I had an absolute blast providing on-location headshots for the National Association of Career Women Port Huron Chapter at the Double Tree Inn! For those who may not know, the National Association of Career Women (NACW) is a nonprofit organization committed to enhancing women's personal and professional development.
It was an honor photographing these fabulous ladies and capturing their strength and beauty. We did 33 headshots in total, across two separate sessions during their monthly meetings. Looking back on the process, I wanted to share the strategic planning and, of course, the results of these headshot sessions.
The Preparation
In order to maximize efficiency, weeks prior I pre-scouted the location to determine the best way to set up. One thing I've learned about high volume photography is that you need to go into the day of photo session already familiar with the space and with a firm plan of action. If you wait until the actual day to figure out where and how to set up, you lose precious time, which is already limited. In this case, the hotel was more than willing to show me the layout of the event space and where the wall partitions would be placed. I made a mental layout of where I wanted to place my portable backdrop, studio light, and myself when taking the headshots. It was a bit of a balancing act: I needed to have enough room to work, out of the way of foot traffic as the ladies entered the room, but still within close enough vicinity that anyone could easily walk over during the meeting to get in line for their photo. Additionally, I made a mental note to point my flashing light away from the stage, so that it wouldn't disrupt the proceedings of the meeting.
These details are so important and, consequently, things I "nerd out" on.
The First Session
On the first day of our photo sessions, I arrived a good 45 minutes early in order to set up, and also to get a jump on photographing as many people as possible before the meeting actually started. Rather than having them sit for their headshot, I had each woman stand in the same pre-planned spot. This was a detail I'd mentally debated thoroughly. In past high volume sessions, I found that having the subject sit often caused a couple of potential issues: they either slouched ever so slightly (I do this myself, ha), or they over-corrected and arched their back. Either way, it affects the position of their shoulders in the headshot. Had this been a regular full session where we had more time to work together, correcting these minor issues would not have been a problem. But in a high volume situation, we needed to work more quickly. Simply having the ladies stand in the same spot and on a slight angle produced a natural posture more quickly.
I'd also brought along an aerobics platform for me to stand on. It elevated me just enough - about 12 inches - to provide a flattering angle for the ladies. It was also super easy for me to step up and off of. If you've ever had any physical limitations (hip, knee, balance, etc), you'll know how crucial it is to be able to change your angle safely and quickly during a photo session.
All in all, I'd say I averaged maybe 2 minutes with each fabulous subject, including a brief review of their resulting photos in camera with them so that they could tell me their favorite on the spot. I made sure to mark their selections in camera. One thing I've learned over the years is that everyone has their personal preferences when it comes to how they smile and additional tiny little quirks I'd never guess. While I think everyone is beautiful, it's better they tell me their favorite photo on the spot. Best to take the guesswork out of it, and it increases customer satisfaction.
The Second Session
A few days after that first session at their meeting, I was alerted to the fact that a number of women who had not been in attendance were hoping to still have their headshots taken. When they asked if I could return for a second headshot session at their next meeting the following month, I was more than happy to accommodate. The more, the better! We kept the set up the same, and it worked out perfectly.
The Aftermath
After everyone received their headshots in their private gallery via email, the requested revisions were very, very few. Given the number of headshots in a high volume situation, it's normal to have some requested changes, and it's never a problem for me to make the changes. It's just part of the fun process. In this case, I got far fewer requests than expected, actually.
This was such a fun experience. I also get a nerdy thrill when I see them update their headshots online. Getting the positive feedback from these ladies and seeing them use their updated professional headshot as a business asset reminds me of why I enjoy headshot photography so much.
It's such a confidence boost having a professional photo that you actually like of yourself, all while increasing trust with your existing and potential customer base.