In your corporate photography, don’t be brief with the briefing process because it can cause delays once the photo shoot is underway. Have you got the perfect image in your head to advertise your latest product, or show off the 5-star service you offer? Or are you starting with a blank canvas, requiring creative inspiration to capture some eye-catching imagery for your commercial photography?
Either way, there are a few steps you can take to help out your photographer when it comes to briefing them before the shoot. It’s well worth spending a bit of time putting your ideas down on paper. Like everything in business, you’ll find you get out what you put in!
Top Ten Tips on Briefing a Photographer
Here are our top ten tips on drafting a well-defined briefing that your corporate photography team can work with, to ensure you get the right results.
1 – Create an ideas board. Start saving images you particularly like. They don’t need to be images of similar products, you might just like the colours, lighting, style… Rip pictures out of magazines or print them off the net. Have a look at stock image sites such as shutterstock or istockphoto. The more idea you have yourself of how you want your own images to look, that you can then pass on to the photographer, the more likely it is you will be pleased with the end results. And don’t forget to include your dislikes too! During your research, you will inevitably discover things that you really don’t like. Make sure you show these to your photographer to save wasting time producing images you don’t want.
2 – Make sure your images are aligned with your brand. Write down the words, feelings or concepts you want to come across when someone looks at your image. Are you cheap and cheerful, or luxury? Fun, or more serious?
3 – Be specific about your audience demographic. The more your photographer knows about the market the images need to appeal to, the better he can understand the brief as a whole.
4 – Ask for the photographer’s creative input. Be prepared to go with some of his suggestions even if it’s not what you envisaged. They might turn out to be the best photos from the day.
5 – Think about the ‘set’ for the photos. Do you need props, or to scope out different locations that would suit the look you’re going for? Do you need models, or to advise staff that they need to be pictured? Do you need to prepare anything in advance of the shoot, e.g. dishes of food? Make sure everything, and everyone, is readily available and prepped on the day of the shoot.
6 – Set contingency plans. If you’re planning outdoor shoots, it’s always good to have a back up, whether this is alternative indoor settings – or even an alternative date!
7 – Draft a rough time-schedule with your photographer. Remember to factor in set-up and break-down time for the photography equipment and allow enough time for different scenario shots in the various locations. Allow for travelling time if you are using different locations.
8 – Set up an appraisal visit with your photographer prior to the photo shoot. He may want to see what the lighting and background is like, so he can tailor the equipment he brings to the venue, discuss the schedule or just get more of a feel for your company before the day.
9 – Factor in the editing process when setting a deadline for receipt of images. When it comes to setting your shoot date, make sure you allow enough time for the photographer to go away and work his editing magic! In other words, don’t expect to have a disc of 100 images in your hand the very next day, or even next week! Communicate your deadlines to your photographer as early as possible and make sure you allow them the time they need to get your pictures perfect through image editing is essential.
10 – Remember, it is about quality and not quantity. It is much better to have a select few images that are spot on than hundreds that are “nearly there”. Achieving a great, high quality image that interprets your brief perfectly takes time and effort. Be prepared to be selective in your choice of shots for the day to produce photographs that you can use time and again, rather than taking hundreds of images you’ll probably never use.
At Dpix, we like to work as closely with our clients in the preparation for a shoot as we do on the actual day. A good detailed briefing enables us to be speedy and efficient, whilst ensuring we capture exactly what you want.
If you would like to discuss ideas for your next corporate photography shoot, why not give us a call on 01527 874819? You might also like to read our blog about our creative advertising photographer.