Brand Design Photography & Styling Clarity Consulting

Studio Hours: Photoshoot Prep

Just dropping by today for a quick little hello. I’ve been doing a lot of photoshoot preparations for clients this past week so I thought I’d share a little about my process. Each shoot is a bit different, but as photo stylist/photographer combo it’s important to keep the job organized so you don’t go crazy.

Steps I always take:

1. Research Gathering: This is almost always on Pinterest because it’s a really easy platform to share my thoughts with my clients. It also allows for both parties to seamlessly add and delete content as we go.

2. Create a Shot List: This is a really important organizational stage in the process. Ideally, I like to plan out ever shot of the shoot to make sure I have the right props, lighting, surfaces, camera lens, etc. I find that if I have a shot list, its easy for me to capture the “must have” shots, but it also makes it easier to snag those more in-the-moment shots.

3. Prop Shopping: This is one of my favorite parts of the process. Not necessarily because it’s shopping (because I’m not a huge fan), but because you get to pick those really key pieces to make your shoot iconic and unique. Usually there is a prop allowance budgeted into the original quote.

4. DIY & Setup: Since DIYs are a fun thing for me to do, I often find a way to incorporate one into the shoot. Usually this means building a light for the shoot or building a structure of some sorts.

Those are my go-to steps that lead up the day of shooting. If time allows, I’ve found it best to have a day of test shooting just to get the lighting and surfaces all figured out. Once you get that nailed down, the rest of the shooting is a breeze.

I’m definitely still learning what’s the best process for me, but this seems to be working for now. If you have any tips/suggestion/ or questions I’d love to chat. Talk soon!

11 comments on “Studio Hours: Photoshoot Prep

  1. Hi Cassie!

    It’s always such a treat to get a behind the scenes look behind a creative project. Thank you for sharing. On somewhat of a side note, I am currently taking two journalism classes (now back to school after getting an interior design degree) and my eyes have really been opened up to the importance of design to get readers to actually read your content. I think the two column lay out with short sections here really works! Keep doing what you’re doing, love coming to this space.

    Warmly,
    Claudia

    1. Hi Claudia!

      Thanks for stopping by. It’s so nice to see new faces around here πŸ™‚ Also, thanks for the feedback about my blog and the ease of readability in the column layout. This feature was something really important to me in the redesign last summer. Glad it’s working nicely! See you around.

    1. So glad I could help a little bit, Tara. The shot list is what keeps me sane through the whole process. I am a list maker by nature, so the shot list is a element that brings piece of mind….especially on paid jobs πŸ™‚ Can you imagine having to completely re-buy props, re-set up the shot, re-shoot, re-edit just because you missed one photo!!

  2. Wow I had no idea there was this much planning and prepping that goes into styling a photo shoot! Obviously I am not a photographer, or a stylist, but those are skills I am very interested in improving in the near future. Thanks for sharing your process – I’ll be keeping this in mind as I dabble. πŸ™‚

  3. To be organized, well structured, is always the key, to a successful shoot, sometimes you run out of good Light, so a process that is well thought out can make a huge difference to the outcome….

    1. Glad you enjoyed reading, Kevin. I’m trying to share more behind the scenes, but the behind the scenes can be a big mess sometimes and I forget to capture it πŸ˜‰

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