How Professional Photography Elevates Your Brand at Team Days and Holiday Events
Professional event photography turns your team days and holiday parties into lasting brand assets. Here’s how to elevate your company image through authentic, well-crafted visuals.
Corporate events like team days, holiday parties and other company wide events are more than just a chance to unwind and socialize. They are an opportunity to strengthen your company culture, celebrate achievements, and showcase what makes your brand special. Investing in professional photography ensures these moments are remembered long after the event ends and gives you a powerful library of imagery that reflects who you are as a team.
Capturing Authentic Team Culture
A professional photographer does more than take pictures. My focus is on understanding your company, your people, and the story you want to share. During your event, I look for the moments that matter most: a team member receiving recognition for what they bring to the team, the collaboration between colleagues happening across a table, or that spontaneous laughter that erupts when co-workers get together with one another and talk more about just work.
These are the moments that define your company culture and show others what makes your team special. Professional photography helps you highlight the energy, connection, and authenticity behind your brand. The resulting images become valuable tools for your website, internal newsletters, and social channels, helping you communicate your culture with warmth and confidence.
Turning One Event into a Year of Content
Your team day or company celebration can easily provide a year’s worth of purposeful, on-brand images.
Use them to:
Refresh your website and careers page
Add energy to your LinkedIn posts and company updates
Keep internal communications engaging and human
Enhance proposals, marketing materials, and brand decks
With thoughtful planning, one event session can serve multiple purposes across your business long after the night is over.
Strengthening Brand Consistency
When your images align with your brand style, they strengthen your credibility. Professional photographers understand lighting, tone, and composition so your photos look consistent across every platform.
Rather than a mix of smartphone photos and harsh lighting, you’ll have a polished and cohesive look that reflects the professionalism of your company.
Showcasing Community and Company Values
Many businesses use team events or holiday gatherings as a way to give back to the community. Professional photos of these moments tell a meaningful story about your company’s values and people. They also become great assets for your PR initiatives, annual reports, and future partnerships.
The Long-Term Value
Professional photography is more than nice images of an event that you will look at once and keep hidden in a folder. It’s a visual story that supports your brand long-term. When done thoughtfully, it:
Builds brand recognition
Increases employee engagement
Supports recruitment and retention
Enhances your marketing and communications
The photos from one well-documented event can be used across many areas of your business throughout the year.
Planning Your Next Team Event
If you’re organizing a team day, company wide event or holiday celebration, consider bringing a professional photographer into the conversation early. Together, we can create a plan that captures the right moments, details, and energy that define your company’s story.
I’ve worked with teams across Toronto, from intimate holiday dinners to large-scale corporate celebrations, and every event tells its own story. My goal is always to capture those stories in a way that feels true to your people and reflects the best side of your brand.
Ready to elevate your next event?
Let’s create images that show the heart of your company. Inquire about corporate event photography and let’s start planning something memorable.
Toronto Island Wedding Vows: Arunima + Conor
On a very hot and sweaty summer day, surrounded by their nearest and dearest in the middle of Kensington Market, Arunima and Conor shared their first look. Quickly after that, we all walked together to catch the Spadina streetcar down to the Harbourfront. From there, we hopped on the Tiki Taxi that carried us across the lake to one of the most beautiful ceremony spots on Toronto Island for the couples intimate ceremony .
Surrounded by their closest family and friends, Arunima and Conor exchanged heartfelt and emotional vows. And once they were pronounced officially wed, guests celebrated by blowing bubbles as they shared one of their first kisses as a married couple. After family portraits and some sweet couple’s photos, we boarded the ferry back to the city, parting ways briefly before the celebration continued at Propeller Coffee Co’s event space. There, even more loved ones joined, and I captured speeches, including video messages from family and friends who could not be there in person.
One of my favourite moments of the evening was when Arunima’s parents broke out into dance, adding a touch of South Asian culture that blended beautifully into their North American wedding ceremony.
