Last month, we had the joy of working with a local attorney group, Stutes and Lavergne to freshen up their website and marketing campaigns with some new photography images!  We had the joy of working with 3B&E Marketing (our downtown Lake Charles neighbors) who connected us with the law office to begin working on their photoshoot.

For efficiency with both the attorneys and their time away from the office, as well as the final planned shot (a group image of the entire team in front of their office on Broad Street), we brought the studio to them for their individual headshots and set up in their conference room.  With this plan, it kept each session per subject to under 20 minutes.

After a conference call with Kerri (3B&E) and Brittany (Stutes and Lavergne's marketing and photoshoot contact), I visited their office the day prior to the photography shoot to determine where the best set up area would be for my portable studio setup.  I was able to assess the lighting inside and out to determine where the group photo would be done, and to confirm the headshot background to be used, as well as how and when we would pull each attorney the following morning.  

My personal preference tends to be with any subjects that are "extra anxious" about having their portrait taken, we start with them first.  This allows us to naturally have the most of that twenty minute time frame still available for any that are nervous, and if time runs over on one or two, the last subjects of the group will typically have quicker success and thus finishing in less time!

My final continuous suggestion when planning these type of sessions is one I strongly urge to not be adjusted:  capturing the group picture last.

I cannot stress this enough when planning for any marketing or promotional business photography sessions with your photographer!  I use the analogy of a blind date always!   Headshots with your photographer are typically just that - a blind date for you both!  So to get out all of the initial wiggles and fidgets involved in becoming comfortable in front of the camera, it is so much more efficient to connect when there are only two variables in the one-to-one photoshoot.  A few minutes later when I have directed and positioned them and they have viewed the final images, we have worked out any personal concerns they had.  Everyone always feels MUCH better and comfortable about my photography style and direction, as well as TRUSTING that it works!

Capturing everyone individually before any group sized pictures are small, but VITAL investments, truly, to the success of the group image.  Because I've now worked with each of them individually, I know each of their great "sides", what expressions and smiles they're capable of providing, the speed at which we can get everyone set up saves MUCH time, and they trust any direction I'll be giving them in the group photoshoot!

So with this assignment, I was set up with the portable backdrop and studio lights by 9:15, and began with our first attorney at 9:30.  We needed to capture two different final images for each of them, and had to have all completed by 12:00.  By 12:15, we were setup for the group photo just outside their front door, with my tripod and I standing in the back of a pickup truck, with my studio light to the camera's left as fill.  We captured a variety of group images and finished by 12:45!

We love how the new headshots and marketing photography turned out, as did the client!  (*What matters MOST!*)