Corporate Photography for Coffee Bean Malaysia
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Malaysia Management Team
TL;DR
36 people. One day. Corporate headshots, management portraits, departmental group photos.
And free-flow coffee!
That pretty much sums up my recent corporate photography assignment with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) Malaysia at their headquarters in Shamelin, Kuala Lumpur.
But there's a little more to the story.
Good Planning Makes a Difference
Before the actual photoshoot, we had a pre-production meeting to discuss the requirements, photography style and schedule.
The assignment involved 10 Heads of Department, 26 assistants and the Managing Director, Datuk Mohamed Amar Shah.
We needed individual headshots of the HODs, a top management group portrait and several departmental group photographs. A few impromptu individual headshots made their way into the schedule too.
Shooting Plan Guideline Document for CBTL
I prepared the shooting schedule with assistance from CBTL's person-in-charge (PIC) which was included in the Shooting Plan Guideline Document. (I even included a page from my eBook for posing to guide them!)
The plan gave us a structure to work with, but something interesting happened on the actual day.
Everything went so smoothly that we could move sessions around according to people's availability.
Someone was free earlier? Come in for makeup.
Another department was ready? We could photograph them first.
The best part? None of these changes disrupted the main photography session.
Behind the Scene - Corporate Photography for The Coffee Bean & Tea Life Malaysia with Hafiz Ismail
That's the benefit of having a plan that gives everyone room to work.
A Little Teamwork Goes a Long Way
For this assignment, I had the pleasure of collaborating with makeup artist Faryn Razak and her team.
Three makeup personnel were stationed at the back of our headshot room, preparing everyone for their photographs.
Nothing overly elaborate. Just simple, professional corporate touch-ups to make everyone look camera-ready.
Faryn was hands-on during the photography sessions too, helping with hair adjustments and those little details that can make a difference in a portrait.
Faryn Razak - Corporate Make Up Artist helping behind the scene
Having a good makeup team means I can concentrate on the lighting, posing, expressions and capturing the photographs.
It's always nice working with people who know what they're doing.
Keeping the Photography Simple
Clamshell Lighting setup for consistent headshots
For the individual corporate headshots, I used a clamshell lighting setup against a clean background.
Simple, flattering and consistent.
For the group portraits, I switched to softboxes and photographed the teams at CBTL's reception area, incorporating their corporate logo into the background.
The idea was to keep the photographs professional, with a clear connection to the company's identity.
Creative direction was a collaborative effort between myself and CBTL's PIC, who helped with posing and coordinating the groups.
And the people?
Everyone was friendly and comfortable in front of the camera.
From the Heads of Department to Datuk Amar Shah himself, it was a pleasure photographing the team.
When people feel comfortable, my job becomes a lot easier.
It's Not Always About the Camera
Casual Group Photo - CBTL Malaysia
After years of photographing corporate executives, management teams and employees, I've learned that the actual photography is just one part of the assignment.
Communication matters.
Preparation matters.
The people working together behind the scenes matter.
This particular session reminded me how enjoyable corporate photography can be when everyone is working towards the same objective.
Good communication from CBTL's team, a cooperative group of people and a wonderful makeup team made the entire day pleasant from start to finish.
And did I mention the free-flow coffee?
That's certainly one perk of photographing the people behind a coffee brand!
Thank You, CBTL Malaysia
A big thank you to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Malaysia, Datuk Amar Shah, the Heads of Department, their teams and everyone involved for making this such an enjoyable assignment.
Special thanks to Faryn Razak and her makeup team for the excellent collaboration.
Looking forward to seeing these photographs put to good use.
And perhaps another cup of coffee.
I'm Hafiz, the photographer behind Images by Hafiz. I specialise in corporate headshots, leadership portraits and corporate photography in Kuala Lumpur and across Malaysia.
If your organisation is planning a corporate headshot session or management team photography, feel free to get in touch.