Photographing a wedding on Toronto Island has always been a dream of mine, and this day was everything I hoped it would be. It was an absolute pure joy of mine to capture, and I cannot wait to do it again next summer (I’m manifesting). If you are planning your wedding or wedding reception on Toronto Island, you must reach out to me. I would love to tell your story.
Florals - Hill’s Florist
Reception - Propeller Coffee Co.
Photographer - Jessica Laforet
From Kew Gardens to Gio Rana’s: A Beautifully, Simple Wedding Celebration.
I still think about this wedding all the time because it was such an absolute honour to capture. Kirsten and Lucas have been together for over 10 years, building a beautiful life together that includes their angel of a daughter. When it came time to celebrate their love story, they chose to gather their closest family and friends at Kew Gardens in the Beaches, followed by dinner and drinks at Gio Rana’s, one of their favourite Toronto spots.
Kirsten actually found me through a friend whose intimate at-home wedding I photographed a few years back. Their stories were so similar, and she wanted the same relaxed, authentic approach to her own day. If I had to describe Kirsten in one phrase, it would be easy breezy. That’s exactly how she wanted her wedding day to feel effortless, candid, and full of joy.
Her vision was simple: candid moments of her loved ones celebrating alongside them, with just a handful of posed portraits mixed in. And that’s exactly what unfolded. A heartfelt ceremony under the gazebo in Kew Gardens, surrounded by family and friends close by. Then a short walk along Queen street, to hop on the streetcar to arrive at Gio Rana’s, where they shared dinner and drinks together.
What stays with me most about this day is how beautifully simple it all was. No fuss, no overcomplication - just love, laughter, and community. It’s a reminder that keeping things local and heartfelt can be every bit as meaningful and beautiful as the grandest celebration.
Venue: Gio Rana’s
Ceremony: Toronto Kew Gardens
Officiant: Paul Belyea
Dress: Alexander McQueen
Photographer: Jessica Laforet
Muskoka Fall Wedding at Bayview Wildwood Resort
Lyndsay and Chris got married in October at Bayview Wildwood Resort in Muskoka, on a day that felt more like summer than fall. The sun was out, the air was warm, and everything about it felt calm and peaceful. It was the perfect setting for such an intimate celebration surrounded by some of their most nearest and dearest.
From our 7:00 AM start to their first dance as a newly married couple by the lake and heartfelt speeches from family and friends, the day was full of emotion. Every part of it felt intentional. Every interaction reflected how deeply Lyndsay and Chris care for one another and for the people in their lives.
When I look back on this day, I feel grateful to have been there. I hope the photos we created together will always bring them back to how it felt. The laughter, the warmth, the love, and the stunning, magical beauty of Muskoka in the fall.
Vendors Who Made This Magical Wedding As Great As It Was
Photographer - Jessica Laforet
MUA - Make-Up By Chelsea B
Hair Stylist - Mau Mau Artistry
Venue - Bayview Wildwood Resort
Florals - Carol Tobin - Barrie Flowers
Dress - Mikaella Bridal
Officiant - Barbara Rowlandson
The Myth of Being Photogenic: Why Confidence, Not Genetics, Shapes Great Headshots
Whether it’s a CEO, a marketing coordinator, or an entire office of professionals lined up for team headshots, most people start off nervous. They don’t know how to stand, what to do with their hands, or how to smile without it feeling forced. And every single time, something shifts once they realize they’re not doing it wrong, it's just that they’re not used to being photographed in a way that supports them.
I can almost bet that when someone asks to take your photo you shy away and say “I’m just not photogenic” and you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common things people say when they step in front of my camera. I would say 9 out of 10 of my clients say it to me the second I meet them, i’m not even kidding. But here’s the truth…being photogenic isn’t a trait you’re born with. It’s a feeling you grow into when you’re guided with care, made to feel comfortable, and given a little bit of reassurance.
