Every quarter, my co-worker and I dedicate time to providing professional headshots for our city employees.
We create a signup sheet, block off 2 hours, and run tight 5-minute sessions. If demand is high, we expand to 4 hours — which means we’re delivering anywhere from 24 to 48 headshots in a single setup.
Efficient. Professional. High quality.
Here’s how we make it happen.
The Gear We Trust
We shoot with:
- Canon R5 Mark II tethered to a MacBook Pro
- Adobe Lightroom Classic for live tether + quick adjustments
- Canon 70–200mm f/2.8 (compression + clean background separation)
- Godox AD600 in a 43” softbox (key light)
- Godox AD200 in a 26” softbox (hair light)
- Westcott Eyelighter to fill shadows and bring life back into the eyes
It’s a simple two-light setup, but dialed in for consistency. Once it’s locked, we don’t touch it.
The 5-Minute Workflow
Employees step into the designated area and we guide them through the session.
We typically take 3 shots with slight pose variations based on their personality and role. Some people want corporate and polished. Others want relaxed and approachable.
The biggest part of the job? Coaching.
Most people don’t love being in front of the camera. We ease tension, guide posture, adjust shoulders, fix hands, and give quick direction so they don’t feel awkward.
After the first 3 shots:
- We bring them to the laptop.
- They review immediately.
- If they love one — we lock it in.
- If not — we take feedback and shoot 3 more.
Repeat until they have a final selection.
All within 5 minutes.
Fast. Collaborative. Zero guesswork.
The Editing Process
Everything is finalized in Adobe Lightroom Classic.
Once selections are made, we:
- Adjust crop
- Dial in exposure
- Correct color temperature
- Apply light skin softening
- Whiten teeth subtly
- Brighten the eye sclera
Lightroom’s masking tools make it easy to isolate facial areas and keep edits natural. Nothing overdone. Just clean, polished, professional.
Why This Matters
For many city employees, this is the photo that represents them on:
- Internal directories
- Public-facing profiles
- Press releases
A strong headshot builds credibility and confidence.
And when you can deliver 24–48 polished images in just a few hours? That’s where preparation and workflow really shine.
Efficiency + quality = the goal every time.
