Executive portraits within an internal company event

Executives are among the most photographed people in a company, and often the least available. At an internal event they are on stage, in meetings and greeting colleagues. The communications team wants fresh portraits for the website, the annual report and the intranet. The event looks like the perfect opportunity.

It can be, if the portraits are planned as a block of their own. This page explains how. It is part of our guide to workplace communication and learning events.

Why do portraits need their own block?

A portrait needs attention from both sides. The executive needs a few unhurried minutes. The photographer needs a controlled setting, a plan for the look and time to adjust. Neither is available in the gaps of a live programme.

If the photographer is covering the event and is asked to make portraits when someone appears, the results tend to be rushed, and the live coverage suffers. Our guide to scheduling planned portraits within live event coverage explains this in more depth.

What does the block need?

Need	Why it matters
A fixed time	Executives' calendars are tight, and a firm slot helps
A quiet space near the event	Reduces travel time and interruptions
Light and background	A clean wall, window light or a simple backdrop
A coordinator	Brings executives on time and manages the order
An approval route	Avoids long exchanges after the event

Share the block with each executive's office, not only with the executive. A reminder on the day helps.

Choosing the setting

The setting should match the use. A formal portrait for an annual report needs a plain, neutral background. An environmental portrait, taken in the office or at the venue, adds context. Ask the communications team which they need, and whether they want both.

If the space is not obvious, visiting or sharing photographs of options helps. Our guide to when a venue recce changes the photography plan explains why seeing the space matters.

A hypothetical example

For example, imagine a leadership day for 200 employees where five executives need portraits for the company website. The communications team reserves 40 minutes in a quiet meeting room before the opening session, with each executive allocated a slot. A plan would be a portrait photographer in the room with simple lighting and a clean wall, and a separate event photographer arriving for the opening. Portraits are shown to the communications team the next day, and each executive gives approval through the team.

Approval and retouching

Executives often have strong views on their image. Agree a route in advance: who sees the images first, how many options, how corrections are requested and how long approval takes. Our guide to agreeing what retouching can and cannot change explains the limits, so expectations match the result.

Use and storage

Portraits may be used for years. Decide where they will be stored, who can access them and how long they will be used. Our photography style preference brief helps you describe the look, and the event portrait appointment planner helps you schedule the block.

What to tell the photographer

List the executives, their titles and their assistants' contacts. Share the venue plan and the proposed space. Tell us the intended uses. Mention any religious, cultural or personal preferences for clothing or framing, as the executive or their office advises.

How does this affect the booking?

The block adds portrait time, and possibly a separate crew, to the booking. The quotation states the block, the number of portraits, the deliverables and the approval route in writing. We confirm the date and assigned crew when we confirm the booking.

Questions to ask the organiser

Ask whether any executive prefers a particular side, a seated pose or a specific kind of background, and whether any of them will need extra time. Ask whether assistants will be present, since their help with clothing and timing is useful.

Ask also whether the portraits will be used outside Malaysia or in languages other than English, as this can affect how names and titles are written in captions.