If your team dreads “picture day,” you don’t have a photography problem—you have a process problem. As producers, we’ve learned that a smooth headshot day is 80% planning and 20% pixels. Here’s a practical, field-tested playbook you can hand to HR, Marketing, or Office Ops to make on-site headshots fast, friendly, and disruption-free.
1) Define Success in One Paragraph (and share it)
Alignment beats aesthetics. Send a one-paragraph brief that answers:
- Style: Clean white? Corporate gray? Brand-color gradient? Environmental office background?
- Framing: Chest-up? Head-and-shoulders?
- Expression: Confident + approachable (micro-smile) unless otherwise specified.
- Usage: LinkedIn, website bios, press kits, security badges, Teams/Slack, email signatures.
- Retouching policy: Natural polish (flyaways, lint, temporary blemishes) but no “face swapping.”
Pro tip: Include 3–4 approved reference images so everyone sees the same target.
2) Location & Setup: Choose Speed Over Novelty
Pick a spot that reduces foot traffic and glare.
- Ideal room: 12’×18’ or larger, controllable lighting, 2 outlets, 1 table, 2 chairs.
- Backgrounds: Collapsible neutral gray (most versatile), white seamless for a bright tech look, or branded wall if consistent.
- Lighting: A soft key + fill + hair light creates consistent, flattering results across skin tones and glasses.
- Throughput target: 6–10 people per 15 minutes (individuals rotate every 2–3 minutes).
Contingency: If the space is tight, we can run a compact two-light setup and match your brand look with AI-assisted background consistency in post.
3) Scheduling That Actually Works
Give micro-appointments; avoid cattle calls.
- Cadence: 2–3 min per person, book in 15-minute blocks of 6–7 people.
- Priority lanes: Executives first hour, sales/field staff in windows between calls, remote drop-ins near midday.
- No-show buffer: Every hour, hold 10 minutes for floaters and late arrivals.
Sample 90-Minute Block
- 0:00–0:10 Warm-up & test shots
- 0:10–0:55 Team A (18–22 people)
- 0:55–1:05 Buffer/Resets
- 1:05–1:30 Team B (12–15 people)
4) What to Send Your Team (copy/paste email)
Subject: Quick headshot session — your 3-minute slot
Hi team,
We’re updating headshots on [date] in [room]. Your 3-minute window is below. Please arrive 5 minutes early.
Wardrobe:
- Solids beat patterns; avoid ultra-bright whites if we’re using a white background.
- Bring a backup jacket/top.
- Glasses wearers: clean lenses; we’ll light to reduce glare.
- Grooming: light powder or oil blotter helps everyone.
- If you prefer a specific pronoun or name format for your title card, reply here.
On camera: We’ll take 6–10 frames, you’ll pick your favorite on-site. Natural, confident, approachable.
Schedule:
- [Name] – 10:00a
- [Name] – 10:03a
- [Name] – 10:06a
…
If you miss your slot, swing by during the buffer times listed on the door.
Thanks!
—[Coordinator name]
5) Wardrobe & Grooming Guidelines (bullet version to print on the door)
- Solids in mid-tones; avoid tight stripes, high-contrast checks, or loud logos.
- Necklines that frame the face (blazers, collared shirts, simple blouses).
- Jewelry minimal; watches okay.
- Hair as you wear it most days; bring a comb/brush.
- Beards: trim the morning of.
- Shine control: we provide blotting papers and transparent powder for all skin tones.
6) Day-Of Flow: 6 Steps to Keep It Moving
- Check-in & name card (we print preferred name/pronouns if desired).
- Quick lint roll + glasses clean (provided).
- Pose coaching: shoulders 15–30° off camera, chin slightly forward/down, micro-smile.
- Capture: 6–10 frames with minor angle/height adjustments.
- Immediate review on calibrated tethered monitor; choose favorite + backup.
- Log selection via QR code linked to your roster (name → file number).
Accessibility ready: Seated portraits available; step-free space and schedule flexibility included.
