How to engage your team and elevate your brand through photography
Lately, I have had the opportunity to work with many teams on their brand photography. Sometimes the team has a clear vision of exactly what they need. Or, they may they have a marketing team that provides everything from a shot list to a mood board. And sometimes they just know they NEED updated images, and together we build the brand vision from there.
“You knocked this out of the park… THANK YOU”
– Jessica, Whole Growth Partners
Regardless of the type of business, the amount of people on your team, or how much direction you have going into it… when you multiply the number of people involved in a photoshoot, it can complicate things.
3 Tips for a Successful Team Brand Session
1. Teams Change – Focus on the team ESSENCE
Many times clients have a vision of that one team image they need. You know the one – everyone standing there and smiling at the camera. However, teams change, people come and go, and you want your images to be as “evergreen” (marketing term for everlasting and not seasonal) as possible. Therefore, while I absolutely do capture that one big all-inclusive team photo, I ask my clients to keep in mind the overall brand essence that the team represents. It is important for me to have smaller groups posed and interacting so we share the idea of your team: your team working together, your team rocking out what makes you special.
So instead of the images saying: “This is our team, EXACTLY”
we say…
“We have a team. It’s great, this is how they work”. THOSE are the images that aren’t going to go out of date the minute there is an employee shift.
2. Coordinate- Don’t Match
When it comes to setting the wardrobe for your team photoshoot, here are my juiciest tips:
- Give team members a color palette to stay within. You may ask them to dress in neutrals, dress in blues/ greys/ black and white, or stay within brand colors. A cohesive, contemporary brand image has everyone coordinating, rather than matching.
- Let them know how formal to go. You won’t want one person in jeans and another in a suit. If it’s easier, pull together a brand inspiration board on pinterest and share that with the team to give them some ideas. I suggest dressing “one step up” from what you would typically wear to a business meeting or presentation. Add elegance, add accessories, and don’t be afraid to show yourself (and your team) in its highest light.
- Suggest they bring a couple of options, and make the final selection on shoot day. Once you have the wardrobe choices together in one room, you may find something is too bright and will pull focus, or something is the wrong shade from your brand colors. Offer to your team to bring their top two options and allow the photographer to make the final selection based on creating the strongest visual image.
3. Be Mindful of Atmosphere
Each business has a unique dynamic. Consider your company culture when planning photoshoot day. Do you want to make it a fun, celebratory atmosphere? Great! Play music, bring drinks, keep it social and we will have the schedule a little more fluid.
If, on the other hand, your company is more formal, or your employees are introverted or shy, consider having an organized schedule, and allow people to be photographed in private.
The more comfortable people are, the stronger the final images will be. In this way, we capture genuine interactions and expressions. So, where possible, allow your team to loosen up. Ideally, have a space where they can gather and interact, but also a private space for their actual individual images. While some may relish the party atmosphere, most of us are uncomfortable with having people watch while we are in front of a camera, so be mindful of that. You know your team best and can discuss with your photographer the best fit for your shoot.
Bonus – Allow Plenty of Time
Professional photography is an investment. Resist the urge to rush through this as something else on your to-do list. Even if you think it will only take a few minutes for each headshot, things happen and the more people involved, invariably issues will arise (i.e. someone will be late, someone will have a wardrobe issue, people will chat, someone will want to switch up their hair). Set the expectation that your brand photoshoot is an event everyone is doing together, and ask everyone to arrive 15 minutes early.
It’s also great to treat it as a team building event – go out to lunch or engage in a spontaneous happy hour to celebrate!
If you’re considering elevating your brand through images, I would love to connect and explore what a professional brand photography session for your team might look like!
