Photography Direction
Headshot & lifestyle brief for the preliminary team shoot — Spring 2026.
The target look and feel for this shoot. Share these with the photographer.
Headshot Direction — Doctors
Warm, confident, approachable. Dark scrubs against a warm neutral background. Soft directional light.
Headshot Direction — Nurse
Warm, welcoming, competent. Tan or chocolate scrubs. Softer, warmer overall tone.
Lifestyle Direction
Candid, conversational, natural. These should feel caught, not constructed.
What We Don't Want
Anti-references — show the photographer these as examples of what to avoid.
"Photograph a medical team you'd trust with your family — warm, present, and quietly confident."
Dr. Adam Neff — Internal Medicine
Dr. Tony Karem — Pediatrics
Deanna — Nurse
Calm, reassuring, established, human, thoughtful, quietly premium. A lifelong medical home — not a hospital system, not an urgent care, not a med-spa.
Warm throughout. Creamy highlights, golden-tan midtones, soft chocolate shadows. Skin tones protected and warm. Nothing cool, nothing clinical.
Not a hospital marketing shoot. No fluorescent lighting. No ring light. No stark white walls. No stethoscope-over-shoulder cliches. No stock photo energy. No forced smiles.
The office is not yet built out and embroidered scrubs are not ready. This session focuses on clean headshots and a small set of lifestyle imagery using plain, on-brand scrubs in a neutral studio or simple environment. The results need to carry the website until the full office shoot happens.
Headshots — Primary Priority
Every subject gets a usable portrait for the NeffKarem.com team page. These are the must-haves.
| Shot | Framing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard headshot | Head & shoulders, crop just below collarbone | Warm neutral background. Soft directional light. Capture three expressions per subject: neutral-confident, soft smile, warm genuine smile. The warm smile is likely the hero — but options matter. |
| Wider portrait | Waist-up | Same setup, pulled back. Scrub fit and color become visible. Useful for about-page hero cards and layouts with more breathing room. |
| 3/4 angle variation | Head & shoulders, body angled ~30° off-camera | Face toward lens, shoulders turned. Adds dimension — less passport-photo, more editorial portrait. Try both left and right shoulder forward. |
| Environmental headshot | Head & shoulders, shallow depth of field | If location allows — subject sharp, warm blurred background with a hint of space behind them. Creates the sense of place even without the real office. |
Lifestyle — Secondary
A handful of natural, conversational shots. Even without the real office, these add warmth and humanity to the site. Keep them relaxed and unposed-feeling.
| Shot | Subjects | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Partnership | Adam & Tony | Standing or seated, mid-conversation. Candid energy — not looking at camera. This is the image that tells patients "these two built this together." Relaxed, collegial, warm. |
| The Team Dynamic | Adam or Tony + Deanna | Collaborative moment — reviewing something together, a brief exchange, shared focus on a task. Shows the care team working as a unit. Natural, not staged. |
| Full Team | All three | Relaxed group shot. Stagger depth — don't line up shoulder to shoulder. One looking at camera, one mid-conversation. Should feel like a moment, not a pose. |
| Detail / Accent | Any | If the moment arises: stethoscope in hand, a candid laugh between subjects, hands mid-gesture in conversation. These make great accent images for the site — don't force them, just be ready. |
Embroidered scrubs aren't ready yet, so everyone needs to arrive in clean, unbranded scrubs in the correct brand colors. No visible logos, no branding, no text. Reference the Uniforms & Apparel page for the full spec.
Wear: Black or charcoal scrubs. Modern, tailored fit — FIGS or equivalent quality. Top and bottom should match.
Fit: Intentional and clean. Not baggy, not skin-tight. Should look like they chose this — not like it was assigned.
Backup: Bring a second set in the alternate color (if primary is black, bring charcoal too). Gives options in post.
Avoid: blue, green, white, vivid colors, visible logos, wrinkled or pilled fabric.
Wear: Tan, light gray, or chocolate brown scrubs. Same quality standard — FIGS-level fit and fabric. Top and bottom should match.
Fit: Clean and well-fitted. Approachable and polished — the first point of care for many patients.
Backup: Bring a second set in a different approved color. The tan/sand reads warmer on camera; the chocolate reads more grounded.
Avoid: black, white, vivid colors, visible logos, wrinkled or pilled fabric.
All scrubs must be freshly laundered and pressed or steamed. No wrinkles, no pilling, no fading. These are the first impression of the practice — they need to look brand new.
Accessories: Minimal. A watch is fine — keep it simple. No lanyards, badge reels, pens in pockets, or cluttered scrub pockets. Stethoscope as a prop only when the shot calls for it, not draped around the neck for every frame.
Grooming: Clean and natural. Hair should be styled but not overdone. Nothing that looks like it was done for a photo — it should look like how they'd show up to see a patient.
White coat option: Bring one if available — could be useful for a single lifestyle shot. But the primary look is scrubs only. The white coat is the exception, not the default.
Target Palette
Share these with the photographer. Every decision — wardrobe, background, grade — should feel at home in this family.
Grade Direction
The entire image should live in the warm zone. Creamy highlights, golden-tan midtones, soft chocolate shadows. Skin is the warmest element in frame — protect it.
