Tips to Plan the Perfect Brand Photoshoot

Every successful brand photoshoot starts with a well-planned and executed approach. To achieve the desired results, you need to ensure your vision, the team you work with, and the overall logistics are on point.

If you want to make sure your shoot is an absolute success, here are some tips and tricks to ensure that your photos turn out exactly as you envisioned them.

Choose a Style

Before your photoshoot, decide on a style and theme that you want to capture. You could base your choices on a certain color palette, props, or vibe. This approach will help the photographer capture the look you want.

If you don’t know where to start, do some research and look at some inspirational photos online. You could also look through magazines and blogs to get ideas. Once you have a style in mind, communicate your ideas to the photographer and get their take on the best way to achieve your goal.

While you can decide on a style beforehand, keep an open mind if you have any creative ideas during the shoot. You never know when spontaneous inspiration will strike. Plus, your photographer can chip in with great ideas that could make your photoshoot even better.

Decide on Your Shoot Locations

Location scouting is an important step that you should not overlook. You can use location tracking websites to get an idea of what a certain area looks like and if the space reflects your brand and products. If possible, visit the location and take some test shots with your phone to ensure the lighting works and the background isn’t too distracting.

Think about the different locations you’d like to shoot in and how each one can add to your photoshoot. Depending on what kind of look you want, decide if an indoor or outdoor space works best. Outdoor locations offer more natural light and scenery, but indoor spaces provide a controlled environment you can easily manage.

You could work with a blend of both to create a truly unique vibe. A mix of locations would work best for a storytelling approach, but you can always opt for a single setup if your campaign is about one idea or mood.

In this case, you could use a studio as your base and then scout outdoor spots with interesting backdrops that will add to the overall feel of your images. This strategy allows you to mix and match, which can create a set of photos that’s truly one-of-a-kind.

Plan Out What You’ll Wear

If the shoot involves you or other people, your outfits should look cohesive and reflect your brand’s vibe. As such, you need to pick out the right clothes and accessories ahead of time.

Plan out different looks and come up with different combinations that would work well together. For instance, a crisp, white linen top coupled with black pants can look sophisticated and timeless if your shoot is for a formal event or product launch.

If you’re not sure what to wear, go for neutrals like white, beige, and black. These colors work well together and can look chic in any ensemble.

If your photoshoot is for a more casual occasion, go for comfy items like a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. You could add a few accessories like necklaces, earrings, or hats if you want to add a subtle statement. The key is to make sure you feel great in the items you wear and that they don’t overpower the overall look.

Make sure you bring extra clothes and accessories to add a bit of variety. This way, your photographer can switch up the looks during the shoot to create more dynamic images.

At Alstrin Photography, we understand there’s a lot to consider as you prepare for your photoshoot. As such, we always strive to make the entire experience a whole lot smoother for our clients. We can help you select the best locations, styles, settings, and poses to ensure that your photos remain timeless and unique.

The Phoenix Arizona band Southwest By Midnight uses advertisement photography via me this summer to help promote their new upcoming album due to be released on iTunes in early 2014. Southwest by Midnight is a band from Phoenix, Arizona that blends sun-drenched rock with a little blues and funk. I recently shot some of the band members laying down some tracks at Full Well Recording Studio. Patrick Discoll was the engineer who recorded the session the day I was there and got to contribute some imagery. Band members have opened for the Gin Blossoms and The Doobie Brothers and shared the stage with members of Guns ‘n Roses, Quiet Riot and Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers. The band consists of Lindsey Shannahan (Lead Vocals) Jacques Billeaud (Guitars, Keyboards) Pat Flannery (Guitars) Shaun Thurston (Bass, backup vocals) Chris Fiscus (Drums, Percussion)

The day I was there shooting these images they were recording pieces of their new songs “602” which is about life here in the valley, a goodbye ballad called “Done with you” and a roadhouse alternative country tune called “double Down” which is about hitting the reservation casinos.

The studio is hidden in a residential neighborhood that butts up against commercial properties so it has a nice downtown feel to it. The studio itself is packed with Marshall amps to the ceiling made up of both classic vintage and modern high tech pieces of equipment. There are extra guitars, keyboards, piles of pick, drums and more in about every crack and cranny that the eye can see.

It was fun to shoot in a dark airconditioned room that is about nothing else than music.

Your wedding photographs will be significant future mementos of your big day, so they should be epic. For satisfying wedding photographs, be clear about the individual photography style of your photographer. A photographer’s strategy, illumination, viewpoint, and arrangement are a few things that determine their photography styles.

Before you hire a wedding photographer, discover some wedding photography styles to know about and what makes them unique.

VINTAGE STYLE
A digital camera’s lens with attached special filters can help a photographer achieve vintage wedding photography. Also, a film camera and proper editing techniques are significant requirements for a vintage photography style. Coloring like sepia and tones like heightened brown and graininess can also help a photographer achieve a vintage wedding photography feel.

BLACK-AND-WHITE STYLE
Black-and-white photography style can keep your wedding moments ageless and convey your feelings and emotions in a much better way. The easiest way for a photographer to achieve black-and-white-style photos is to use a black-and-white camera. Also, the photographer can decide to transform digital color images into this style during post-production.

REPORTAGE STYLE
A reportage photography style is the best option if you want a photographer to create your wedding documentary. Since your wedding documentary or story must be genuine, the photographer should only capture real emotions and natural moments of your big day. Skilled photographers in reportage photography are quick in their camera settings adjustments and don’t focus on the wrong elements.

