Capturing Corporate Headshots in a Tight Space

The Photo:

The space and lighting diagram below…

That’s right! I had to fit my mobile photography studio setup into a tight pocket of a shared workspace where other business owners were trying to get their work done.

There was literally no where else I could fit my setup but this tiny corner, where I blocked access to the shared phone booths for private calls.

My side/hair light had to squeeze through a gap between the backdrop and the background stand, the key light was pushing against the shared desks and my laptop, which was tethered to the camera, sat on a desk. The clients had to basically duck under the light just to get a glimpse of the photo we took and then maneuver their way back to the mark.

It was…irritating and I definitely felt the questionable looks from some of the clients about how rough this setup looked, especially since they had to squeeze between me and my gear bags and were restricted from moving outside of their mark. It also didn’t help that other business owners were throwing curious glances at what we were doing. I was already working with people who weren’t comfortable in front of a camera to begin with.

BUT, we carried on and ultimately the clients were pleased with their photos. It’s one of those situations where it feels weird in the moment, but the end result makes it all worth it. You couldn’t tell that we shot in a small space, surrounded by strangers, blocking access to building amenities, but we did. It had a sort of “working out of our parents garage” feel, but it’s proof that this kind of work can be done anywhere, with just enough tools to make the illusion appear real.