How to prepare for a
business photo session —
5 steps that make the difference

Contents

1. Interactive guide — 5 steps
2. Step 1: Defining your needs
3. Step 2: Finding the right photographer
4. Step 3: Preparing the session (brief + logistics)
5. Step 4: Running the shoot
6. Step 5: Photo selection & post-production
7. FAQ

Step-by-step interactive guide

Use the buttons or ← → keyboard arrows. On mobile — swipe left or right.

Step 1 — Defining your company's needs

Before you call a photographer, answer a few fundamental questions. It sounds obvious, but in practice many companies skip this stage — and discover halfway through the session that they're missing photos in a specific format, or that they forgot someone from the marketing team.

How many photos do you actually need? Break this down by usage channel. LinkedIn and a CV need one strong portrait. A website might need four different shots of the same person — smiling, neutral, wide frame, close-up detail. Press materials require a horizontal crop. A roll-up banner needs a vertical with text space at the top.

Who is being photographed? A participant list with names and job titles sent to the photographer in advance isn't bureaucracy — it's a working tool. The photographer knows that a CEO requires a different approach than an intern. They also know in what order to schedule people to minimise downtime.

[ADD HERE: a short example from your own experience or industry — e.g. "An IT company from Warsaw's Mokotów district arrived for their session without a list, 'because everyone knows each other'. Three people showed up who hadn't been on any previous list — the session overran by an hour."]

Step 2 — Finding the right photographer

Warsaw has hundreds of business photographers. Some work solo, some within agencies. They differ in style, equipment, service scope — and, just as importantly, in how they handle corporate clients.

What to look for in a portfolio

A portfolio only shows what the photographer chooses to show. Always ask for examples from a comparable industry. Legal sector photography feels different from a software house session. Both are "business", but they call for different backgrounds, different lighting and different expressions on the subjects' faces.

Look at how backgrounds are lit. A white wall is neutral, but a photographer who makes it look clean and purposeful — rather than clinical — is a different proposition to someone who snaps by a window. Also check for consistency in retouching: do the gallery images look like they were made by the same hand, or does every shot feel like a different photographer?

Communication as a competence test

How does the photographer respond to your first message? If they receive a general enquiry and reply with specific questions about your needs — that's a good sign. If they immediately send a price list and a link to their site — it doesn't suggest deep investment in the project.

[ADD HERE: observation from your own experience — e.g. "One client, a large accountancy firm in Warsaw's Wola district, told me at the brief that they chose us because we were the only agency that asked about the purpose of the session before asking about the budget."]

Step 3 — Preparing the session: brief & logistics

A great session is planned before the photography team walks through your door. The brief is not a formality — it's the foundation the whole project rests on. The more information the photographer receives in advance, the less time you'll waste on logistics on shoot day.

Scheduling: time per person

One of the most common misunderstandings in corporate sessions: the client thinks 10 minutes per person is generous; the photographer knows it's the bare minimum. Standard benchmarks:

• Simple portrait (1 outfit, neutral background): 5–10 min/person
• Extended portrait (2 outfits, background change): 15–20 min/person
• Brand/personal branding session for one person: 90–180 min
• Session for 2–3 people together: add 20 min for group dynamics

Always add a 10–15% buffer for late arrivals, phone calls and other "just one seconds". On large projects (30+ people) that buffer disappears entirely — and it disappears at the start.

Step 4 — Running the photo shoot

Shoot day has its own logic. If it breaks down — because there's no client-side coordinator, or because the photos are being taken in an open-plan office with no dedicated space — that disruption will show up in every single frame.

Space and equipment

For in-office sessions: a dedicated room (at least 20–25 m², ceiling height minimum 2.5 m) with the option to block or control window light. Our Warsaw studio near Al. Solidarności has these conditions permanently in place — for on-location sessions, we assess the space in advance.

Corporate photography equipment isn't just a camera. It's a lighting system with modifiers (softboxes, umbrellas, reflectors), background stands, and possibly a review monitor. The van carrying all of this needs parking — arrange this with building management well in advance.

A coordinator is non-negotiable

The photographer won't go hunting through the office for the next person on the list. That's the coordinator's job. At Fantasmatic, this role is handled by Julka Tomiczek, who manages the schedule and makes sure even a 40-person session runs without chaos. If you're working with a solo photographer — you need someone to cover this role from your side.

[ADD HERE: a specific story from a session — e.g. "I remember a session for a company in Warsaw's Ursynów district where every person arrived with a coffee in one hand and a phone at their ear. Julka made sure each person arrived at the set already focused and ready — average time per shot: 6 minutes."]

Step 5 — Photo selection & post-production

The session is over, the equipment is packed, the tea is well-earned. Now begins the stage that many clients treat as pure waiting — but which you can actively shorten.

The proof gallery

Within 24–48 hours of the session you receive a proof gallery (unretouched previews). The images are calibrated — exposure, framing and expressions are clear — but full retouching hasn't been applied yet. This is where you choose which images go forward for full post-production.

Reviewing proofs on a Zoom or Google Meet call with the photographer reduces selection time by a factor of five compared to exchanging comments by email. The photographer knows which images have potential and which only look similar to the good ones — that knowledge is invaluable when narrowing down the final set.

Delivery formats

Before commissioning the retouch, confirm what formats you need. Standard breakdown:

• Print: TIFF or maximum-quality JPG, min. 300 dpi, sRGB or CMYK colour space
• Web / LinkedIn: JPG at 72–150 dpi, sRGB, with appropriate cropping if needed
• Social media: 1:1 square or 4:5 portrait, no excessive headroom above the subject
• Presentations / roll-up banners: High-resolution PDF or PNG with margin space for text

It's good practice to request archival-quality source files (uncropped, high resolution). In three years you may need a different crop without commissioning a new session.

[ADD HERE: information about Fantasmatic's real turnaround time — e.g. "Our standard delivery is 48 business hours. Express same-day delivery is available on request — it's worth flagging at the brief stage, as it requires scheduling an additional retoucher."]

Summary in brief

1. Define your needs — participant list, output formats, usage channels
2. Choose a photographer through portfolio review and a conversation, not price alone
3. Send a brief in advance — schedule, style, image rights
4. Ensure a coordinator and adequate space on shoot day
5. Review selections with the photographer on a video call — faster and better results