How to take professional headshots in the comfort of your own home.
Have you ever wondered how you’re going to get updated headshots of the team for the website?
The problem you’ve got is they’re located everywhere - most are working remotely and the days when everyone is in the office are few and far between. To add to that, some team members are overseas.
This is now the new normal, and whilst it works well most of the time, it’s problematic when new headshots are needed for your website that’s being launched later in the year.
I’m going to take you through this exact scenario for a UK based company who faced the headshot dilemma - a step-by-step guide on how we got professional, consistent headshots even when the team were worldwide.
It’s so simple and ingenious - and a real game-changer!
Introducing virtual photography.
Yes, it’s now a thing - virtual photography.
I discovered it in lockdown 2020 and started playing with it.
This is different, I thought.
A unique, fun way to take someone’s photo remotely which, I’ll be honest, blew me away! The technology was new, and at the time, all you needed was an iPhone, good internet connection and natural light.
Simone - London
Willing models volunteered themselves to be photographed by their own phone in their own home - and I was beginning to see the potential that virtual photography could have for businesses.
If only some ingenious person could improve the technology, I thought.
At this point, image files were small - great for social media, not great for websites.
Fast forward two years - some ingenious person HAS improved the technology - and that ingenious person is Shutter Studio. They listened to photographers like me, and developed an app specifically for virtual photography so that images can be used everywhere - yes, even on websites and print.
Perfect, I thought. Onwards and upwards!
And so virtual photography was born.
How does virtual photography work?
Whilst the technology is mind-blowing - the shoot itself is so simple.
All we need is your mobile phone, natural light and a good internet connection.
On the day of your shoot, we’ll connect online via Shutterapp, and once connected, it’s like having me in the very same space that you’re in.
We can talk to each other, you can show me around the space - and once we’ve set your phone up in position, I take your photo with my iMac using the camera in your phone.
Bonkers, right? I know! But it’s ingenious - and so quick and convenient!
Once your shoot is over, I edit your images, put them in a gallery and they’re ready for viewing.
Benefits of virtual photography: quick and easy - really good fun - and images can be used wherever you need them - website, social media and print.
Virtual photography has turned the headshot problem on its head. No longer a gimmick - it’s become a problem solver for small and large businesses alike.
We need headshots but the team are worldwide.
This was the very challenge Sladen Consulting had - a challenge because their 65 consultants are worldwide. How are they going to get those headshots without asking each team member to find a headshot studio local to them? After all, headshots need to be consistent, and 65 individual studio headshots would not be cost effective.
Then Richard, Sladen founder, got wind of this thing called virtual photography.
Richard - co-founder Sladen Consulting
Curious, we had a conversation and in his words - it was a no-brainer.
We’re in, he said - let’s do it!
And so the planning began.
All I needed was contact details of each team member - names and mobile phone numbers.
Now I LOVE a system - so all 65 went on a spreadsheet and I set up separate WhatsApp chats for each one. Yep - 65 WhatsApp chats on my phone! But we all know how irritating it becomes to be part of a group and have your phone pinging night and day, right? So individual chats to plan and liaise everyone’s shoot was the best communication option. And still is.
“We’ll have the regular headshots, Anne - but we also want something different,” said Richard.
And so the storytelling headshots were born - and this is how we did them….
Planning the virtual shoots.
WhatsApp proved to be worth its weight in gold - a great communication tool to get us all talking, planning and excited for the shoot. And planning is key to the success of any shoot.
Prep for the shoots focussed on:
Jeremy - Dubai
Choosing a plain wall with good natural light
Sharing ideas for the storytelling headshot - including props and outfits
What to wear for the regular headshot
How to set your phone up on the day before we connect online
What happens on the day?
By now, everyone knew exactly how their virtual shoot was going to happen and what they needed.
Props and outfits were laid out on sofas, beds and chairs, a small mirror was on hand to check hair, make up etc - and phones were set up at eye level.
Let’s talk a little about setting up your phone.
Headshots need the phone to be at eye-level - and the simplest way to do this is to pull a table (or similar) over to the wall we’re going to use, and pile up books on top of each other until they’re at eye level.
Next, get a trainer (sneakers for our American friends), and place it on top of the books. Now wedge your phone into the heel part with the lens facing the wall and BOOM! We’re ready to go! That really is as technical as it gets your end. In the early days, I used phone tripods to support phones, but it’s only the trainer that allows for the tiniest of adjustment when I need the phone tilted slightly. So trainers became our new prop for the phone.
The set-up
Everything’s set up - all we need to do now are those last minute checks - which is usually moving your phone closer to the wall, adjusting the angle of your phone, and making sure we have enough natural light. Then all you need to do is stand in front of the wall and listen to my guidance and coaching to make sure we capture you at your very best.
Regular headshot completed - now for the storytelling headshot.
This is where you move out of shot, change outfit and bring the props in. Step back into shot and we’re ready to go - all we need to do is be creative with your props so that your story is complete.
It really is that simple - and that’s the power of storytelling headshots. They’re different. They show your human side, and they connect with people.
But storytelling aside, if you need headshots for your team, and it’s not practical to do them face-to-face - virtual photography is the way forward - but don’t take my word for it….
“Anne made the whole process of managing and executing the virtual headshots for the Sladen team completely painless. We have a team of 60 based all over the world and we wondered if we were trying to achieve the impossible in trying to get headshots for our new website. However, everything from the instructions we needed to follow, to the calendar management, and the actual individual shoots, was so clear and well thought out - and Anne is a delight to work with!”
Check out Sladen’s headshots on their website here - scroll down and click on any headshot to see how they’ve showcased each team member - and I think you’ll agree that it’s great to see the human side of a corporate headshot and learn a little about the person you’re thinking of working with.
To view Sladen’s gallery all in one place, click here.
I hope you’ve found this useful and hopefully it’s taken away the mystery of how virtual photography works, but more importantly, how it’s become a problem solver for many businesses.
In the meantime, until the next blog
Anne
I hope you’ve found this insightful, inspiring and even got you thinking that virtual photography may be the way forward for you.
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“It’s not until you take the time to listen to someone’s story that you begin to understand.
Our stories are the cornerstone of who we are - giving space for acceptance, clarity and vision which shine through all the photography experiences I create for business owners.”- Anne Thomas Brand Photographer