It was time for Media À La Carte’s next brand photoshoot (read WHY you need a brand photoshoot). We like to schedule one annual shoot to get (nearly) all of the content we need for the year ahead. Yes, you read that right—We’ve mastered the entire photoshoot process so that we get EVERYTHING in just a single day. Pretty impressive, huh?
We use these photos for social media, our website, the Content Calendar Club, this blog, and so much more. Having a brand photoshoot is vital for defining your brand’s image, owning your images (and not having to deal with copyrights and permissions), curating a library of content so you can plan your posts in advance, and even uniting your team That’s why it is especially important to plan ahead and set the scene to have an efficient photoshoot day.
Don’t worry, we’re not about to gatekeep our recipe for success. Here’s how it all went down:
Our Recipe For a Successful
Brand Photoshoot
1. We had a team meeting
Amandina, Karli, and Astoncia got together to share ideas, objectives, and vision targets for the shoot. The trio made a Pinterest board for gathering inspiration and assigned team jobs so that team members who weren’t present would know what to focus on leading up to and on the day of the shoot. These jobs included: time keeper, props master, wardrobe, behind-the-scenes capture, and client correspondence during shoot. Not only was everyone on our team in the photoshoot, but when everyone has a role in ‘the machine,’ everyone is engaged and invested in the shoot.
2. We agreed on our WHY
Though it's exciting, it’s critical for you to determine the exact purpose of your photoshoot before your brand invests in said photoshoot. Our mission was to create a library of visual content that would supplement our offerings, bolster our social media, and further define our brand identity.
3. We got inspired
Canva is not just a great tool for creating aesthetically pleasing Instagram carousels and .gifs. We made a Brand Shoot Planning guide complete with our inspiration, photo direction moodboard, playbook of looks, and themes to be captured. This is the exact template we offer to our clients. See? We practice what we preach! Here’s a little peek at what we included in our planning guide:
Images and words that embody the look and feel of what we’re trying to capture in the shoot
Photo direction including lighting, backdrops, props, etc.
A mood board with wardrobe and overall vibe inspiration
A layout of what content we need for specific projects, events, and offerings
4. We made a plan
In the weeks leading up to our shoot, we made a lot of lists. In Google Sheets, we noted all the props that would be needed and who would be bringing them. We also laid out a shot list for each look. The shot list included wardrobe specifics, location, props, and inspo pictures along with detailed notes so that it was clear to everyone what we were attempting to capture. Then, we created a run-of-day timeline broken up by 15-minute increments to help us stay on track on the big day.
5. We were organized
Once we got to the space (the glorious Studio À La Carte), we organized all our props, installations, and wardrobe. Everyone had designated pre-shoot responsibilities managing props and steaming the wardrobe.
6. We embraced our roles
Astoncia and Nic took turns calling out each shot (aka directing what’s needed and what’s next ‘on deck’) while Amandina and Karli supported the overall flow and pace of the day.
7. We stuck to our schedule
Time is money, and we had A LOT we wanted to get done in the scope of a single day (actually, only 6 hours!). By scheduling in 15-minute increments, we were able to stay pretty much on schedule—with time to spare to address any issues. Undoubtedly, things always take longer than you anticipate they will, so it’s important to leave wiggle room for the inevitable last minute additional shot or change of plans. If things don’t go exactly how you envisioned, take it on as a challenge rather than getting weighed down by stress.
8. We stayed flexible
Of course some things took longer than or didn’t go just as we had expected. But because the planning guide, run-of-day, shot list, and division of work were so organized, we were able to adjust, delete, and reorder as needed. When you’re prepared, you can stay agile and immune to being thrown off by any inevitable hiccups during the day. All in all, we ended up with over 1000 raw images!
Itching to plan your next brand photoshoot? We’re itching to help you make it happen! Studio À La Carte offers photoshoot planning services, which includes 1.5 month-out high-level brainstorming sessions, 1 month-out outfit/look and prop planning, 2 weeks-out shot list, and 1 week-out run-of-day. Schedule a discovery call to learn how we can help bring your next brand photoshoot to life.
