Preparing for a photoshoot
There is a lot to consider when pulling together a photoshoot, from dreaming up the concept to the shoot style and edit style I will use. So, before we even pick up a camera we need to get clear on what we are creating and why. Thats why I always plan a week or so of planning with my clients. Below I’ve run through what you can do to prepare for and contribute to the shoot.
GATHER INSPIRATION
Moodboarding is a great way to get the creative juices flowing. Basically it’s taking the time to research, dream and plan for your shoot before we even pick up a camera. By putting all your ideas in one place, we are able to start shaping your vision to make sure that it is cohesive and fits with your branding.
My favourite tool for this is Pinterest. I usually start a mood board and share it with my clients, so that we can both contribute our thoughts in visual form. We want to include inspiration for basically everything that will be a part of the shoot. This will vary depending on what you are shooting, but below is an overal list of topics to include in the moodboard.
THINK ABOUT HOW YOU WANT TO USE YOUR IMAGES
Mapping out how you want to use your images and where they will appear ahead of time will ensure you get images which suits your purposes. Will you use them to build a website? A social media campagin? Online Store? Print Materials? The destination your images are bound for will influence the way we photograph your products. So it’s worth putting some thought into it and letting me know exactly what you need before we start.
SIGN OFF ON THE SHOOT PLAN
After we have done our planning and moodboarding I will develop a shoot plan to share with you. This will refine our aestheic for the shoot and detail out the shots that we are looking to acheive. At this point you can get a real sense of what I will create for you. So if you have any feedback or want to make changes to the direction of the shoot, this is the time to let me know. Once you have signed off on the shoot plan, shooting will begin and at that point it is too late to make changes.
PREPARE YOUR PRODUCTS
Make your products look nice! Yes, the power of digital editing is amazing these days and you can edit out blemishes that appear on your product in post-production. But it is time consuming and it’s never going to look as amazing as the real deal. So before you send your products out, make sure they are looking their best. For jewellery, this might mean you thoroughly clean and polish the product surface. For clothing it could be steaming out wrinkles, for packets it could be making sure that all your labels are looking perfect. Shoot dates are carefully scheduled and can’t be delayed if there is a problem with the product on the day.
SEND ME YOUR PRODUCTS
Make sure you have enough stock made up and sent to me at the studio with plenty of time to spare. I will usually ask that you send me duplicates of each product that you need photographed. Having multiple copies of your product allows me more freedom to get creative with your composition, and give me alternatives should any packaging me damaged or (heaven forbid) the product breaks.
SUMMARY
To sum up, it's important to get the most from your photoshoot, so the more planning you do the better.
Hopefully this post has been useful to you. If you've got more questions, feel free to leave a comment below or get in touch on info@rachelkimberley.com