7) Remote & New-Hire Continuity (so your grid stays consistent)
- Traveling or hybrid staff: We provide a match-kit (background + lighting recipe) or book them in our studio—same look, same retouch.
- AI-assisted background matching: When on-site constraints vary, we normalize the backdrop and light falloff in post for a seamless team page.
- New hires: Pre-reserve a 20-minute mini-session on their first week or the first Thursday of each month.
8) Retouching Policy That Builds Trust
- Always: lint, flyaways, temporary blemishes, minor shine, under-eye fatigue.
- Never by default: altering permanent features, body shape, or age.
- Glasses reflections: removed while preserving natural catchlights.
- Turnaround: same-day selects; standard retouch 3–5 business days (rush available).
We log every edit class for compliance and consistency.
9) File Delivery, Naming, and DAM Hygiene
- Naming:
Lastname_Firstname_Title_Department_YYYYMMDD.ext - Variants: Full-res TIFF/JPEG; web-ready JPEG; square crop; LinkedIn/Teams aspect.
- Color: sRGB for web, Adobe RGB/CMYK on request for print.
- Delivery: Branded gallery with per-person download links + master zip for Marketing.
- Rights: Company internal marketing use, unlimited duration (custom licenses available).
10) Metrics: Proving ROI to Stakeholders
Track these to make next year’s approval a formality:
- Participation rate (target ≥95%).
- Average session time/person (target ≤3 min).
- Reshoot requests (target ≤3%).
- Time-to-publish headshot grid (target ≤7 business days).
- Recruiting impact: updated headshots correlate with higher LinkedIn InMail response and careers page engagement (measure CTR pre/post).
11) Risk & Contingency Plan (because things happen)
- Backup camera + lenses on site; dual card recording.
- Power: battery + AC options; surge protection.
- Data: tethered capture to encrypted SSD + mirrored backup.
- If the room changes: compact kit ready in 10 minutes; we rebuild the look from our lighting recipe.
- If someone hates photos: two quick coaching cues + a 30-second redo later in the day.
12) Your 30-Minute Floor Plan (fits most offices)
Minute 0–5: Arrive, room clear, power run, background up.
5–10: Lights placed, test subject, white balance/profile lock.
10–20: First 3–5 people; confirm throughput.
20–25: Micro-adjustments; confirm selection logging.
25–30: Buffer; invite floaters; quick cable tidy.
13) What We Bring (so you don’t have to think about it)
- Backgrounds (neutral gray, white; brand-color option on request)
- 3-point lighting with modifiers + flags for glare control
- Tethered capture + calibrated display for on-site selects
- Lint rollers, oil blotters, mirror, combs, clips, dress tape
- QR roster system and printed signage (arrow wayfinding + schedule)
Final Thoughts
A frictionless headshot day is a gift to your team and a brand investment that pays dividends across every channel. With tight scheduling, a friendly flow, and a consistent visual standard, you’ll get authentic portraits—without hijacking everyone’s calendar.
About St Louis Headshots
Since 1982, St Louis Headshots has supported businesses, marketing firms, and creative agencies across the St. Louis region with full-service commercial photography and video production. We bring the right equipment and a seasoned creative crew for successful, efficient image acquisition—on location or in our private studio. We offer studio and location video and photography, editing and post-production, and licensed drone pilots (including specialized indoor flight for safe, dynamic office B-roll). We can customize productions for diverse media requirements and repurpose your photography and video branding to gain more traction across web, social, and sales enablement. We’re well-versed in all file types, styles, and professional software, and we leverage the latest AI tools for consistent backgrounds, natural retouching, and fast delivery—while preserving authenticity. Our private studio lighting and visual setup is perfect for small productions and interview scenes, with ample space to incorporate props and set dressing. From setting up a private, custom interview studio to supplying professional sound and camera operators—and providing the right equipment end-to-end—we support every aspect of your production to ensure your next headshot or video project is seamless and successful.
314-913-5626
Mike Haller
Studio: 4501 Mattis Road St. Louis, MO 63128
St Louis Headshots 