Why Your Next Team Away Day Should Include Headshots

Most teams need updated headshots. Most teams never get round to it. An away day is the one time everyone's in the same place, in a good mood, and already dressed for it.

The scheduling problem, solved

If you've ever tried to book headshots for a team of ten, you know the pain. Diaries don't align. Someone's on leave. Someone else is in back-to-back meetings until Thursday. It drags on for weeks.

An away day sidesteps all of that. Everyone's already committed to being there. I set up my mobile studio in a quiet corner, and people rotate through during breaks or between sessions. Each person gets around ten minutes in front of the camera, and the day's schedule barely notices.

People actually enjoy it

This surprises organisers more than anything. On a normal Tuesday, asking someone to have their photo taken feels like a chore. On an away day, it feels like part of the event.

The energy is different. People are relaxed, chatting, laughing. They've been out of the office, doing something together, and that looseness shows in their expressions. I get better photographs on away days than I do in most office sessions, because people aren't thinking about the inbox waiting for them.

I guide every expression, so even the people who say "I hate having my photo taken" walk away surprised by how painless it was.

Consistency across the team

One of the biggest problems with team headshots is the patchwork effect. Someone had theirs done two years ago with a different photographer. Someone else used a holiday snap. The new starter hasn't got one at all.

When I photograph the whole team on the same day, with the same lighting and the same backdrop, you get a set of images that actually look like they belong together. Same quality, same feel, same professional standard across the board. That matters on your website, your LinkedIn company page, and your internal communications.

What I bring (and what you don't need to worry about)

I bring everything: backdrop, lighting, and all the kit. I don't need a huge room. A quiet corner with a bit of ceiling height is enough. No one needs to leave the venue, and there's nothing for your organiser to set up or take down.

After the session, I send a gallery of edited images within two working days. Each person picks their favourites, and that's it. Done.

Making it work on the day

A few practical things that help:

Give people a rough time slot so they're not all queuing at once. Late morning and early afternoon tend to work best, when energy levels are up. If your away day has a dress code, mention that headshots are happening so people bear it in mind. And if someone really doesn't want to be photographed, that's fine. No pressure.

Most sessions like this fit into a half-day or full-day team package. I'll work around your agenda, not the other way round.

Thinking about adding headshots to your next away day?

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