So you’re thinking of hiring a pro photographer for your business or perhaps you’ve already set a date? Hooray! Now what happens? We’ll help guide you through the next steps and give you some tips on how to best prepare for your shoot and get the most out of your investment.
1. Consultation
A primary consultation is imperative to talk about what you are looking for and what we can do. This can happen over email, on the phone, or in person — free of charge and no pressure. What do you need the images for? What of? How many? From these details we can create an accurate estimate of time, price, and the number of images you’ll be receiving. We can always tweak these details to help you get what you need and stay close within your budget. If all these details are agreeable, then we can set a date!
Need item images to update your menu board or for social media posts? Or maybe you need updated photos of your office space and headshots of your staff? We go over these details in the consultation and discuss not just logistics but pricing and scheduling, too so that you can make the most informed decision about moving forward.
2. Contract
The contract holds all the legal details of what’s expected of both the photographer and the client. The contract will include timelines, fees, location of the shoot, and the product to be delivered (number of images and necessary sizing). The contract may seem lengthy, but the purpose is to clearly communicate the expectations and limitations of the professional arrangement. If there’s ever anything you don’t understand, we’re happy to go over it with you. We make contract signing easy! Your contract will come in an email that you can review, electronically sign, and download for your records. The fun begins once that is signed.
3. Questionnaire
In most cases, we recommend filling out our questionnaire regarding your business and what you hope your new photos will illustrate. We highly recommend you take your time filling this out — the more thoughtful and honest your answers are, the better we can understand your brand. It will give us some direction on how to creatively approach your photo shoot and will help ensure you love the results. The questions address what your mission statement is, who your audience is, and why you are passionate about the work you do. Helping us understand these things can really make a difference in grasping your “look” on camera.
How do you want your business to be described: bright and airy or cozy and intimate? Taking some time to think about what you want to convey will help guide the creative direction of the photo shoot.
4. Pre-shoot meeting
It is always helpful to take some time before any shooting begins to re-group and finalize everyone’s expectations. We discuss logistics of how the shoot will go, what is needed to make it happen, and solidify a time line. It’s always a good idea to troubleshoot potential issues before the shoot starts.
Creating this shot required some serious planning and a little math to ensure we achieved the client’s very specific print dimensions with minimal cropping.
5. Shoot time! How to be ready
Minimize distractions — Scheduling the photo shoot for when your shop or office is closed (or at the very least, less busy) will help everyone stay laser focused on getting you the images you want.
Be well rested — It’s imperative to be focused and energized for your shoot, but this is especially true if you (or your staff) will be in the images. You will love your photos so much more if you start looking fresh and relaxed.
Tidy the area — Take some time to look at your work space (if it is to be photographed) with new eyes and notice where the clutter looks distracting. Minimize items on countertops, desks, walls, and on top of cabinets. Your photos will look cleaner and will save a ton of time during the shoot.
Wear something comfortable — Again, if you and/or your staff will be in the photographs, wear something that you feel good in. It will convey in the photos.
6. Speak up
If something doesn’t feel right, or you want to make a change, let your photographer know. We’re happy to let you peek at the images in camera (pre-edit, of course) as we go along and if there’s something you want to change or re-do, say something. We want you to be totally psyched with the end product and it is way easier to tweak things as we go along.
Photography can be a big investment but you are getting so much more than just a handful of photographs. We’ll work hard with you to get the look and style you want, before, during, and after your photo shoot.
All content copyright Lisa Goshe Photography, 2019