It's usually one of the first things someone asks me when we start talking about a corporate headshot day. How many people can you actually get through? Do we need a full day? Can we do it in a morning?
After 42 years of photographing teams across Texas, I can give you a straight answer. And the short version is: it depends on the size of your group and which format makes sense for you.
Here's the quick breakdown
Both formats include full retouching. Nobody gets a raw file and has to wonder if they'll like what comes back. Let me walk you through how each one works.
For smaller teams: live retouching while you wait
For groups up to about 24 people, I spend 20 to 25 minutes with each person. That's not just shooting time. We spend a few minutes getting comfortable (most people haven't had a professional headshot taken before and they're a little nervous), then we shoot, then they pick their favorite image and watch me retouch it right there on the spot before they go back to their desk.
Why does live retouching matter?
Because it means no callbacks. When someone walks away having already approved their finished photo, there are no emails the next week asking for changes. No "can you fix my hair?" The job is done when the session is done. People leave happy because they've already seen the result.
For larger teams: shoot fast, select online, deliver together
Once you get past 24 or 25 people, the format shifts. I photograph everyone at 2 to 3 minutes per person, moving through the team efficiently all day. After the shoot, everyone gets access to a private online gallery to pick their favorite image at their own pace.
This works really well for conferences in particular. Attendees are busy during the event and may be traveling when it wraps up. Giving people a few days to get home, catch up, and then make their selection takes the pressure off. I set a clear deadline, and anyone who hasn't chosen by then gets the best image from their session selected for them. Once all the selections are in, I retouch everything and send the full batch at once.
That's how a single day can handle anywhere from 40 to 200 people. The photography moves fast and the selection process works around people's schedules instead of fighting them.
A few things that affect the numbers
Your space. The session flows best when I can set up in a dedicated room or quiet area and people come to me one at a time. An open floor plan with a lot of foot traffic means more coordination. Neither is a problem, it's just worth a quick conversation when we're planning the day.
How you schedule your team. A simple signup sheet or time slots make a big difference. When someone internally is keeping track of who's up next, there's no standing around and nobody gets missed.
Whether anyone wants more than one image. The standard session includes one retouched photo per person. Some executives and attorneys want to walk away with two or three options. That's fine, it just adds a little time per person and brings the total number down slightly for the day.
What if someone misses picture day?
It happens at every large session. Someone is traveling. A meeting runs long. A new hire comes on board two weeks after the shoot.
Because I work with each person individually, adding someone later is straightforward. We schedule a short follow-up session and match the lighting and background to what the rest of the team already has. Your company page stays consistent and nobody gets left out.
"Photography is 10% lighting and 90% understanding people."
Conference headshot booths
For conferences and large association events, I set up a headshot booth that runs continuously throughout the event. People drop in when they have a few minutes, spend about 15 minutes with me, and leave with a finished image. No scheduling, no waiting around.
This is how we photograph up to 300 people at a single event. It works particularly well for bar associations, medical conferences, and corporate annual meetings where professional headshots are a natural fit and people are already in one place.
What to tell me when you call
The more I know going in, the better I can set up the day for you. These are the things that help most:
How many people need headshots. Even a rough number is enough to start. Five people and 200 people are very different conversations.
Whether the team needs a consistent look. For a team page or website, yes. If someone also wants a personal branding session with a different background or style, we can work that in too.
Where you're located and what your space looks like. I come to you anywhere in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and across Texas. A quick description of your office helps me know what to bring.
Your deadline. Website launch coming up? Conference next month? New hire who needs to match the rest of the team? Knowing the timeline helps make sure everything lands when you need it.
The bottom line
Most teams are smaller than people expect, and a half-day or full-day session covers the majority of what companies need. For bigger groups and conferences, the numbers scale up without a problem when we plan it right.
If you're not sure which format fits, just call me. A five-minute conversation is usually all it takes to figure out exactly what makes sense for your team and what it will cost. No pressure, no booking system, no guesswork.