Push shadows toward warm brown, never blue or cool gray. Highlights should roll off soft and creamy, not blown or clinical white.
The website background is Warm Cream (#fbf7f4). Every image needs to feel native on that surface — like it was born there, not dropped in.
Creams, tans, warm browns, golden amber. If it feels like linen, walnut, or late-afternoon sun — you're in the right place.
No stark white. No cool blue. No teal. No cool gray. No desaturated clinical tones. If it feels like a hospital corridor, it's wrong.
One large softbox or window at 45°. Soft, directional, warm. Sculpts without dramatizing. This is the whole setup for headshots — keep it simple and flattering.
Reflector or low-power second source. Shadows should be soft and open, not deep or dramatic. This isn't moody editorial — it's a medical practice. People need to look approachable.
Lean warm — 5000–5500K on subject, or warmer. If using artificial light, CTO gel or white balance toward golden. The images should feel like late-afternoon window light, never overhead fluorescent.
Warm neutral seamless: creamy tan, warm light gray, or soft sand. If shooting on location, look for clean, warm walls or architectural surfaces — nothing that reads as a specific place. The background should feel like it could be the Neff & Karem office — warm, clean, modern — without being anywhere specific.
No ring light. No on-camera flash. No cool-blue key light. No stark white seamless. No visible colored gels. No overhead fluorescent. No anything that makes this look like a hospital ID badge photo.
+ Warm, genuine expressions — the kind that puts a patient at ease in the first three seconds
+ Slight forward lean toward camera — reads as engaged, present, listening
+ Hands relaxed — at sides, one in pocket, resting on a surface. Natural and at ease.
+ Eye contact with lens — psychological presence and trust
+ Let conversation happen on set — the best expressions come between poses, not during them
+ Capture a range of expression per subject — neutral-confident, soft smile, warm smile
+ Lifestyle shots should feel caught, not constructed
× No crossed arms — ever. Not even "casually." It reads as closed off.
× No stethoscope draped over shoulders like a stock photo costume
× No hands-on-hips power poses — this isn't a Grey's Anatomy promo
× No looking-off-into-the-distance-thoughtfully — it reads as disconnected
× No forced or toothy smiles — if it wouldn't happen naturally in the exam room, don't do it here
× No cluttered frames — no pens, lanyards, badge reels, phone clips visible
× No cool-toned anything — lighting, background, or wardrobe
These are doctors and a nurse — they're used to being in charge of the room, not being in front of a camera. Keep the set calm and conversational. Minimal direction is better than over-directing. Guide shoulders and chin, then let conversation do the rest. The best shot will probably come when they forget they're being photographed.
Scrubs: Black or charcoal
Co-founder, Internal Medicine. His headshot should communicate trust, competence, and the kind of quiet confidence that makes you feel like you're in good hands. Warm but grounded.
Scrubs: Black or charcoal
Co-founder, Pediatrics. His photos should feel warm and approachable — the kind of doctor kids trust and parents feel good about. A genuine, easy smile will be his strongest frame.
Scrubs: Tan/sand or chocolate brown
The first point of care for many patients. Her portrait should feel warm, welcoming, and competent. The softer scrub palette (tan/chocolate) will give her images a naturally warmer tone than the doctors'.
Light and natural. Even out tone, clean up temporary blemishes and distractions (stray hairs, redness). Retain natural texture — pores, lines, character. No heavy smoothing. These are real doctors, not magazine covers. Protect warm skin undertones throughout.
Subtle clarity and catch-light enhancement only. Don't over-brighten or over-sharpen. Natural and alive — not retouched into uncanny valley.
Shadows: warm brown, never blue or cool gray. Midtones: protect warm skin and scrub colors — don't shift. Highlights: soft, creamy, never blown. Overall feel should be warm and grounded — like the images were shot in golden-hour window light.
Clean any seamless scuffs or marks. Warm slightly in post if needed — push toward soft sand/cream. The image should sit naturally on the Warm Cream (#fbf7f4) website background without a jarring edge.
No body reshaping. No dramatic skin smoothing. No teeth whitening beyond subtle evening. No removing natural features (moles, freckles, laugh lines) — these are the things that make patients recognize and trust their doctor. The goal is polished and professional, not manufactured.
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Format | RAW + high-res JPEG (300 dpi for print, 72 dpi web exports) |
| Color profile | sRGB for web deliverables; Adobe RGB for print masters |
| White balance | Warm — match the brand palette. If in doubt, lean warmer. |
| Crop ratios | 1:1 (team grid), 3:4 (cards), 16:9 (hero banners), plus uncropped originals |
| Naming | NK_[Subject]_[ShotType]_[Number] — e.g. NK_Neff_Headshot_01.jpg |
| Selects | Photographer provides curated selects (5–8 per subject for headshots, 8–12 lifestyle total). Full set of outtakes delivered separately. |
| Turnaround | Edited selects within 5 business days. Full set within 10. |
"Patients feel known, guided, and cared for across every stage of life."
THE BRAND PROMISE — EVERY IMAGE SHOULD MAKE YOU FEEL THIS.