A quick guide to help businesses plan for their photography needs
Regardless of your business, chances are imagery is needed to tell your story – visual content that captures attention quickly and encourages viewers to want to know more about your business.
We live in a time when photos are generated by more types of devices than ever before. An average smartphone is capable of creating higher quality images than a $3000 digital camera did 15 years ago.
Which means there are a crazy amount of images out there. Effective marketing is driven by the need to grab viewers’ attention quickly amongst the countless images bombarding screens in a given day. It’s easy to take photos, but how can you create visual content that will actually boost your business?
If you’re a business owner or creative tasked with generating content, when it comes to organizing a photo shoot for any kind or size of business, you’ve probably experienced a range of emotions: excitement about the potential of high-quality imagery, but overwhelmed by all the preproduction details, finding the right photographer and the cost of doing it right.
While there is not a one-size-fits-all solution to having a successful shoot, there are a handful of small steps that will help you make the most of a photo shoot, whether you are shooting it in-house on an iPhone or hiring a photographer. Here are some of the most important that I’ve learned in my 20 years in photography:
1) Plan an annual shot list and budget.
As with most things in life, planning ahead will make the process so much easier for you. If you can, take some time at the beginning of the year to plan general photo needs and budget to get the ball rolling early. Early is good. The more you know early on, the more stress you won’t have to experience later on.
Even the roughest of outlines can help significantly. Start with a simple timeline of what photos you expect to need in the upcoming year, and when. (It’s amazing how man shoots get pushed to the last minute.)
When it comes to specific photo shoots, a detailed shot list in advance of shoot day will help in many ways. I can speak from experience – it helps the photographer be ready when you walk in the door, so time is spent fine-tuning, not starting from scratch.
2) Create a style guide.
Once general photo needs are addressed, it’s time to start looking at what style represents your business or product.
Lighting and composition are the basic foundation here. Create a storyboard or pull samples of images you like, as well as ones you don’t like, to help ensure the look and feel are understood. Lighting should be addressed here. Is the feel moody with dark shadows, or light and airy? Again, sample images go a long way! Start tearing up old catalogs or magazines and create an inspiration wall or binder. No need to be fancy; keep it simple and easy to update.
3) Be aware of layout.
Where and how will the images be used? Keep the final layout in mind, and make sure the photographer is aware of design. Ideally, this means knowing the dimensions before the shoot. For example, there is no need to shoot a vertical image if you o
nly need wide web banners – no matter how beautiful that vertical shot is, it won’t fit.
Communicate as much as possible to the photographer regarding how the images will be presented. Is the website background white, black or neon green? This info is crucial to creating images that will pop. Today’s technology makes it easy to drop images from the shoot right into layout on set to ensure there is plenty of room for your new logo and copy. Or simply snap a photo of the back of the camera and text it to an art director or business owner 100 miles away for feedback. Communication is key.
4) Be thoughtful with location.
Choose a visually interesting place to shoot. Then scout it out. Taking the time to scout potential locations saves lots of time while shooting and helps you visualize the shots in advance, leaving more time on shoot day to focus on other details. What time of day is the light right? Does the room need to be cleaned or rearranged? Is the grass as green as you remember it from that picnic a year ago? Do you need a permit for access so you don’t get kicked out mid-shoot? (Permitting isn’t hard; it just takes planning.) Are you shooting in a studio? What backgrounds go with your new website and make your design, ideas, product or people stand out?
5) Don’t completely rely on PhotoShop.
One of the most common things I’ve heard in this business is “fix it in PhotoShop.” PhotoShop is a valuable tool, but solving problems in camera is often the best solution, as it eliminates time in post-production and keeps images as natural-looking as possible. Of course, there are times when PhotoShop will create the final result you want, but be careful with this. If possible, always consult the person doing the PhotoShop work to ensure the process will leave you with the image you want.
6) Be flexible.
No matter how much planning goes into a shoot, some detail will change come shoot day. It’s important to be flexible and open to change. Having a backup plan in case of weather or unforeseen issues can really save the day. Being open to new ideas at the shoot can help provide options. Be careful not to get sidetracked from main goals, but often expanding on original concepts can take the shot to the next level.
7) Have fun and keep an open dialogue!
Going into a shoot with a solid game plan will help keep the creative process fun. Often, the best results come from a collaboration of business owners, creative directors and the photographer, with everyone contributing valuable ideas and concepts to pull off a successful shoot that truly is a group effort.
Don’t be afraid to shoot for success. You’ll start to find it as you put these tips into practice! If you have questions along the way, you can get in touch with me at [email protected].
Elliott Johnson is photographer and owner at Elliott Johnson Photography, a business based in San Luis Obispo that offers studio and location photography services to a variety of local and national businesses. He enjoys being involved from concept development to completion but is happy to jump in last minute as well, for his passion is to help find visual solutions that make clients more successful. For more information, visit elliottjohnson.com.
