When it comes to taking portraits of team members (regardless of industry), there can often be, shall we say, a certain ‘resistance’ to the idea.
Often triggered by the official in-house reminder email doing the rounds, everyone has a number of days to overthink the situation and tell themselves all manner of reasons (excuses?) why they shouldn’t have to appear in front of the lens.
“I’m not photogenic”… “I never look good in front of the camera”… “I have too much work to be getting on with…” Do any of these sound familiar?
I’ve heard them all over the years. The irony is that it’s often those who protest the most who actually come across the best in their pictures!
Being photographed is not a natural act
I’m with you on this and I’m as reluctant to pose for a photographer as the next man. I know how I feel when someone implores me to ‘stand right there!’ or, worse still, ‘smile for the camera!’
So how do we get around the knee-jerk reactions and feelings of unease?
Whilst many photographers invite clients to visit their studio for their portraits, I do not. For one thing, I don’t have a studio! The truth is, this has never held me back and I’ve never had negative feedback from clients wishing that they could have taken time out of their busy working day to travel to one.
So here’s how I do it…
I will always travel to the client – and this actually works in their favour.
Let’s call it their home advantage
You see, the job of the photographer – much aside from actually taking the pictures – is to make his/her subject(s) feel relaxed. And by setting up a portrait session in the familiar surroundings of the client’s own office, breakout area, favourite spot outdoors etc, you immediately knock down one barrier of discomfort.
If products – or references to products and/or services – feature in the pictures, it’s also ideal that they’re readily to hand. People often feel more comfortable when given a familiar prop; having these close by also saves a lot of time.
5 top tips for a smooth-running portrait session
Distilled from the experience of many years and many photo shoots, here are just a few pointers that are proven to make a difference:
1. Clients should give the photographer as much background information about their requirements as possible, well in advance of the shoot date. The more detail, the better!
2. Ensure everything – and everyone – is on site in plenty of time, to avoid delays.
3. A ‘shot list’ of sorts can often work very well. Using one allows specific amounts of time to be allocated to each picture/setup if required, helping to keep things on track.
4. Consider the details. Creased shirts, messy hair, untidy backgrounds… all of these can stand out like a sore thumb in the final results, so be sure to give everything the once-over before any pictures are taken.
5. It’s a team effort! If everyone works together, things will move along more steadily. The result? Everyone’s happy, including the subjects – and this always shows in the pictures.
