Monday somehow seems to arrive faster now that I made a commitment to write ONE blogpost every week. A website can be pretty impersonal so I’m hoping to use this blog as a way to let you know more about me as a person and photographer, as well as ask any burning questions you might have.
Today’s suggestion came from Felicia, a freelance marketer working with Nanolumi, a company that I did a project with recently. I first reached out to her via a job listing on the SG Covid-19 Facebook group and was impressed by the amount of thought that went behind her brief to me.
Photographers love clear briefs because it gives a clear insight into what your vision and expectations are around the photoshoot. With that information, we can jump in on a conversation with you on the finer details or provide suggestions to value-add to your project.
I understand though that not every client is marketing-trained so here are some tips on how to brief a photographer for your shoots:
Corporate Shoots
I typically receive two kinds of photo requests for corporate shoots: Posed portraits and In-action Portraits
1. Posed Portraits
Posed portraits can come in many forms. These are what I need to know:
- Is it a studio background or environmental portrait?
- Do you require headshots, half-body or full-body portraits?
- Do you require them to be looking into camera or you prefer an off-camera ‘plandid’ look?
- Where is the shoot taking place? Is it in your office or do I have to source for a venue?
- How many employees are we photographing?
- How many unique photos do you require per employee?
- How much time do we have for the shoot / with each employee?
- How do you intend to use the photos? (Linkedin / Speaker’s profile / Print?)
- Do you require a hair and makeup artist?
An environmental portrait of Microsoft Asia President, Ahmed Mazhari.
2. In-Action / Slice of Life Portraits
A Slice of Life photo refers to a photo capturing employees interacting in their natural environment. These are what I need to know:
- What would the employee/s be doing in the scene? (Photo references would be helpful)
- Could you suggest some appropriate locations for the scenes?
- How many scenes do we have to shoot / How much time do we have for the shoot?
- How do you intend to use the photos? (Linkedin / Speaker’s profile / Print?)
- Do you require a hair and makeup artist?
A Slice of Life photo shot for Sodexo, a French Food and Facilities Services MNC.
Timeline for Corporate Shoots
Digestion of brief/clarifications - 1 to 3 days
Planning/scheduling - 1 to 2 weeks
Shoot - Depends on no. of days required
Post-processing (inclusive of feedback) - 2 to 3 weeks
Commercial Shoots
Commercial shoots are typically more demanding in nature because the requirements are more exact and they have to be executed to a level of perfection. That means a lot of planning and coordination is involved. In fact, the photoshoot might be the shortest part of the project. Unlike corporate shoots, commercial shoots are typically for advertising use.
As commercial shoots are usually handled by advertising agencies, they usually have a ready brief on hand to find a photographer at the right price point to deliver the requirements. But if you’re a direct client without an agency, here are what the photographer would need to know:
- Is this a Key Visual or an Image Library assignment?
- Do you have a concept on hand or require the photographer to come up with the concept? (Kindly show us some photo references)
- How many photos do you require / how many scenes are we photographing? This will determine the amount of time needed.
- What is happening in each photo? (Where are they shot? / How many people are in the scene? / What are they doing? / What is the mood? - Be as detailed as possible, include photo references for clarity too). If this is not given or needs to be discussed, typically the photographer will charge extra for conceptualisation.
- What kind of talents do you require for your shoot? What is the ideal age range and race you’re looking at?
- How long will the photos be used? Which medium will they be displayed on? Which countries will they be used in?
- What is the budget? The budget determines the level of production the photographer /producer can put together and the quality of your final image. RTQs without budgets are typically ignored by commercial photographers.
Commercial lifestyle photography for Shangri-La Hotel Singapore.
Timeline for Commercial Shoots
Digestion of brief/clarifications - 1 week
Pre-production Meetings/Planning/Scheduling/Recce - 2 to 3 weeks
Shoot - Depends on no. of days required
Retouching (inclusive of feedback) - 3 to 4 weeks
I hope this gives you a clearer idea on the considerations behind a professional photoshoot. Feel free to hit me up if you’ve any questions or want to make a suggestion! I’m always happy to hear them :)
- Matt