On-Location Studio Preparation Guide

Space & Setup Guidelines

To help us create consistent, professional headshots at your location, please reserve an appropriate area for our temporary photography studio. The following guidelines will help us work efficiently and produce the best possible results. As these recommendations below are best, we understand some spaces can be tight and we know how to adjust to many situations.

Recommended Space

  • Approximately 12' x 12' of clear floor space is ideal for our photography setup.

  • A slightly larger room is always helpful, particularly when photographing a larger number of employees.

  • The space should be cleared of tables, chairs, boxes, and other furniture whenever possible.

  • We need enough distance between the photographer, subject, background, and lighting equipment.

Lighting

  • A room with little or no window light is preferred.

  • Interior rooms, conference rooms, training rooms, or similar spaces generally work very well.

  • If the room has windows, blinds or shades that can be controlled are helpful.

  • We prefer overhead lighting that can be turned off or controlled during the photography session.

  • We bring our own professional studio lighting and do not rely on the room's existing lighting.

Electrical

  • If you're scheduled for 2 to 3 hours, electrical outlets are not a huge concern. If the shoot is a little longer, we may need to charge batteries and laptops throughout the day.

Room & Background Considerations

  • High ceilings are helpful but not required.

  • Please avoid extremely small offices, narrow hallways, or rooms with fixed conference tables that cannot be moved.

  • An area with minimal foot traffic is preferable so employees can be photographed without interruption or feeling observed.

Employee Waiting & Staging Area

  • If several people are being photographed, having a small waiting or staging area nearby is very helpful.

  • We recommend sending employees to the photography area according to a scheduled time or in small groups rather than having everyone arrive at once.

  • A nearby restroom or mirror is helpful for last-minute hair, clothing, and appearance checks.

Access & Setup

  • Please allow us access to the photography area before the first scheduled headshot so we can unload, set up, test lighting, and prepare the studio. Typically 20 minutes is plenty of time.

  • For certain shoots, we can take advantage of using online tools during photo selections. If you have available Wi-Fi please let us know.

  • Easy access for unloading equipment is appreciated. Please let us know about elevators, stairs, loading docks, parking restrictions, security checkpoints, or special building-access requirements.

  • Once the studio is set up, we prefer to leave the equipment in place until all scheduled photography is complete.

Ideal Locations

Spaces that usually work particularly well include:

  • Conference rooms

  • Training rooms

  • Large private offices

  • Interior meeting rooms

  • Empty office suites

  • Multipurpose rooms

  • Lobbies or reception areas during low-traffic periods

Before We Arrive

If you are unsure whether a particular room will work, feel free to send us a few cell-phone photos of the space ahead of time. We are happy to review it and make recommendations before the photography day.

Our goal is to make the process easy for your staff while creating professional, consistent headshots that represent your organization well.

Typical Setup Diagram