Want to advertise your company? Then you’re going to need
some high-quality, promotional photographs. But how exactly do you go about
actually getting this done? Most commercial photographers will be able to help
you through all the steps, but to make life easier, we’ve condensed everything
down for you.
The Big Idea
In order to create a photoshoot that really works for your
company, you’re going to have to come up with a concept. The majority of
photographers for business will help you to do this, and will come to you with their
own ideas. Yet it’s always a good idea to have a brainstorming session as a
company beforehand that can then feed into what you tell the photographer. A commercial
photoshoot is all about telling a story, so this is a good place to start.
Discuss what type of audience your business caters the most for, and how this
can feed into an idea for a photoshoot. You can do this part before you even
find a photographer but be prepared for your ideas to change under their care.
They know what will work best after all!
Budget
Proper photography doesn’t come cheap. So you need to be
100% invested in doing this before you take the plunge. You will of course have
the chance to review the photographs, but you’ll also need to hire a venue, a
model, and even some props. If you want this photoshoot to be a part of a major
marketing campaign, think about making an advertisement using the same characters.
Even if you’re not going as far as looking a TV release, hosting a video on
your website and social media can be hugely beneficial. If you are spending on
the photography shoot, you might as well make the most out of what you’re
spending.
Hire a Photographer
Talk to a number of photographers in your area and provide
them with your initial concept to see what their response is. Even if you have
to pay a small amount for a few different potential photographers to work on an
initial plan, this will all be worth it when you know you’ve made the right
choice after you’ve seen the various work. When searching for a photographer,
make sure you take a close look at the different portfolios available for you
to view. Which style matches closest to the vision that you have in your mind?
Of course, sometimes just talking to a potential photographer face to face can
help to put your mind at ease when you realise that you’re both on the same wavelength.
Find the Perfect Venue
Once you have hired your photographer and you know what
style of photographs you want to take, it’s time to hire out your venue. This
will of course completely depend on what has been decided upon during your
creative meetings, so this will help to steer you in the right direction. If
possible, it’s best to get a venue that isn’t too far for anyone to travel to,
as it will cut down on a lot of unnecessary costs. There are hundreds of private
houses for hire in London, and they are always a popular choice for
photoshoots. Many have lovely gardens or terraces so that you can take a number
of photographs outside and make the most of the natural light. Whatever venue
you decide to go for, make sure that you hire it out for longer than you think
you’ll need, as sometimes these things can eat up more time than first
expected.
Hire Your Models
For this, it’s always best to go through an agency. Explain
the look that you are going for, the scenes that you are looking, and the story
that you want your models to tell. Involve the photographer in this process as
much as possible as they will have a good eye for what your customer is going
to see. Unless this is a fashion shoot, you may not have thought about what you
want your models to wear, but this is going to need to be something you
provide. Again, talk to your photographer, they are likely to have a lot of
contacts in various industries who handle all aspects of photoshoots.
Hire a Stylist
Alongside the clothes that they wear, your models are going
to need their hair and make-up done in order to make them look picture perfect.
If budget is something that’s becoming tight, you can get in contact with your
local hair and beauty school and ask if anyone there would like to work on your
photoshoot in exchange for some professional photographs of the looks that they’ve
created. Similarly, you can also ask any fashion boutiques local to you if they
would like to give you clothes for your models to wear in exchange for the free
promotion that you can give them.
Take a Step Back
When it comes to the actual day of the shoot, you need to
step back and let your photographer be completely in control. They know what
they are doing when it comes to lighting and set-up, so don’t butt in unless
you are asked a direct question by them. Trusting them to do their job well
will make the whole day run much smoother, and your photographer will be grateful
that you’ve given them a certain amount of creative freedom.
If you are planning a photography shoot to help market your
business, there is a lot more to it than many people first think. Once you see
the finished product however, be it on your website or advertisements in a magazine,
it really makes the whole concept completely worth it. If you’ve come up with a
good narrative, there’s no reason why you can’t continue it during future campaigns.
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