Picture perfect! Three top tips for a successful photoshoot
By HGB , May 16 2018
When the opportunity arose to be part of a client photoshoot, Nicole Calderwood, HGB’s extremely talented and creative marketing assistant jumped at it.
With a passion for photography and her own experience behind the lens, the chance to work with professional photographer, Craig Brown, was one she couldn’t refuse. Nicole shares her three top tips for a perfect photoshoot.
It’s been a whirlwind of new experiences since I joined the HGB team in February, but with my love of photography, the Patney photoshoot is my highlight to date. Patney has just launched the anti snore pillow, which has been clinically proven to control snoring and give users a better night’s sleep. The photos were for use on Patney’s website and marketing material.
Narrowing down my highlights and key learning experiences from the shoot to three wasn’t easy but here goes…
1. Over-pack the (non)essentials
If you had seen my car on the way to the shoot you would’ve thought I was heading away for the weekend! In went the ironing board, iron, drinking mugs, bottled water, additional clothing, string, Cellotape, scissors and a few baked treats for everyone on site. Admittedly I’m a self-confessed ‘over-packer’, but this trait proved beneficial, because as we were shooting at a local show home, it meant everything inside was, in fact, for show and not necessarily fit for our purpose.
Pro tip: Check out the location of your shoot prior to the day. This will allow you to understand the layout, what is available for use and what is still required. It’s important to consider even the smallest of things, like toilet paper (especially for a show home!).
2. Develop a realistic run sheet
Often at an onsite photoshoot you’re constrained by time. Prior to the photoshoot we developed a run sheet that identified:
- the timings for the day
- who was attending
- when they were needed
- wardrobe requirements for both male and female models
- the type of imagery we were wanting to capture for our client.
We met with Craig the photographer prior to the shoot to discuss the desired outcomes and to ensure we were all on the same page.
Pro tip: Create a detailed run sheet prior to the shoot, documenting everything you want out of the day. Our run sheet allowed us to check off the images we had set out to capture, check our progress throughout the day, and get us back on track if we spent too long on a particular shot.
3. Work with a reputable photographer
We had the privilege of working with Craig Brown, a charismatic, friendly and detail-focused professional. He understood our vision and took actionable steps to make it happen. For example, to capture the Patney sleep positioner in situ on a bed, we had Craig up a ladder shooting amazing birds-eye photos of the models ‘asleep’. His attention to detail saw us propping the bed up on the far side, repositioning the model’s hair and finding the perfect slept-in-yet-crisp-bed-linen look with realistic lighting.
Pro tip: When looking for a photographer ask for a portfolio of images, or pop online and view their work. This will allow you to understand their style, composition, and lighting, and whether it will work for your brief.
The effort we put into planning the photoshoot meant it ran smoothly, with all parties – the models from Stella Management, photographer Craig Brown, Patney Ltd. and HGB – combining talents to produce excellent results. I’m really looking forward to seeing the images bring the Patney sleep positioner to the forefront of its market and knowing I played a part in it.