Your Ultimate Guide for small businesses looking to book a photographer
Are you ready to book a photographer for your brand but unsure where to start? By asking yourself the right questions about your brand’s needs, you can prepare for a successful photoshoot that saves time, money, and maximizes results.
As a photographer experienced with startups and large corporations alike, I’ve seen it all—Instagram shoots with $500 budgets to full-scale productions with $50K budgets. Whatever your project, a clear vision is essential for productivity and success.
BLOG OVERVIEW:
Common Mistakes to Avoid Planning a Photoshoot in Small Business
One of the most common mistakes small brands make is not aligning their goals with their photoshoot plan.
If you’re unfamiliar with the process, it’s easy to say “yes” to everything in one shoot—branding images, lifestyle, editorial, and e-commerce product photos. While it might feel exciting during the photoshoot, without proper planning, you risk walking away without the correct deliverables. Attempting to check all the boxes without a clear strategy can lead to missed opportunities and unmet goals.
Here’s why:
Every Objective Has Unique Needs: The purpose of your shoot dictates everything—models, team, production, location, and lighting. For example, if you’re aiming for e-commerce product photos, moody sunset lighting won’t work. Conversely, using crisp, white-background product images for editorial campaigns often falls flat.
Repurposing Isn’t Always Effective: While multi-use imagery sounds appealing, it rarely delivers the desired impact across platforms. Content designed for one specific goal often doesn’t translate well to others, leaving you with underperforming visuals.
This misalignment costs time and money, leaving your brand without the imagery it truly needs.
THE WHY: Booking a fashion photographer for your small business
What do I want this photoshoot to achieve?
Some common objectives include:
Branding Imagery: Showcasing your brand's values, mission, and unique identity for banners, homepage features, or an “About” page.
Product Photos: Clear, detailed shots for e-commerce pages or product listings.
Lifestyle Imagery: Your product in real-life settings, creating relatability and connection.
Editorial Imagery: Storytelling visuals for press or publications.
Think about the feeling you want these images to evoke. Do you want your audience to feel inspired, joyful, or intrigued? The tone of your photos will guide decisions about location, lighting, and even your team.
THE HOW: Booking a fashion photographer for your small business
Once your vision is clear, it’s time to plan the production. A defined purpose makes the creative process straightforward and rewarding.
Things to plan for:
Budget Your budget dictates the production scale. Factor in costs like equipment, transportation, permits, and team fees. A smooth, well-organized shoot day delivers the best results.
Shot List Outline key photos to capture. For example: "Talent sipping coffee by a window" or "Product displayed on a clean, neutral background."
Team and Talent Assemble the right people to bring your vision to life. From stylists to models, ensure everyone aligns with your brand’s objective.
Shoot Day and Post-Production Be prepared but flexible for those unexpected, magical moments. Schedule your shoot at least two weeks before you need the final product to allow time for editing.
Distributing Your Imagery Once the shoot is complete, deploy your new images strategically. Track their performance and take note of what worked well for future shoots.
Sample Fashion Photography Photoshoot
The Why:
A small jewelry business wants to create imagery to support "awareness" aspect of the customer journey stages with upcoming press, so we decide to plan a photoshoot that support their business principles: sustainability and ocean inspired designs.
The How:
I produce an editorial photoshoot to be shot on the beaches of Malibu. Because we're going for a slightly moody vibe, we decide to start the photoshoot in the late afternoon giving us a variety of lighting to play with, from late afternoon rays, into golden hour, and into dusk/night fall. The story captures a woman (who's always wearing her jewelry of course) who "gets ready" at the beach. We start off with the first shots of her being restored by the sun and sand, second, showing her being restored in the ocean, and the last shots of her leaving restored by the elements in a night time look. After spending all day in solitude and restoration, she's ready for a night out. This shows the transition of jewelry pieces from daytime to night time, all while promoting the business principles of sustainability and ocean inspired designs.
Conclusion:
Photoshoots are essential for connecting with your audience and showcasing your hard work. With thoughtful planning, even small brands with limited resources can create impactful visuals.
Remember, every photoshoot is a learning experience—you don’t need to be perfect; you just need to start.
If you’re looking for a Los Angeles-based fashion photographer, let’s chat! I offer packages tailored to every stage of your brand's journey, blending bold & authentic industry-standard imagery.
Xoxo, Perla
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