What to Expect at a Corporate Headshot Session
A corporate headshot session with BusinessPortraits.ca runs in four stages: your team plans the session, prepares for it, is photographed, then reviews and receives the files. Colour corrected proofs arrive in 2 business days and high-resolution retouched images in 8, or 5 for subscribers. This guide walks a coordinator through the whole day, in order.
Everything your team needs to know about a session, in one place, in the order it happens, so nobody walks in unsure of what comes next.
01 Stage · Plan
Before the day: planning the session
Most of the decisions happen before anyone stands in front of a camera. A coordinator books the session, chooses where it runs, picks the backdrops, and sets how the group is priced and scheduled. Each choice below is settled before the day.
01 Plan
How do you book a session?
There are two ways to book, and BusinessPortraits.ca accommodates both. A coordinator can book directly, configuring the session and adding a portrait for each team member, with the group discount applied automatically in the cart. Or the team can arrange everything by email, and we confirm the date, location, and details together.
Larger or multi-office rollouts often run by email, so scheduling can be coordinated across departments. Either way, once the session is confirmed, every participant receives a preparation guide by email, so the whole team arrives ready.
02 Plan
Where will your team's session happen?
Your team can be photographed three ways: at Your Office with our mobile setup, at the Photographer's Studio, or Outdoors. Every option delivers the same professional result, so the choice is about convenience, not quality. On-location keeps people at their desks between turns and gives access to their own wardrobe.
The mobile setup fits almost any room. The minimum footprint is 8.5 by 5 feet, and 13 by 5.5 feet is ideal; it travels in a single trip and fits standard elevators. The private-studio option is a dedicated space for the session and works well for larger teams; the address is sent in your booking confirmation.
BusinessPortraits.ca serves Toronto, North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Oakville, Newmarket, Aurora, and the surrounding area. For the deeper detail, see the On-Location Headshots and Studio Headshot Sessions pages.
Your office
Our mobile setup brings full studio lighting to your space.
The studio
A fully controlled environment, address in your confirmation.
Outdoors
A park or street near you, weather permitting.
03 Plan
What backdrops can your team choose?
Your team can choose from more than 100 backdrop colours and six lighting styles, plus white, concrete, and two no-backdrop options, Blurred or In Focus. Most firms standardize on one backdrop so the whole team's headshots match.
The full backdrop catalogue, with every colour and lighting style shown, lives on the Backdrops page; choose there, then add it to your booking.
White · clean and neutral04 Plan
Can headshots be taken outdoors?
Yes. Outdoor portraits give a relaxed, approachable look using natural surroundings, weather permitting. We can use a park or street near your office, with either a Blurred background to keep the focus on the person or an In Focus background to show the setting.
Many teams order both an indoor backdrop portrait and an outdoor portrait in the same session, for versatile use across LinkedIn, the company website, and social channels. Add both to the booking if your team wants the range.
Blurred
Keeps the focus on the person, natural surroundings softened.
In Focus
Shows the park or street setting behind the person.
05 Plan
How do group discounts work?
Group discounts start at 20% for two or more people and climb to 65% for eighty or more, when the team books the same setup at the same location, day, and time. The discount applies automatically in the cart; there is no code to enter.
The booking works in four steps: add a portrait for each team member to the cart, choose a date, photograph everyone in consecutive slots on the day, and let each person pick their favourite afterward in a private gallery. For larger teams we can supply a scheduling tool so people sign up for their own slots. Worked pricing examples and the live estimator are on the Pricing page.
For a team that books regularly, the 90-Day Pilot Program is the path to a subscription: run a single team day under pilot terms, convert to an annual subscription within 90 days, and 100% of the pilot fee transfers as account credit. Account credit is a bonus percentage added on top of a subscription deposit, expanding the spendable credit balance across the 12-month term.
Estimate your team's discount
Photographing 20 people on the same day
06 Plan
What can your team add to a session?
Add-ons tailor a session to a firm's exact needs, for individuals and large organizations alike. The most common are additional retouched images, additional outfits, extra backdrop or lighting setups, full-body framing, professional hair and makeup, and advanced retouching that combines elements from several frames.
Logistics add-ons cover the rest: rush delivery, same-day booking, weekend, evening, and holiday availability, and on-call waiting for executives between meetings. Group images of the whole team, video portraits, image exclusivity, and event coverage are available too. Express format is a faster session format for high-volume days, available at a 50-person minimum.
Add-ons are quoted to fit the request, since the options are wide. Tell us what your team needs and we will price it.
Most common
Logistics
More
Exact per-option pricing is configured on the booking page. For anything unusual, send the request and we will quote it.
