Studio-Style Headshots at Your Office - What Goes On Behind the Scenes
Studio Look - On Location
Why does it cost more to photograph your team at your office than at my studio?
Because what looks simple on-site is not simple behind the scenes.
When I bring the studio to you, I am not just bringing a camera. I am packing, checking, charging, testing, and preparing an entire controlled lighting environment that delivers the same consistent, polished look you see in my studio portfolio.
You’re not paying for travel - You’re investing in preparation. (nearly always less $ than the collective labor and travel expense of having your team come to the studio.)
What “Studio Look, On Location” Actually Involves
1 - An additional layer of labor before I ever walk out the door
Packing lighting modifiers, stands, tripods, cables
Charging and testing batteries
Pre-checking triggers and meters
Confirming backup bodies and lenses
Loading, transporting, unloading, and resetting
Before the first shutter clicks, there is already an hour or more invested in making sure nothing fails.
2 - Backup gear - and backups for the backups
One of the first lessons my portrait mentor taught me:
“Always have backup gear. And often, backups for your backups.”
That lesson was tested during a corporate holiday event at an inner-city hotel venue.
I had arrived early. Lights were set. Metered. Ready. My backup bag sat beneath my tripod. The awards event was happening just 20 feet away.
The company president asked me to step around the corner to review stage positioning for award handoffs. I was gone for less than 90 seconds.
When I returned, every piece of primary gear was gone.
Everything, that is, except the worn bag holding my backup equipment. Worn as it was, that bag had the most significance since it had been to Japan, The Bahamas and at least 10 other big gigs to earn its tattered state.
Within 45 minutes, I was fully set up again and ready to capture the formal portraits.
That recovery was possible because of:
Backup equipment
Insurance coverage
Being early
Vendor relationships (a nearby supplier opened after-hours so I could replace a missing cord - which I now carry spares of)
Preparation is invisible until it isn’t.
What You’re Really Investing In
When you hire me on location, you’re investing in:
Contingency planning
Professional redundancy
Calm under pressure
Consistency of results
Packing, checking, and preparing for worst-case scenarios are daily disciplines before any creativity can occur.
Creativity requires stability.
The Human Element
There’s another piece clients rarely see.
My daily meditation practice.
It allows me to manage situations with a steady, unwavering presence. Whether everything runs perfectly or something unexpected happens, it’s my responsibility to remain composed … no joke, it keeps me stoic through the crappy experiences that justify my extra layers of prep.
People look to the photographer for cues.
If I am calm, they relax. If they relax, the expressions are authentic. If the expressions are authentic, the portraits work.
I breathe easy because I know I’m prepared.
My gear is insured.
My backups are ready.
And my first priority is delivering an experience that feels effortless - even when the work behind it is anything but.
Studio look. Anywhere. Prepared for what you see - and what you don’t.
My colorful version of events can wait for a mocktail or N/A beer to decompress before going on to my next gig. HA (but seriously… I’ve got stories!)
Ready to bring the studio to your workplace? See how Studio Look - On Location works for your team.
