01 Aug How to Prepare for a Photo Shoot (Tip 1: Don’t let the engineers get you down)
Photo shoots are fun. Having a little glitz and glamour in the office helps break up everyday tasks and injects a little energy into the office. It doesn’t matter if your company needs portraits, architecture photography, intricate marketing photos, or a little bit of everything; it’s still exciting. However, organizing a photo shoot–not so much.
Few people crave organizational challenges, and a photo shoot is often one big challenge. There are many moving parts to the day. Staff members have strong opinions on what should and shouldn’t be photographed. Deadlines come at you fast. Some marketers ask themselves and their teams, “How are we going to photograph all of this? What have I signed up for?”
With a little bit of planning, you can avoid the photo shoot stress trap. Our goal is to help marketers have a smooth, fun photography experience. While we can’t eliminate all of your challenges, we can give you tips on how to prepare for a photo shoot while keeping your sanity somewhat intact.
Brainstorm Your Photo Wants & Needs
You need a shot list and a solid plan if you want an efficient photo shoot. As much as you’d like to shoot “off the cuff” and roll with whatever looks good in the moment, a shot list will help ensure everyone’s needs and wants are met in a streamlined process. This is where brainstorming comes into play. Ask yourself and your team generative questions. You can start with some of these:
- What is the point of the photo shoot?
- Are there any photos we wish we had in the last year or two?
- When did we need to resort to stock or settle for an image?
- What visual holes do we have on our website and in our marketing materials?
- Which products, people, or places need to be photographed?
- What photos do our competitors have, and how can we differentiate ourselves?
- Do we need to hire models or can we use our people?
- How can we add to our internal photo library?
Consider including other important teams outside of marketing in your brainstorming sessions. Sales, technical teams, and executives will have valuable insights into your wish list. For example, let’s say you work for an engineering firm. The photos you think are valuable as a marketer may not be important or visually correct as an engineer. You need to know this before your photographer arrives to avoid any confusion–or disagreements–on the day of the shoot. In fact, the engineer could be one of your creative assets in creating authentic imagery. They often know what looks cool in addition to knowing what looks correct.
Understand the Off-Limit Areas in Advance
You also need to know what is off-limits. You may need to avoid a board room because a meeting is scheduled during the shoot. A piece of equipment may need to be kept private because it shows proprietary technology. One of your executives gets uncomfortable during portrait sessions and may become a little uncooperative. Half of your staff usually has meetings in the morning, so you need an afternoon session.
As photographers, we use the philosophy “ask for forgiveness rather than permission,” but knowing your boundaries ahead of time will alleviate day-of meltdowns. Identify these off-limits areas during your brainstorming session and plan to acquire the permissions needed for the photo shoot. If you have a walkthrough schedule with your photographer before your shoot, point out the off-limit areas and explain any potential conflicts so they are fully prepared. A pro should be able to handle anything thrown at them, but it’s always nice to have a heads-up in advance.
Create a Shot List & Schedule
By now, you have all of the information you need to create a shot list. You know what you can and cannot photograph, and you have your big wish list of photos. Look at that list and identify which photos are your “need-to-have” photos and which are your “want-to-have” photos. You have to prioritize your needs, but have your wants ready to go if you have more time in your schedule or during the photo shoot.
Your schedule can be as tight or as fluid as it needs to be. Your photographer can also help with this. Ask them how much time they need to photograph each person for portraits. If you have a technical photo shoot such as architecture or marketing photos, get their opinion on the most efficient path throughout the shoot and an estimated amount of time needed to capture each unique shot. Your photographer will be able to tell you how much time they need to get from point A to point B and break down/set up any gear they have before the next shot.
Once you have this information from the photographer, you can schedule your team accordingly. Let your photographer know if someone, a space, or a piece of equipment has a limited window for photography. Don’t forget to schedule breaks for your photographer if you have a long shoot. They need to eat too!
Communicate with Staff in Advance
We cannot stress how important it is to communicate with your staff before the photographer arrives. Email your team before the shoot to let them know:
- Their photography time (if getting a portrait or posing in a marketing photo)
- The areas that need to be cleaned and prepped in advance
- Any special outfits or branded materials they need for their photo
- The estimated amount of time you’ll be photographing in their space
- Other relevant photography information
Make sure to explain to your team that their cooperation will make the shoot efficient and faster. Ask them to be flexible because surprises happen on photo shoots. Take note of anyone willing to jump in as a last-minute model. In our experience, prepared and flexible teams usually ended up with shoots that finished ahead of schedule which allowed us to get extra images.
Have a Point Person
This is essential. A point person is more than a contact; they help facilitate the shoot for your company. Their job could include anything from contacting people who do not show up for their designated photography time or approving shots from your creative point of view. Having a point person to work with the photographer allows us to focus on what we do best–making you (and your company) look like a rockstar.
Be Realistic
You know your staff and your shot list. Trying to fit as much as possible into a full day usually ends up putting unnecessary stress on you, your team, and your photographer. We want to be efficient, but we don’t want our clients to walk away disappointed. This is why we suggest doing a walkthrough with your photographer and collaborating on the schedule. If you think you’re going to run into issues on the shoot, communicate them with your photographer well in advance.
For example, let’s say your staff are only available in the mornings. Everyone needs a portrait, but you have too many people to photograph in half of a day. Your photographer may suggest breaking a full-day shoot into two half-day shoots or one 3-hour shoot and one 5-hour shoot. A pro should not mind accommodating your team’s space and staffing schedules.
Know Your “Once-in-a-Lifetime” Shots
Sometimes, you have the opportunity to grab a rare, unexpected photo that will impact your schedule. This is where you need your team and photographer to be flexible. If you have someone who is hard to nail down for a photo, an unexpected important guest shows up at an event, or a piece of equipment suddenly becomes available for a short period of time, break away from the schedule and get the photo. It’s worth it if you cannot live without that image.
Of course, it’s easier to write a “how to prepare for your photo shoot” article than it is to implement. Unplanned challenges happen all of the time. The power goes out during an interior design shoot. Products and people are not ready to go. It rains during a construction shoot. Your point person gets sick. The schedule fails.
Things happen, but this is why you work with a professional photographer. An experienced pro has seen everything and is prepared for anything. The best action you can take is to come prepared and ready for action. That’s when the fun begins.
Interested in learning more? Check out our article, “5 Ways to Save Money on Your Photo Shoot.”