Organizing a company-wide headshot day sounds straightforward until you're the one managing 30 calendar invites, a photographer who needs a room booked, and half the team who forgot what time their slot was. This guide covers how to plan it so it actually runs smoothly.
Before you book: what to figure out first
Studio or on-location?
For teams of any significant size, on-location is almost always better. Pulling people away from the office for half a day costs more in lost productivity than the modest premium a studio charges for travel. At SpeedyHeadshots, we come to you — within Toronto, travel is included at no extra charge.
How long will it take?
Allow roughly 20 minutes per person for a standard headshot session. Add 30 minutes at the start for setup and 30 minutes at the end for teardown. So a team of 10 needs a 4.5-hour window. A team of 20 needs a full day. Teams of 30+ often run across two days or we book a day-rate flat session.
| Team size | Time needed | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 4–9 people | Half day | $175/person |
| 10–19 people | Full day | $150/person |
| 20+ people | Full day or split | $125/person |
| 25+ people | Full day (flat) | $2,750 day rate |
Setting up the schedule
The scheduling template we send is simple: 20-minute slots throughout the day, each person books their own. Send the link out to your team 1–2 weeks in advance and give a deadline for booking. Stragglers will happen — build a 15-minute buffer after every 5 people.
A few things that make it run better:
- Stagger the start times of senior leadership — if your CEO's slot runs over, the whole day backs up. Book them early.
- Tell people exactly what to wear in advance. We include a prep brief in our booking confirmation that you can forward to the team. The more people read it, the faster sessions run.
- Book a backup room. Things spill over. Having a second quiet space means wardrobe changes and waiting don't clog the shoot room.
What space do we need?
A standard meeting room works perfectly — roughly 3×4 metres minimum. We bring backdrop stands, two light stands, and a tethered laptop rig. We can also set up in a lobby, a corridor, or against a plain feature wall. We've worked in some very improvised spaces and always make it work.
What we handle: All the logistics — setup, teardown, scheduling template, prep brief for your team, and organized Google Drive delivery sorted by person. You just make sure people show up at their slot time.
What about remote team members?
Remote team members can book an individual studio session at any point after the shoot day. We maintain the same backdrop and lighting setup so their photos match the rest of the team. It's seamless and no one can tell the difference in the final delivery.
The checklist
- Confirm date and headcount with us — we'll send a quote
- Book a meeting room for the day (3×4m minimum)
- Forward the prep brief to your team
- Send the scheduling link, set a deadline for booking
- Confirm a point of contact on shoot day to help manage flow
- That's it — we handle everything else
Get a quote: Email us your headcount and preferred date. We'll confirm within a few hours. hi@speedyheadshots.com →