Tips From Our Experts

Your staff are your best source for photos

Press image from Gore

Depending on the size of your company and the kind of image you what to create, you can allocate different levels of resources to your photo budget. In some instances you might be able to hire an excellent, professional photographer. But other times you might have to take pictures yourself.

No matter what, it’s important to remember that when people are being photographed you have to make sure that the subject isn’t stressed. Here are a few tips to take into consideration to get the best pictures:

Identify your contact people

Identify those people in the company who are going to be photographed. Think about all the different sides of each department in the company. For example, not every picture has to include the management group. It can be useful to have pictures of people from customer services, sales, development engineers, professors and buyers, etc., if they are occasionally contacted by the media.

Avoid office lamps

The majority of pictures taken of employees are taken in the office where the lighting isn’t exactly flattering. Make sure, then, that you take pictures outside or in a room inside that is lit by natural light. If you take pictures outside, it’s important to keep the person in the centre of the frame and not let the surroundings take up too much of the picture.

Arrange to take pictures after lunch

People have hopefully woken up properly after lunch, had a cup coffee and got their energy back. This is the time to take photographs. If you’re taking pictures outside, remember not to take photographs into direct sunlight as the sun tends to create heavy shadows.

Press image from
Djurens rätt

Set aside plenty of time – and then a little bit more

A common mistake is to only allow 5 minutes for each person to be photographed. It’s actually often better to allow 10-15 minutes per person as a bit of extra time usually yields better pictures. The extra time means the photographer and subject don’t feel stressed. Stress often shows in a picture. Remember: it takes a bit of time for most people to get used to being in front of the camera.

Leave “the subject” in peace

Let everyone have their own time with the photographer, whether it’s you or someone else taking the pictures. If a person already feels a bit uncomfortable with being photographed, they’ll feel even more so if colleagues are watching.

Avoid cliché backgrounds

Create unique portraits by avoid backgrounds that everyone’s seen before. If your company profile is to be service-minded, your pictures need to reflect this. Or why not take the pictures where the staff are working in situ, or outside with the company logo visible in the background.

If your company is young and creative, be creative with your pictures! Try taking pictures of staff holding the products you make, or something that symbolizes what they do. Funny, attractive and welcoming contact pictures often help companies attract new customers. For example, see above.

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