We all dread it, the boss announces that the photographer is coming in to do new headshots for everyone, and the apprehension will be pretty unanimous. Not many of us are overly happy to have a camera pointed at us and told to ‘say cheese’, and even fewer of us are able to conjure a natural smile on demand. These days, it’s not even as if the dreaded photo will only be stuck on a board in the office, it will be used on the likes of LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus to mention but a few.  Instead of the usual ‘head and shoulders, at a slight angle to the camera and grimace’ photo, how about using the necessity of having corporate headshots as an opportunity show off the personality of your company and staff?

Professional Headshots People do business with people, show who you are.

Having professional corporate shots doesn’t have to be boring, why not shake things up a little? Every business needs them, so why not use yours to show what you’re really about. If your business is bright, fun and colourful, why not have some fun with the headshots and show some personality? For example, if you’re a nursery or pre-school, why not take photos of the staff in action? Get them on the slide or the swing, showing their fun side! Those in a creative industry will have much more leeway with this, able to incorporate aspects of their profession in the shots. Of course, this will not always be appropriate, an accountant on a swing or a solicitor on a slide would not give the right impression, but these need not be boring either. These days more and more photographers are taking corporate headshots out on location, a nice country house or simply a picturesque location make a great backdrop for the more serious business categories.

Make the best of what you have

Even taking the photos in a natural working environment can yield much better, more relaxed results. Having everyone doing as they usually do not only enables the photographer to capture them naturally, it will also put everyone more at ease and will give a great snapshot of them actually doing their job. You would be amazed how quickly people forget that the photographer is even there as they go about their usual tasks! A good photographer will see opportunities for great shots everywhere, a hallway, stairwell, a window with a great view or simply a colourful wall, all make great backdrops for a corporate shot.

Choose a great photographer

Most photographers are very passionate about what they do and will be just as uninspired by a plain ‘sit in front of a screen’ headshot as those asked to sit for one! Meet with a few different photographers, tell them about your business and see what they have to say, what ideas they have. Most will get terribly excited at the opportunity to do something different and the ideas should come thick and fast. Perhaps just as importantly, choose a photographer you and your team ‘click’ with. A photoshoot, even one for corporate headshots, should still be a fun experience, and the right photographer will ensure it is so.