Yesterday, two days of portrait shooting came to an end, and I really enjoyed them. An agency had invited me to do employee portraits – a whole team, all of whom were to get a consistent, high-quality look for the website, LinkedIn and the press. Here’s a quick look behind the scenes, because a few things about it are typical of business shoots.
The problem: low ceilings – in every branch
I like working with flash. My standard setup for business portraits is two flashes: a large softbox as the main light and a narrow strip-light softbox that adds a fine rim of light to shoulders and hair from behind. Normally, the main softbox sits well above eye level and points slightly downward – that gives this calm, natural light.
The rooms on site, however, were pretty low. The softbox couldn’t go as high as I usually set it. And that’s not an isolated case: the company has several branches, and the ceilings at the other locations are probably just as low. That’s exactly why the setup wasn’t about the perfect light for this room, but about a setup that I can reproduce exactly anywhere – same distances, same heights, same power settings, same background. That’s the only way the portraits from branch A and branch C end up looking all of a piece.
The setup
- Background: a burgundy fabric backdrop – warm, elegant, and it stands out from the usual grays and whites.
- Light: main light in a large softbox, as high as the ceiling allows; strip light as a rim light from behind at an angle. Both settings noted down so they can be set again at every location.
- Focal length: 85mm – the classic portrait focal length. Natural proportions, a comfortable distance to the person, a soft background.
- Tethering: The camera was connected by cable directly to Lightroom. Every picture appeared on the monitor seconds later – already with the final preset applied, not as a flat raw image.
Why tethering makes such a difference at team shoots
The thing that changed the day the most: every employee could see their own picture immediately, just as it will later look on the website. Anyone who feels uncomfortable in front of the camera relaxes as soon as a good picture is on the screen. And we marked the favorites right there on site – that saves the “Which one shall we use?” email loop afterwards, and the selection is practically done before I’ve packed up the studio.
The result: a team in a good mood, everyone happy with their portrait, and a look that stays the same across all locations.
And on the side
Between the portraits, we also photographed a few relaxed group scenes in the building – colleagues at work, in conversation, in the stairwell – and, to finish, a group photo of the whole team. Pictures like these complement the portraits perfectly: on the website and on social media, you don’t just need heads, but also a feel for what it’s like at the company. I’m working on the edit right now.
Employee portraits for your company?
If you need consistent employee photos for your company, practice or agency – individually, as a series across several locations or with group and work scenes as well – get in touch. I’m a photographer in Dresden, but I’m happy to bring the complete setup to you anywhere in Saxony and beyond. What exactly happens at a business shoot and what it costs is on the service page; one example from practice is the team at Car Service Schmidt.