EDITORIAL STYLE
An editorial wedding photography style can be a good option if you love magazine photo shoots. Many confuse editorial photography with a photojournalistic style, but the two aren’t the same. A photographer will pay more attention to how you pose and photo lighting during editorial photography. Editorial photography also means the photographer will direct and control everything to ensure perfect wedding photos.

CLASSIC OR TRADITIONAL STYLE
Traditional wedding photography styles don’t involve much creativity, which makes them formal. But, the classic look in these wedding photography styles makes them long-lasting. Incorporation of a traditional wedding photo style into your family portrait can make the best photo album.

LANDSCAPE STYLE
Landscape photography is a good option for nature enthusiasts. For instance, your landscape wedding photography can take place on a beach, mountain, or other scenic places. You, your spouse, and the photographer should find a suitable location and visit it for scouting before the wedding day.

FINE ART STYLE
For perfect fine art–style photos, your wedding photographer must be creative and innovative during the filming and post-production editing processes. Unlike other wedding photography styles, like the classic style, fine art photography is usually bright, softer, and airy. Such characteristics make fine art photography styles best for romantic celebrations.

Consider a fine art photography style if you intend to have an amazing bright outdoor wedding.

DARK AND MOODY STYLE
A dark and moody photography style is a good option if you intend to have a quirky wedding vibe. Photographers use camera lighting or natural light to create dark and moody images. Once the photographer films a wedding’s images, they alter their tonality during post-production editing to make them more filtered and dramatic.

DESATURATED STYLE
Desaturated and moody photography styles have similar colors but vary in subjects. Unlike in moody photography, where your pose will convey your moods, desaturated style requires the photographer to edit an image’s saturation. A desaturated photography style is also a good option if you intend to have your wedding occasion outdoors.

AERIAL STYLE
Since the photographer will take your wedding images from an elevated position, they must have special equipment. For instance, the photographer should have a quality drone with the best camera. In this case, the camera takes high-definition images.

If you have a wedding but don’t know who to contact for quality photography, worry no more. Alstrin Photography guarantees you the best wedding photography and customer satisfaction.

The world is increasingly driven not by words but by images. Do you have the right images of your products and services? Do your images convince customers to spend their hard-earned money? Do they build your brand the right way? Or could you use help reframing your brand and image to grow even more?

One simple way to accomplish all of these goals is to consult with a professional product photographer. In an era when many people have a camera in their pocket at all times, small business owners may not realize the value of working with an outside photographer. To help you find the best solutions for your business challenges, here are a few of the most important ways professional product photography will benefit you.

1. IMAGE QUALITY REFLECTS YOUR PRIORITIES
If you want customers or clients to see your products in the right light, you need to show images of them in the right way. Poor quality images can easily cause a customer to see your brand as cheap, unmotivated, poorly managed, or amateurish. On the other hand, the right quality pictures make you look larger and more professional than you may feel. They also capture your products in the best possible manner.

2. PROFESSIONALS KNOW HOW TO TELL STORIES
Today’s brand pictures aren’t just ways to show your products or services to customers. They’re ways to tell potential buyers a story you want them to know.

Consider a local honey producer who sells at farmers’ markets but wants to expand their range. How can they tell the story of their honey business through images? What values can they project? What image do they want distant customers to see? As a photographer gets to know you, your goals, and your business, they can help you find new ways to tell these stories.

3. PICTURES CAN BE USED AND REUSED
High-quality photos aren’t just for one-time use. Even though you may purchase them for your website, for instance, you can also use them in brochures, print ads, banners, trade show booths, social media posts, signs, special promotions, and even on the walls of your business. You’ll never need boring stock photos again.

4. IT CAN BREAK YOU OUT OF A RUT
Perhaps your business has already been operational for a while, but you’ve hit a wall in growth. Has the initial thrill of being a business owner worn off and you aren’t sure where to go next? Bring your enterprise and your own enthusiasm to life by looking at it through a new lens.

Aside from their training and skill, professional photographers are independent outside parties who can help you see things in a different way. They may suggest new angles or props, experimental techniques, unusual settings, or camera tricks. Any of these can help you refresh or refocus your energy.

5. YOU DON’T NEED TO LEARN NEW SKILLS
While your cellphone camera can do many things, it can’t substitute for a proper, high-quality photographic setup. But do you know how to create a professional photo shoot? Most owners aren’t familiar with lighting techniques, ISO, shutter speed, aperture, or using a rangefinder, for example. If you want to improve the quality of your product photos, though, you may need to learn these skills.

Do you have time and money to invest in equipment and training in good photography? Probably not. So why not work with someone who already has all these things and will bring them to the table without your extra effort?

Ready to give your small business the boost it deserves? Start by meeting with Alstrin Photography. We’ll help you find the best images to tell your story, build your brand, and attract the right customers. Call today to make an appointment.

Though usually when I get to go out of town I am doing it for photography work. I have been lucky enough to go on one trip for work and one trip for concert watching, Mexican food eating, Pacifico drinking, sunset watching relaxing fun this summer. The trip for work was for Barrett Jackson Orange County included a week of photographing beautiful cars and enjoying weather in the 70s. The trip to Mexico was to renew my Mexican business license but mostly to see Random Karma and Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers play for Circus Mexicus. Both, beautiful places and included is an image from each of two of my other favorite places – Oregon and Burning Man. T

As photographers in AZ I photograph people, places, and things. I work out of Phoenix, Arizona but will be more than glad to go anywhere, especially when it is 120 degrees in the shade here in the summer. Here are some iP4/Instagram images for ya to check out. No job to big, to small, or to boring for me. I just love working and love being able to make a living at being a photographer. It is all I have done and all I want to do. I hope you enjoy.