02 Stage · Prepare
Getting ready: preparation and wardrobe
Once the session is booked, preparation is what makes the day run smoothly. After booking, BusinessPortraits.ca sends the preparation guide to the person who booked, to share with the team, so everyone arrives ready and the session stays on schedule.
07 Prepare
How should your team prepare?
After booking, the coordinator receives a preparation guide to share with the team, covering everything needed to arrive camera-ready. Preparation is the single biggest factor in a confident, usable result, and it keeps a group session on schedule.
The essentials, by area:
Hair and grooming
Style hair the way it is worn day to day, and book any cut or colour at least a week ahead. For beards, shape a day or two before and skip shaving right before the session.
Skin and makeup
Keep makeup matte to cut shine under the lights, and match foundation to the neck. A professional hair and makeup artist can be arranged on request.
Glasses
Anyone who wears glasses most of the time should keep them on. Bring the frames, and we remove lens reflections in post-production.
Hands and nails
Hands can appear in the frame, so keep nails clean and polish neutral.
The day before and the day of
The day before, sleep well and press the outfit. The day of, skip caffeine and heavy snacks, and bring a comb and blotting papers for touch-ups.
08 Prepare
What should your team wear?
Solid colours, a clean fit, and matte fabrics photograph best, and wardrobe advice is tailored to each person's colouring, the chosen backdrop, and the firm's industry and culture. Getting clothing right does more for a headshot than any edit afterward.
What works
Solid, muted, matte. Colour chosen to sit against the backdrop.
What to avoid
Patterns and sheens that shimmer or bounce light on camera.
Each person can test an outfit or two on the live preview monitor before committing, so the choice is confirmed on screen, not guessed. For more than one look, an additional outfit can be added at the appointment.
03 Stage · Photograph
On the day: the session itself
When the session starts, the setup is already done and the focus is entirely on the people. Each person moves through lighting, posing direction, and an on-set review in a few unhurried minutes.
09 Photograph
How does the lighting work?
Lighting is what separates a professional headshot from a snapshot, and it is matched to each person's face. BusinessPortraits.ca's photographers bring more than 20 years of corporate portrait experience and a lighting approach refined across thousands of sessions, so highlights and shadows are placed deliberately for every person.
The result is consistent whether the session runs at your office or at the studio. The mobile setup carries the same professional lighting we use in the studio, with accurate colour rendering in any room, so a team photographed across two locations still matches.
10 Photograph
Does the photographer help with posing?
Yes, and no modelling experience is needed. Every person gets clear, step-by-step direction on posture, where to put their hands, and expression, with continuous feedback through the session. The aim is a relaxed, natural, professional look that suits each person's features and role.
Most people are not used to being photographed, and the direction is built around that. Nobody has to know how to pose; the photographer guides each shot, and the live preview monitor confirms the result before the team moves on.
Posture
Shoulders angled, chin slightly forward and down.
Hands
Relaxed placement guided shot by shot.
Expression
A natural, professional look that suits the person.
Feedback
Continuous direction, confirmed on the live preview monitor.
11 Photograph
Can each person see their photos during the session?
Yes. The camera connects to a live preview monitor on set, so each person sees their photos as they are taken. They can adjust wardrobe, hair, expression, or posture in the moment, rather than discovering a problem days later.
Available for indoor sessions, the live preview keeps the session efficient and lets each person leave confident in the result. Seeing the frames on screen also reduces back-and-forth at the selection stage, because the strongest options are already clear.
04 Stage · Receive
After the shutter: proofs, retouching, and delivery
The session is only half the process; the rest is selecting and finishing the images. Each person reviews their own proofs, marks favourites, and receives finished files on a clear timeline.
12 Receive
How does your team choose their photos?
Within 2 business days of the session, each person receives a private, password-protected online gallery of their colour corrected proofs. Colour corrected proofs are the first-pass files a client reviews to make their selections. No software or downloads are required.
Each person browses their watermarked proofs, marks favourites, and leaves notes for any touch-ups. Galleries can be shared for a second opinion, and a short how-to is included with every link, so even a large team selects without help.
BusinessPortraits.ca
BusinessPortraits.ca
BusinessPortraits.ca
BusinessPortraits.ca
BusinessPortraits.ca
BusinessPortraits.ca
BusinessPortraits.caOpen one proof at a time, mark it, and move down the rail. No software or downloads.
13 Receive
What retouching is included?
Every selected image includes a complimentary basic retouching package. High-resolution retouched images are the finished, retouched files delivered as the final corporate deliverable. The included retouching is subtle and realistic, never heavy or artificial.
