatest asset is in reality the employees that they employ. After all, you could have the most amazing product or service but at the end of the day if the staff that represent you as a company don’t meet up to expectations in any way then it can spell disaster. You should obviously expect the best possible work and standards from them and for them to make their very best effort every day. One of these standards is to present themselves in a suitable and professional way and there is no time for this to be at the front of your mind when it comes to having some new company personnel or marketing photographs taken.
Whatever the reason you’re having these photographs taken, whether it be for marketing purposes on the website or just for your own company records, it’s a process that requires more planning and organization than you would think, and if you fail to do so before the day itself, you could find yourself spending more time organizing on the day resulting in either hurried or more expensive shoots. So how do you prepare your staff for the big day? Well let’s take a look at a few industry tips on preparing your company for the big day and keep time and money that is spent on it as low as possible.
The day
On the day itself it may feel like the whole world is crashing down on you at once, with multiple different departments all getting together and organizing all the different kinds of shot and what their purpose will be, who will be going first, and all of the other associated tasks will leave a good deal of your workforce either out of action due to them being required for the shoot or from them being unable to fully complete work related tasks due to another colleague who is vital to their work and is absent for the shoot. With all this considered it’s probably best that you try to book as early a slot as possible as this time that is spent not working equates to money lost for your company.
There are a number of other benefits to booking as early a slot as possible, for example your staff will be fresh, alert and not only ready for the shoot but also for the day’s work afterward. After having completed their morning routine only hours (or minuets dependent on how early your staff wake up in the morning) will also mean that they look their best for the shoot and in turn this will produce the best quality of photographs. The earlier the session is booked, the more time that your staff will have to complete their day’s work when the shoot is all wrapped up.
The why
As with everything, in order to make the process both as smooth and a cheap [as humanly possible you will need to have a very clear idea of what you need and where it will be used. Generally photographers are paid by the hour and if you take a very long time, to-ing and froing and generally wasting time on the day, you will find that his services will rack up an increasingly substantial bill. There is also the fact that he may also have other professional and personal commitments he has to keep and may not be fully able to extend his time indefinitely because you don’t know how you’re going to work that picture of Andrea from accounts into the new brochure.
Obviously it helps a great deal to find a professional, well reviewed photographer who is experienced in shooting corporate headshot photography, choosing somebody who will already have a clear idea of the kinds of shots you are looking for will make the process a whole lot smoother. It will also help to sit down with the people responsible for creating the new materials and brainstorm generally around the message that you are trying to impart, what the purpose of the new materials is and who you want appeal to. For example, you may want to think about the service your products you offer and set up a demonstration scene. Then again you may just be looking for headshots to use for the website’s “about us” section to give potential clients an idea of who they are going to be working with should they choose you.