Team photos don't have to look like your high school yearbook

I've photographed team members for various organizations such as gyms, retail, a psychotherapy practice, a personal development company . . .
Now one thing I hate about typical team pages on websites is that everyone's photo looks identical. The same pose. The same lighting. The same background. Blah. My eyes glaze over. The uniqueness of each individual doesn't come through - or it's at least severely muted.
So when I pitched photographing the team members for Buena Park Deli and Wine, I recommended mixing it up.
I photographed each person in action, doing their typical activities and looking up as if I were a customer who'd just entered the store. I show people both interacting with the specifics of the wine store and with me as the stand-in for the client. We went for a warm, welcoming vibe in all the photos. We also decided on a hip black-and-white look.
Here is Patricia’s photo, and I love it.
I positioned her shelving bottles of wine. (And I knocked over and broke a bottle while demonstrating where I wanted her to stand! Oops!) Patricia turned and smiled at me as I approached, and I snapped the shutter.
I love catching her mid-turn. Her welcoming smile. The catchlights in her dark eyes eyes. The stars on her blouse. And the bottles of wine in the background.
In addition I cropped the image very tightly in a square format to focus attention on Patricia's eyes. The most genuine smiles occur in the eyes.
In sum, this photo is a unique perspective on a unique person. The image of Patricia is dynamic and inviting. And certainly NOT like a high school yearbook.
Own your badassity!