There are many things to consider when it comes to photoshoots. Planning ahead for a photoshoot can help you achieve great results and capture fantastic images. Let's look at five easy steps to help you organize for your next shoot and capture high-quality photos.
Before starting your plan, it is crucial that your photographer has enough information and a complete understanding of the project. Speak to your photographer about your vision and goals for this photoshoot. It is important to make sure they understand what you are hoping to achieve from this shoot. This is also an excellent chance to ask any questions you might have about the process and deliverables. So, be prepared to answer questions about some critical details such as the subject(s), photography style, goals and objectives, as well as any other specific project requirements. This will help your photographer determine what equipment they need, what to expect, and ultimately plan your shoot.
With a solid understanding of the project, you are now ready to start developing a concept. We recommend you create a mood board for a more effective and organized approach. You can use tools such as Pinterest and Unsplash to find similar photos and create a collection that represents the style and types of photos you want your photographer to take during the photoshoot. We have a collection of hundreds of high-quality and royalty-free photos which we add to every day. You can find our photos here. To create a mood board, you can use tools such as Figma and Miro, which allow you to easily share your mood board with your team or your photographer beforehand to make sure it aligns with their vision.
A shot list is essentially a checklist of all the photos you want to take, followed by details such as camera angle, number of shots, lighting, equipment needed for that photo, and a brief description. Using a shot list is beneficial to take note of important details to make sure nothing is missed during the photoshoot. You could also include some of the inspiration photos you gathered in the last step to use as a reference. You can use Sprintpoint's Shot List Template for inspiration or to facilitate the process. If you're shooting for social media, we highly recommend double-checking the latest photo requirements for different platforms to ensure your photos are suitable for your chosen platforms. Hootsuite is a great source to refer to for the latest social media image sizes. Check out their 2022 cheat sheet for everything thing you need to know about all platforms' most recent image size specifications.
When the shoot day comes around there are a lot of moving parts that need to fall into place. Coordinate with your photographer to ensure everyone understands their roles. You may need to prepare a model release. A call sheet can also ensure that everyone is on the same page.
We hope that by following these four steps, you can now navigate through your photoshoots with more peace of mind and also achieve stunning results.