Getting the most from our collaboration - tips and tricks when working with a photographer:

How to brief

• Consider the purpose and feel for your photography - do you want a full studio set up or prefer a more documentary or - on location’ - style?

• It’s also good to think about longevity of use. Is this for a specific one-off need or for your core brand identity? (It can be useful to share images/mood boards of work that you like and importantly what you don’t like, to help focus our approach)

Pre-shoot

• It’s helpful to understand the types of location for the shoot and any props or clothes that might be important for you. Both of these can help reinforce your story and style.

• On clothes - it’s great to understand the environment for the photography. This makes sure that the sitter stands out or blends in, depending on what you’d like to achieve.

• Time scheduling is key - it’s amazing how time runs away but by realistic planning, it can be possible to minimise the disruption for a sitter on their time. With that said, it’s always important that sitters don’t feel rushed and so good to build in safety time.

• For the end use of the photography, it’s really helpful to know if there are any templates that the images will be included in. This means I can position the product/sitter and anticipate any text overlays etc. The same is true for websites and socials, as these can also have specific crops.

During shoot

• Weather can have an impact! Always good to have back up locations in case an outdoor option needs to be changed. And differing light levels in the winter have a big impact on the finish time in the afternoon. Funnily enough, a very bright sunny day is tricky for photography, so we’ll discuss where best to get the right exposure to light.

• I will always arrive early to prepare in time and leave once everyone is happy. This means we are ready to anticipate any surprises or changes during the day. Better that we can spend our time helping to make our sitters feel relaxed. For product shots, this gives us some time to do any test shoots.

Post shoot

• It’s always best to discuss if the photographer should edit/select shots from samples live during the actual shoot - or whether it is preferred to receive digital contact sheets after.

• There are no hard and fast rules to editing - but it’s always good to know if you are happy to wait for the full edit or you need a few specific shots up front.

• The resolution of the images - will you be needing all high res or are some okay in low res?

Above all - every project is different and there is always time to problem solve during the journey, which can actually be a very fun and enjoyable part of it. This is your project and your shoot - the photographer is here to realise your vision and with a smile.