Team building photographer: a look back at the Pennylane 2025 event at Center Parcs

Mission entrusted by the customer

For the third year running, I had the pleasure of being commissioned as event photographer to cover the Pennylane corporate team building event. This 2025 edition was held on July 2 at Center Parcs Le Lac d'Ailette, and brought together 500 participants. My mission: to capture the general atmosphere of the day and the spontaneous interactions between colleagues, from the morning to the evening, including all the team-building workshops on the program.

During the day, my aim was to capture the natural highlights: laughter during the challenges, encouragement between colleagues and moments of improvised complicity. By staying as close as possible to the participants while remaining discreet, I was able to photograph these authentic exchanges that reflect the conviviality and team spirit of Pennylane. The company's management wanted lively images, far from staid poses, to best illustrate the warm atmosphere that reigned throughout this team seminar.

Varied activities for pure entertainment

Throughout the day, I covered all the activities on offer, reflecting the richness of the program. Pennylane employees challenged themselves to a frenzied paintball game, awakened their zen during an outdoor yoga session, climbed trees on an accrobranche course, and racked their brains with a scripted escape game. I also immortalized some more unusual moments: a pedal-boat ride on the lake, a virtual reality game for some, or the laughter around an improvised photobooth. These varied activities offered a multitude of scenes to capture: so manydynamic images testifying to the cohesion and enthusiasm of the teams.

One of the highlights was, of course, the big group photo of all 500 participants. To make it happen, I got up high and directed the set-up so that everyone was visible. A great collective souvenir, with the wholePennylane team united in front of the lake. The company evening that followed was also rich in emotion: cocktails on the terrace, a lively DJ set and even a memorable karaoke session where some hidden talents revealed themselves at the microphone. As a photographer, I doubled my vigilance in the evening to capture both the laughter over a drink and the swaying on the dance floor. Finally, I had to deliver the photos very quickly, in less than 48 hours, so that the company could communicate on the spot internally and on social networks. The challenge was met: the very next day, a selection of the best shots was ready to be shared on Pennylane's intranet and LinkedIn, extending the magic of the event to all employees.

Pennylane: a French scale-up in financial management

Pennylane is a French scale-up specializing in financial management and accounting for SMEs and their accounting firms. Founded in 2020, the fintech offers an innovative platform that connects accounting production software to a financial management tool, facilitating real-time collaboration between corporate clients and their accountants entreprendre.fr. Pennylane's dazzling growth has made it one of the most dynamic start-ups in French Tech. welcometothejungle.com. With a young, ambitious team, the company's culture is one of innovation and conviviality, which is reflected in the enthusiasm of its employees at this type of corporate event.

View the slideshow of the Pennylane team building in 2023

Center Parcs Le Lac d'Ailette: an ideal venue for green seminars

Located in the Aisne region (Hauts-de-France), around 2 hours from Paris, Center Parcs - Le Lac d'Ailette is an idyllic venue for corporate seminars and team building. The estate extends over 80 hectares of forest and features a village of cottages on the shores of a 140-hectare lake with a white sandy beach. Participants are accommodated in comfortable cottages in the heart of nature, enjoying a complete change of scenery and direct access to the lake for water sports activities. In terms of activities, the site offers over 20 sports and leisure activities on site: adventure courses such as accrobranche, water sports on the lake, archery, yoga, paintball, bowling, not forgettingAqua Mundo (an aquatic area with pools and slides) and a spa for moments of relaxation. This exceptional natural setting, with its vast green spaces and complete infrastructure, makes it a popular place to strengthen team cohesion in an atmosphere that's both friendly and relaxing.

Why use a professional event photographer?

At a corporate event such as a seminar or team building, professional photography plays a crucial role in capturing the essence of the atmosphere. An experienced team building photographer will capture emotions, interactions and the general atmosphere, creating an authentic visual record of the day.. In contrast to amateur photos, shots taken by a professional highlight key collective moments while remaining natural: you can see employees laughing, concentrating, helping each other - in short, living the moment to the full, without artifice.

What's more, high-quality photos are an asset for the company. These images can be used for a wide range of internal (intranet articles, HR newsletter, video retrospective) and external (social networks, corporate blog, recruitment brochures) communication media to illustrate company life in a concrete way. Professional, dynamic visuals from a team-building event are a great way to enhance your employer brand: they reflect a positive corporate culture and reinforce your teams' sense of belonging.. Last but not least, these photos provide precious memories for the participants themselves. Employees can relive the best moments of the team seminar through a shared album or an online gallery, extending the unifying impact of the event well beyond D-day.

Are you organizing a team-building event or seminar in the Paris region or elsewhere?

I will help you document each key moment with a natural, professional photographic approach adapted to your internal and external communications.