📅 How to Schedule a Headshot Day (Without Losing Your Mind)

Let’s face it, organising headshots isn’t your full-time job, but the way you schedule the day can make or break the experience and how your team feels about getting them done.

The good news is: you’ve got options – and we’re here to help!

The best route most often depends  on your team size, office layout, and internal dynamics. Keep reading to find the one that works for you.

🌀 1. Wing It

(Yep, really. Sometimes this works.)

Not everything needs spreadsheets and sign-up forms. In open-plan or close-knit teams, we can simply photograph the next available person once we’re done with the last.

This works best when:

• There’s someone on-site who knows the team and can help direct traffic.
• People are within earshot or easily accessible.
• The vibe is relaxed, and nobody minds a bit of impromptu flow.
• You’ve organised this as part of a larger team day or meeting that people are free to dip in and out of.

We do recommend having a Shoot-Day Hero to help us pull in the right people at the right time. That way, we’re not interrupting meetings or scrambling to find the next participant.

📄 2. The Google Doc Method

For the semi-organised folk. You (or your team’s organiser) create a basic Google Sheet or Doc with time slots listed and send out a link for people to book themselves in.

Pros:

• Simple to set up and share internally.
• Everyone can see what’s available.

Cons:

• Gets tricky when people cancel, swap, or don’t show.
• Whoever sets it up ends up being the unofficial headshot wrangler.

If you go this route, we suggest:

• Scheduling buffer slots every 60–90 minutes.
• Avoiding back-to-back bookings the entire day.
• Sending a reminder the day before (we can help with this too!)
• Leaving room for photographer breaks and lunch*

*Getting great headshots is energy intensive work.

…Plus, it’s nice to know you don’t have to ‘hold it in’ the whole day if you need the bathroom.

Breaks can also serve as buffer time and gives us space to support someone who might need a little extra coaching, or to catch up if someone’s running late.

✅ 3. Let Us Handle It 

If you want to breathe easy, you can also let us take care of the scheduling.

One of our studio assistants will send you a booking link to share with your team. 

This way:

• Everyone picks their own time.
• They can cancel or reschedule directly.
• We send pre-shoot tips straight to their inbox.
• We’ll even text them before their session to make sure they don’t miss it.

Peace of mind + everyone showing up prepared = a great experience (major win!)

Using a dedicated scheduling portal

👥 Planning for Team Portraits?

If you’re looking to include group or team photos, we have some advice.

Group shots are a bit trickier to slot in. We may need to:

• Work around sunlight (if outdoors).
• Avoid heavy foot traffic during certain times of the day.
• Make the most of your space (or ours).
• Time it right so everyone’s available.

For large teams, it’s worth chatting with us in advance so we can help you pick the best time, location, and layout to make it seamless.

There’s no wrong choice, only what works best for your team and culture. If you’re unsure, just ask.

In the end, great photos don’t just happen and do need a bit of planning.

But once that’s taken care of, it’s smooth sailing!

Consider sending tips and advice on how to prepare

💡 Additional Options Worth Considering

If you don’t feel your team will fit into one scheduling model – here are a few other flexible formats that might better suit your setup:

🧩 Hybrid Model

Use a loose structure – like blocks of time per department or team, without micromanaging individual bookings. Let staff swap or self-organise within their group. This gives you enough structure to keep the day moving while allowing flexibility when needed.

📆 Staggered Over Multiple Days

If your team is spread thin or operates on shifts, we can break the shoot up over multiple days, or include some of your staff in our next scheduled “Headshot Day” at our photo studio whilst maintaining a cohesion.

👔 Priority Scheduling for Leadership

Need your executives or client-facing staff looking sharp and back to their schedules fast? Slot them in early, before the day ramps up. It’s efficient and ensures minimal disruption to your busiest people.

🤝 Hero Shot Concierge Support

For a bit more hands-on help, We offer concierge support where we co-manage the shoot day with you. If you provide a staff list, we can send reminder emails, help with internal communication, and keep everything running like clockwork without it becoming your second job.

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🧠 Creating a Custom Solution

If your team or workplace setup is a little more complex, we can also design a custom schedule and workflow that works for your needs. Whether you’re onboarding 100 people, working across multiple sites, or just need a smarter way to make it all run smoothly, with the least possible impact we can work with you to create a plan that fits.

The Team at Hero Shot