A relocation orientation is a people event: staff walking through the new office, meeting neighbours, learning where things are and settling in. Photograph the tour, the briefings and the first interactions, and keep the commission distinct from architectural images of the empty space or a public opening. Brief the crew on which areas are ready, which are confidential and which staff prefer not to appear.
After a move, people are still learning where things are. The orientation is an occasion to make the new place feel like theirs, and photographs of it can become a small record of how the team arrived. The important thing is to photograph the orientation as it is, not as a stand-in for a launch.
This page is part of our guide to workplace communication and learning-event photography.
What does the orientation record show?
Think of it as a series of small scenes:
- Staff arriving at the new entrance and collecting access cards.
- A guided tour of floors, meeting rooms, pantry and quiet areas.
- A briefing on safety, systems or office etiquette.
- Teams finding their desks and meeting new neighbours.
- A leader greeting staff in the new space.
These show the human side of the move. Compared with induction and welcome events, the audience here already knows the company and is learning a place.
How is it different from an opening ceremony?
A public or commercial opening is meant for guests, press or customers. It has a stage, speeches and a ribbon. An orientation is internal, with a gentler pace and a smaller audience. If your company plans both, treat them as separate commissions. Commercial openings and milestones have their own page, and their consent and publicity needs are different.
An orientation also differs from architectural photography. Images of a vacant, tidy space need a controlled window, usually before staff arrive. Orientation photographs include people and everyday objects, which makes them warmer and less polished.
What should we check in the building?
New offices bring new rules. Ask the building manager about photography in lobbies, lifts and shared areas, because many buildings have security or tenant policies. Our guide to venue access before guests arrive lists useful questions, and planning photographs in a venue with several floors helps when the orientation spans levels.
Confirm current restrictions with the actual building; do not assume that the rules of your old office apply.
An example scenario
For example, a company of 120 staff has moved into three floors of a new building. HR plans a morning orientation in groups of 20: a tour, a safety briefing and a short welcome from the managing director in a meeting room.
The photographer attends the first two groups and the welcome. The tour is photographed from behind, so faces are not the focus. Desks are photographed from a distance. Floor 3, which houses finance, is excluded. The images are delivered to HR, who select a few for the intranet's "Settling into the new office" page, while a separate photographer is booked later for interior photographs.
Respecting privacy at work
An office carries information in its walls: whiteboards, posters, screens, names on doors. A move-in often leaves these half-finished. Ask staff to tidy desks and cover whiteboards, or agree that the crew avoids them. Our page on whiteboards and workshop outputs explains how to frame around them.
Staff who prefer not to appear can say so beforehand. See camera-shy adults for ways to handle this kindly.
What if the move was difficult?
Some moves bring longer commutes, smaller desks or lost parking. Staff may not feel celebratory. Photographs should not suggest otherwise, so keep captions descriptive and avoid wording about excitement. A calm record of people finding their way is enough, and it lets later stories add their own tone.
Coverage and cost
Orientation days are often short but spread across floors. Coverage depends on how many groups run, whether they happen at the same time and how long the crew stays. See event photography prices for factors, and use the coverage hours planner to compare windows.
What to tell us
The schedule, the floors and areas, the building contact and your intended use of images. We confirm the plan and the conditions in writing.
Checklist
- Share the orientation schedule and areas to be visited.
- Confirm which areas are ready and which are not.
- Check building access, registration and any lift or security rules.
- Decide whether personal desks may appear.
- Mark confidential areas such as server rooms or finance.
- Decide how images will be used internally and externally.
Share the orientation schedule, the areas staff will visit and the state of the office, and we will say what coverage fits and what would be better as a separate commission.
Plan relocation orientation coverageCommon questions
Is this the same as photographing the new office?
No. Photographs of a finished space, with no people and careful light, are architectural or interior photography and need time and preparation. Orientation photography records people using the space. If you want both, plan them as separate windows.
Can the photographer enter areas still being finished?
Only if the building manager or the project lead agrees, and with any protective equipment required. Unfinished areas often appear in photographs more clearly than expected. Tell us which areas are ready.
How do we handle desks with personal items?
On move-in days, desks hold family photographs and notes. Agree whether they may appear, and ask staff to tidy sensitive items. A wide shot of a floor is usually less intrusive than a close shot of a desk.
Should we photograph the move itself?
The orientation day is different from the move. If you also want images of the move, such as boxes and trolleys, tell us at the briefing. That is a separate window and often a different mood.
Plan relocation orientation coverage
Share the orientation schedule, the areas staff will visit and the state of the office, and we will say what coverage fits and what would be better as a separate commission.
What happens next: You send your event details on WhatsApp. Our team reads the brief, asks what is missing, then confirms in writing whether the date, venue and coverage can be booked, with a quotation. Opening WhatsApp does not send anything, and a message is not a booking until both sides confirm.
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