Yesterday, I was trying to figure out how to generate a colleague image for our internal company directory. I wanted something simple, clean, and consistent for everyone.
Start Simple
I started by thinking about what information we really needed. Obviously, the person’s face is the most crucial part. I also thought about maybe including their department somehow, but decided to keep it minimal for the first go-around.
The First Attempt (and Failure)
My initial idea was to use a basic photo editing tool. I grabbed a couple of pictures of my coworkers (with their permission, of course!) and started playing around. I tried cropping them all to the same size, adjusting the brightness and contrast, and so on. It was a mess. They all looked different, the lighting was inconsistent, and it just felt… amateur.
Searching for a Better Way
So, I hopped online and started searching for some inspiration. I looked at a bunch of different company websites and internal portals to see how they handled employee photos. I also stumbled upon a few articles about creating consistent imagery, and that got me thinking about automation.
Trying Out Some Online Tools
I found a few online tools that promised to help with image editing and resizing. Some were free, others had a subscription fee. I tested out a couple of the free ones, but they were either too complicated or didn’t offer the kind of control I wanted.
The “Aha!” Moment
Then, it hit me. Instead of trying to fix existing photos, why not create a standardized process from the start? I decided to set up a simple “photo booth” area in the office. Here’s what i did:
- Find a Good Spot: Found a wall with decent, natural light. No harsh shadows or weird reflections.
- Set up a Backdrop: I used a plain white poster board. nothing fancy.
- Get a Decent Camera: I could simply use a cell phone.
- Standardize the Pose: Asked everyone to stand in the same spot, facing forward, with a simple, neutral expression.
The New Workflow
With this new setup, taking the pictures was super easy. I took a few shots of each person, just to be safe. Then, I did the following:
- Upload: I uploaded the best photo of each person to my computer.
- Batch Crop: Used the “crop” function in my operating system’s default photo viewer to make sure every image had uniform dimensions.
Final Touches
Finally, all photos were the same dimensions and had consistent light and backdrop. I renamed the files with each person’s name and department, and that was it!
It’s still a work in progress, and I’m sure I’ll refine the process over time. But for now, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s a simple, consistent solution, and it didn’t take a ton of time or effort. Much better than my first attempt, that’s for sure!
