I know that there are many Administrative Professionals and Human Resource Directors tasked with finding a photographer for their company's employees headshots. I know this because I speak with several of them every week. The conversations always start with what what they are looking for, how many people will be participating, where they would like their images taken, what deliverables they are looking for, and finally, the cost. Those questions are all very important when choosing someone to work with the employees of their company. But they aren't the only thing that should be considered when choosing a photographer for your employee's newest corporate image.
Hiring a photographer can be daunting. There are so many to choose from. How do know you that you are going to hire the perfect one that will strike the perfect balance between making your job easier AND make your employees happy.
Well, I can't speak for other photographers but I have learned a few things that might help you out if you are ever in the position of hiring a photographer for your company.
1. Show them examples of what you want and ask to see recent samples of work. Headshot photography is something that looks easy but isn't. I recently had a company tell me the exact camera settings to use, color backdrop, and even posing angles that they needed in order to match the company aesthetic on their website. I appreciated the clarity of their request and knew that I would able to duplicate the look they needed. Without that clarity I would have not been able to give them what they needed.
2. You need someone who can work well with all the different kinds of personalities in your company. You know that you have people who are very particular, others who are overly casual, and even some that won't want to participate in a headshot session at all. The personality of the photographer you choose is so important. If you don't get a good, comfortable vibe from them from the first conversation, find someone else. Really. Don't waste your time on a photographer who can't move a conversation along or put you at ease. If they can't do it with you they won't be able to do it with your employees.
Why is personality important? Because your photographer is going to have limited time to capture the desired image. If they can't make anyone feel comfortable quickly, then you are going to get stiff looking images. No one wants that. Want great images? You need someone who can bring out a person's best in about 3 minutes. That is hard to find.
3. The photographer you hire needs to make your life easy. A big part of that is fielding employee questions. With all my corporate clients I offer to interact with employees directly when it comes to the proofing, retouching, and delivery process. You probably don't want to field multiple calls from Suzie in marketing asking if the photographer can make her look 15 pounds lighter. I am happy to talk to Suzie. Employees have my contact information and I am available to them to take care of their questions and requests. But on the other hand if a company wants me to work directly through my contact with no access to the employees, that is fine too.
4. The photographer you higher needs to be transparent with their process and timelines for proofing, retouching, and delivery. These things should be communicated with you clearly before the session so everyone knows what to expect.
A photographer's number 1 goal should be to create great images of the person on the other end of the camera. But I have found my number 2 goal when working with my corporate clients is to make my contact's job as easy as possible with it comes to the process of scheduling, planning, and delivering the images that I take.
If you are planning headshots for your company I would love to talk to you about how I can make you and your employees look great.
Fill out the form below and let's connect.