The Short Answer
To prepare for a corporate headshot day, follow your company's wardrobe instructions, confirm the dress code and background colour, wear solid colours, avoid logos and busy patterns, arrive on time with clean glasses and tidy grooming, and be ready when called. Team sessions usually run on a schedule with less individual flexibility than a private booking.
Check the Company Instructions First
Before you decide what to wear or how to prepare, check whether your company has sent specific instructions. Many organizations specify a dress standard, background colour, or visual consistency they want across all team headshots. Following those instructions is more important than any general advice on this page.
If you have not received instructions, ask your HR team or coordinator before the session date. The specific details to confirm:
- Dress code (business formal, smart casual, or a specific style)
- Background colour, if specified
- Whether jackets or blazers are expected
- Whether colours should be coordinated across the team
- Whether the photo needs to match an existing team page or website
- Where to arrive and at what time
If no instructions have been provided, the general wardrobe guidance below applies.
Wardrobe Guidelines for Employees
The same principles that apply to individual headshots apply here, with one additional consideration: consistency across the team. An employee who dresses significantly more formally or more casually than everyone else will stand out in a way that may not be useful for the company.
- Wear solid colours. Avoid loud patterns, small busy prints, and graphics.
- Avoid logos and visible branded clothing unless the company has specified otherwise.
- Avoid shiny or satin-like fabrics that catch studio light.
- Press your collar and iron or steam your clothing before you arrive.
- If you can, bring a backup shirt or jacket in a different colour. This gives you an option without having to leave and return.
- Aim to match the general formality level of the team rather than standing out in either direction.
For a full breakdown of colours, fit, necklines, glasses, and what to avoid, see What to Wear for Professional Headshots.
Grooming Before Your Turn
Check your appearance in a mirror immediately before being photographed, not just when you leave the house. A washroom stop before your time slot takes two minutes and is worth it.
- Hair tidy and set before you arrive
- Glasses lenses cleaned
- Facial hair trimmed or shaved
- Makeup kept natural and non-shiny, if applicable
- Avoid shiny products on skin or hair
- Check collar, neckline, and lint before stepping in front of the camera
For more detail on hair, makeup, shine, and grooming specifics, see How to Look Polished for Professional Headshots.
Timing and Arrival
Team headshot days run on a schedule. Each person has an assigned slot, and the day is booked sequentially. Arriving late, needing extra time to prepare, or asking to swap slots creates delays that affect everyone after you.
- Arrive at your assigned time, not just on the premises, but camera-ready at the check-in area.
- Use a mirror and washroom before your turn, not after you have been called.
- Silence your phone before you step in front of the camera.
- Follow the schedule provided by your company or coordinator. Do not assume there will be flexible time at the end.
- If you need to change outfits, factor that into your arrival time.
Glasses
Wearing glasses is completely fine. Two things to take care of before your session:
- Clean your lenses. Fingerprints and smudges are visible in photos and are difficult to remove in editing without the result looking altered.
- Transition lenses may not fully clear under studio or event lighting. If you have a clear-lens pair, bring them as a backup.
- Blue-light reflective coatings can produce visible glare under flash or studio lighting. A backup pair without the coating is worth having.
- Most regular prescription glasses photograph without issue when the lenses are clean.
Retake Expectations
Individual bookings allow for adjustments and multiple setups within a single session. Corporate headshot days typically do not have the same flexibility.
Most team sessions allocate a set amount of time per person. If the result is not what you hoped for, a same-day retake may not be possible depending on the schedule and the arrangement your company has made. Some companies build in a short buffer; many do not.
The practical takeaway: preparing beforehand is more reliable than relying on a reshoot. Arriving with pressed clothing, clean glasses, and tidy grooming is the single most effective thing you can do to improve your outcome.
[Insert corporate retake or rescheduling policy here if your company has confirmed one with the photographer.]
For HR and Office Managers
If you are organizing the day, the quality of your pre-session communication to staff directly affects how the day runs. Employees who arrive without instructions are more likely to be unprepared, need extra time, or produce results that don't match the rest of the team.
Before the session, confirm and communicate the following to staff:
- Date, time, and exact location
- Individual assigned time slots
- Dress code (be specific: "business casual" means different things to different people)
- Background colour, if it affects clothing choices
- What to avoid (logos, busy patterns, shiny fabrics)
- Where to check in on arrival
- Whether a mirror or change area will be available on site
- Contact person for day-of questions
- Whether employees should arrive camera-ready or whether there will be prep time
- Retake or reshoot policy, if one exists
Sample Message to Send Staff
Copy, adjust, and send. Replace the bracketed sections with your specifics.
Subject: Team Headshot Day
Our team headshot day is scheduled for [date] at [location]. Your assigned time is [time].
Please arrive camera-ready at your assigned time. When choosing what to wear:
- Wear solid colours. Avoid logos, busy patterns, and shiny fabrics.
- Press your collar and iron or steam your clothing before you arrive.
- If you wear glasses, clean the lenses. Avoid transition lenses if you have a backup pair.
- Check hair and grooming in a mirror before your turn.
[Add company-specific dress code, background colour, or additional instructions here.]
Questions before the day? Contact [name] at [email or phone].
Frequently Asked Questions
- What should employees wear for corporate headshots?
- Solid colours, clean lines, and clothing that fits well. Avoid logos, busy patterns, shiny fabrics, and anything that clashes with the background colour. Follow any dress code your company has specified. If no guidance has been given, a collared shirt or blazer in a neutral or deep tone is a reliable default.
- Should everyone dress the same?
- Not necessarily the same, but consistently. The team page reads better when everyone is at roughly the same level of formality and there are no large gaps in style. One employee in a suit and another in a casual t-shirt will stand out on a team page, which may not serve either person well.
- Can employees get retakes?
- This depends on the arrangement your company has made and the schedule on the day. Many corporate sessions allocate a fixed time per person, and same-day retakes are not always possible. Check with your HR team or coordinator if retake options are important to you, ideally before the session date.
- How long does each person take?
- Individual slots within a corporate headshot day typically run 10 to 20 minutes per person, depending on the number of setups, outfit changes, and how the day is structured. Your company or coordinator will have a specific schedule. Arriving prepared keeps your slot from running over.
- Should employees bring a backup outfit?
- If the schedule allows for it, yes. A backup shirt or jacket in a different colour is easy to carry and gives you a fallback option without having to leave and return. It is more useful in sessions with some flexibility built in.
- What should HR tell staff before headshot day?
- At minimum: the date, time, location, assigned slot, dress code, and background colour if it affects clothing choices. The clearer the instructions, the faster the day runs and the more consistent the results. The sample message above covers the key points.