As a Toronto-based photographer working with corporate teams, I hear this hesitation constantly. I don’t know if you will find this as a surprise or not, but whether it’s a CEO, a marketing coordinator, or an entire office of professionals lined up for team headshots, most people start off feeling nervous, because they don’t know how to stand, or where to put their hands, or smile without it looking forced, and that is normal and absolutely, totally fine! When I photograph headshots, I don’t expect anyone to walk in knowing what to do. That’s my job. I guide every single person through gentle posing, I find their best light, and keep the setting we are in relaxed so that they can settle into themselves. I don’t force smiles or stiff angles, instead, I listen to my clients needs and create space for people to feel seen in a way that feels natural to them.
I can promise that you can see the difference in the final images. Not just in posture or expression, but in their energy. My clients who thought they were “un-photogenic” always end up telling me how much they love their photos. Not because the photo changed them, or I magically made them look like a different person, but because the process let them feel like themselves.
Your headshot isn’t just a photo on your company website or LinkedIn profile. It’s often the first impression you make in your industry, especially now that most business are hybrid. When it reflects the confidence you bring to your work, the impact is real. Clients, employers, and colleagues connect more easily with people who come across as both approachable and capable.
So the next time you hear someone say, “I’m not photogenic,” gently remind them: you don’t have to be. You just need the right photographer, one who gets you, guides you, and helps you feel confident enough to be yourself in front of the camera. In fact: I know the perfect one. Her name is Jessica Laforet and she would LOVE to show you how photogenic you truly are, you should get in touch with her and check out her website!
Professional Headshots and Studio Portraits That Feel Like You
I offer studio portraits from my cozy in-home studio in Toronto. It is a relaxed, comfortable space that keeps things easy and focused on what matters most: capturing you at your best. No stiff poses, no awkward energy. Just great light, good conversation, and a little guidance from me to help you feel natural in front of the camera. We can use natural light or bring in professional studio lighting. It all depends on the vibe you are going for.
First time in a studio? Or maybe you have done this before? Either way, you are in good hands. I will walk you through the whole process so you feel confident and comfortable, and yes, we will even have a little fun.
Studio portraits are ideal for:
Toronto professionals who need a clean, polished corporate headshot
Entrepreneurs, creatives, and small business owners building a personal brand
Artists, authors, and creators putting a face to their work
Anyone looking for a timeless, high-quality portrait of themselves or someone they love
Every session is personalized. Before your shoot, we will talk about what you need the photos for, the kind of look you want, and how you hope to feel when you see your final images. From wardrobe tips to posing guidance, I will make sure you walk into the studio feeling prepared and excited.
By the end, you will have portraits that feel like you and that you will be proud to share.
If you are in Toronto and thinking about booking a studio portrait or professional headshot, let’s make something great together. You can book a session or simply reach out with questions through my contact form.
Elegant Bridal Shower at The OMNI King Edward Hotel in Downtown Toronto
The OMNI King Edward Hotel, located in Toronto, provided the perfect backdrop for this elegant bridal shower.
All Photos by: Jessica Laforet
This month I had the pleasure of photographing an elegant bridal shower at The historic OMNI King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto. The bride-to-be was surrounded by her closest friends and family in a setting that can only be described as exquisite.
The OMNI King Edward Hotel provided the perfect backdrop for this elegant bridal shower, and the florist with their stunning and perfectly arranged bouquets that were set on every surface imaginable. It was an afternoon filled with friends, family, beauty, laughter, tears of joy, and precious moments that the bride-to-be will cherish forever.
I am honoured to have photographed this special day, as I know these will be images the bride-to-be will cherish forever!
Just got engaged and planning a bridal shower with your favourite people? Let’s make sure every moment is captured beautifully!
Click here to get in touch!
Vendors:
Photography - Jessica Laforet Photography
Venue + Catering: The OMNI King Edward Hotel - Toronto
Florals + Decor - Babylon Decor & Much More
Planner - Details by Daniela + Natina Design
Bridal Shower Cake - Fine Cakes by Zehra
Charger Plates - Nayos
Arch Backdrop -Decor and Fiesta