The basic package covers minor blemish removal, under-eye reduction, teeth whitening, shine reduction, slight slimming, stray-hair cleanup, colour accuracy, and a final crop for marketing use. Advanced retouching, such as combining elements from several frames, is available as an add-on for anyone who needs it.
Subtle and realistic
14 Receive
How long until your team's headshots arrive?
Colour corrected proofs arrive within 2 business days of the session. After each person makes their selection, high-resolution retouched images are delivered within 8 business days, or 5 business days for subscribers. Files arrive as a download link, ready for LinkedIn, the company directory, and print.
The two-stage timeline keeps a team's rollout predictable: proofs to choose from quickly, finished files on a fixed schedule. For a firm planning a directory refresh or an announcement, the dates are known in advance.
Colour corrected proofs
A private gallery to choose from.
High-resolution retouched images
After selection. 5 days for subscribers.
Rush available · same-day, 1, 2, or 3 business days.
15 Receive
Need the headshots faster?
Rush delivery is available when a deadline is tight. Guaranteed rush tiers shorten the standard 8-business-day turnaround to same-day, 1, 2, or 3 business days, and each tier includes the basic retouching package.
Rush is added per project, so a single urgent headshot or a whole team's deadline can both be met. Current rush rates and availability are confirmed on the booking page or in your quote.
Corporate headshot session questions
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Each person is photographed in about 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the number of looks. Total time scales with the team size and the format you choose, and people are photographed in consecutive slots to keep disruption to the workday low. We confirm a schedule once we know the headcount and format.
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Colour corrected proofs arrive within 2 business days of the session. Once each person selects their favourite, high-resolution retouched images are delivered within 8 business days, or 5 business days for subscribers. If a deadline is tighter, rush tiers shorten that to same-day, 1, 2, or 3 business days.
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Every selected image includes a complimentary basic retouching package: minor blemish removal, under-eye reduction, teeth whitening, shine reduction, slight slimming, stray-hair cleanup, colour accuracy, and a final crop for marketing use. The editing is subtle and realistic. Advanced retouching is available as an add-on.
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Yes. Our mobile setup brings professional lighting and full backdrop options to your office anywhere in the Greater Toronto Area, and on-location portraits match the quality of a studio session. The setup needs a minimum of 8.5 by 5 feet, travels in one trip, and fits standard elevators.
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Solid colours, a clean fit, and matte fabrics work best; loud patterns and shiny fabrics are the usual pitfalls. After booking, the booker receives a preparation guide the team can access, with wardrobe advice tailored to colouring, backdrop, and industry. Each person can also test an outfit on the live preview monitor before committing.
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Group discounts start at 20% for two or more people and rise to 65% for eighty or more, when the team books the same setup at the same location, day, and time. The discount applies automatically in the cart, and updates as you build your order on the booking page. Worked examples and a live estimator are on the Pricing page.
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More than 100 backdrop colours are available, with six lighting styles, plus white, concrete, and two no-backdrop options, Blurred or In Focus. Most teams standardize on one backdrop so every headshot matches. The full catalogue is on the Backdrops page.
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Yes. The camera connects to a live preview monitor on set, so each person sees their frames as they are taken and can adjust wardrobe, expression, or posture on the spot. It keeps the session efficient and means each person leaves confident in the result.
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Yes, weather permitting. We can use a park or street near your office, with a Blurred background to focus on the person or an In Focus background to show the setting. Many teams order both an indoor and an outdoor portrait in one session for use across different platforms.
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Both. BusinessPortraits.ca handles single executive portraits through full-firm rollouts, using the same lighting and process at any size. Individuals book the same way a team does, and the group discount begins as soon as two or more people are booked for the same setup, day, and location.
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Two ways, and we accommodate both. A coordinator can book directly on the booking page, adding a portrait for each person with the group discount applied automatically, or arrange everything with us by email. Larger or multi-office rollouts often run by email so scheduling can be coordinated together.
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Yes. An additional outfit can be added at the appointment, and each person can test looks on the live preview monitor before deciding. Many people pair one formal look with a more relaxed option for different uses, such as a directory photo and a social profile.
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A professional hair and makeup artist can be arranged on request, and most participants choose to arrive camera-ready on their own. The preparation guide sent after booking covers grooming, skin, and hair, so anyone preparing themselves knows exactly what to do.
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Yes. Anyone who wears glasses day to day should wear them, so the portrait matches how colleagues and clients recognize the person. The photographer manages reflections on set and confirms a clean result on the live preview monitor before moving on.
Ready to book your team's session?
Choose a date, configure the session, and brief your team with this guide. Booking takes a few minutes.