Client snapshot

A single department at the University of California, Irvine. 85 employees photographed, including 11 members of the leadership team. Images used across department web pages, internal staff directories, and LinkedIn profiles.

A consistent gray background, uniform lighting, and standardized framing were required across all images to meet the university's brand standards.

What triggered the project

The department needed a current, consistent set of professional headshots across the full team. Staff photos had been taken at different times and in different settings. On a department web page or internal directory, that kind of inconsistency is immediately visible.

The project needed to happen during a normal workday, without pulling employees out of their roles for longer than necessary, and without requiring HR to manage every individual on the day.

The real problem

85 people is not a headshot session. It is a logistical project. Getting that many employees scheduled, prepared, and through a shoot in a single day requires a system, not just a photographer and a camera.

Without a clear process in place before the day starts, the problems arrive quickly. Employees show up unprepared. The schedule runs behind. HR spends the day chasing people down. The results come back as inconsistent because corners got cut.

The HR manager had one day to get this right. There was no rescheduled reshoot.

What made it complex

Scheduling 85 people across a working department requires structure that most photographers don't provide. Christopher Todd Studios provided a block schedule framework for HR to follow, with each employee assigned a specific time slot. A QR code signup system made it easy for HR to distribute and for employees to book themselves in without the manager having to coordinate individually.

Two to three weeks of lead time was built into the plan. Reminder emails were sent on a recommended timeline. A preparation guide went out in advance, covering what to wear, what to expect, and how to get ready, so no one arrived on the day without knowing what was coming.

With a group this size, there will always be a handful of employees who arrive unprepared or uncomfortable in front of a camera. Both were accounted for. A mirror and blotting paper were kept on set for anyone who needed a moment. Employees who came in with the wrong outfit could borrow a jacket or layer to pull the look together.



For employees who were uncomfortable, extra time was taken without rushing them. Showing the image on the back of the camera mid-session resolves the anxiety faster than any amount of reassurance. Seeing the actual result is what builds confidence.

How it was handled

Planning started two to three weeks before the shoot. Christopher Todd Studios provided the scheduling framework, the preparation guide language, and the recommended timeline for internal reminder emails. HR sent one communication to staff, and the system handled the rest.

On the day, a dedicated setup was established in the Beckman Center building before the first employee walked in. Every employee moved through in their scheduled window. The leadership team received extended time and a larger selection of images to choose from.



All 85 employees were photographed in under three hours. Every image was lit identically, framed uniformly, and set against the same gray background. Color correction and light retouching were applied to every file before delivery.

The result

Each employee received a personal gallery of 10 to 12 images and selected their preferred final. Leadership team members received 20 to 30 images to choose from. Color-corrected and retouched files were delivered within two to three business days.



Images went live across department web pages, internal staff directories, and LinkedIn profiles. Every image in the set matches. Same background, same framing, same lighting. The department page looks like one cohesive team.