Planning a Clothing Photoshoot

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Photo shoots are a fun experience from your first to your 100th (if you are to be so lucky) so you should treat it as such, and plan for it to be a good time that results in great photos for promotion of your collection. This document has bits and pieces that can be used for “monthly release” photo shoots although the approach is gear more towards seasonal releases. Topics 1-4 can be completed in almost any order although the listed order is recommended.

Two essentials to growing a successful independent apparel company is brilliant marketing paired with unique designs. While that may be true, professionalism is still key. A unique design cannot shine in the lime light unless it is presented and marketed well. These items can often be overlooked in the rush of maintaining your business and trying to get your products sold. The result of all this attention to detail should be phenomenal photographs that sell your collection to the market you’ve identified. The purpose of the photographs is to sell your products. The final photographs should reflect your vision and present the way you think your designs should look. The key to all of this is preparation, preparation, and more preparation. Because I cannot go into detail on all aspects of a photo shoot due to it’s unique nature, I will do my best to describe just the three topics below.

1. Photographer
2. Models
3. Location
4. Day of the shoot

How To Choose A Photographer

Choosing the right photographer is the most important piece to the successful photo shoot puzzle. With photographs, people will spend far more time examining the way the clothes lay on the model, the details of the clothing, and the way the accessories work with the outfit. Photographers must have an detailed understanding of light, angle, and posing to bring out the aspects of the design that will be most appealing to your demographic. your photographer MUST understand your audience.

One question to ask yourself is if your collection will be photographed using film or digital. While film created a more organic looking photo it tends to raise costs making digital the optimal choice for any indie company with a low budget. I recommend you ask some questions about experience, equipment and retouching experience before making any final decisions on a photographer. The worst possible scenario is to not ask enough questions and find out the photographer cannot deliver what you need half way through the project. When choosing a photographer for Envee Apparel’s “”Know Your Destination” Spring/Summer photo shoot I made sure that the photographers background and experience matched my goals for the shoot. Our photographer had all of the right professional equipment (Multiple 10MP+ Nikon SLR’s, lenses and light sources) and he had experience in shooting clothing. There are many areas of photography so be sure that your photographer has done something similar before and not just taken photographs of birds & flowers.

When working with a photographer for the first time, it is best to introduce them to your line, explain your approach to the market and if possible, examples of photography you like. If you are going for a specific look, there may be some digital retouching that will need to happen. Digital retouching is a complex art that is usually separate from photography and photographer will usually have an assistant edit the photos post-shoot because very few people are experts in both areas. Be VERY careful when using friends or people that offer their work for cheap or FREE because as the saying goes “you get what you pay for”. Remember, the photographs of your designs are a reflection of you and your company.

Once you have found the photographer that is right for your photo shoot, it is time to plan all of the other elements that make a shoot amazing. I suggest speaking with your photographer about make-up, hair and how to accessorize the outfits for the day of the shoot. If going with a professional for hair & make-up, be sure to complement your product in the photos.

Find The Right Models

The first order of business is to decide if you are going to find professional talent or get together a bunch of friends that will look good on camera. Each method has it’s benefits. It is your choice to choose professionals or friends and will ultimately reflect your choice in your photos. Be sure to let your photographer know what type of talent you have decided to go with. Look for models who can naturally create the curves and lines that will compliment your collection. Although it is possible to emphasize curves and modify body shapes using Photoshop, it is difficult to do it well. Again, the rule should be to try to get the look visually right before the shutter release is pressed. Post processing takes time and time. If the photographer has to take dealing with fundamental model and make-up issues, he or she doesn’t have as much time to work with the overall look and feel of the photographs.

If you are going to hire a professional or aspiring model and do not have a local talent pool that is free, expect to dish out from $100-300 per person per day. When paying for professionals expect that they will need a professional hairstylist (for women) and make-up artist (for men and women). This can rack up another $500 per day on the low end. When hiring professional talent you lessen your headache as this is not their first rodeo. You will know that when they show up the day of the shoot that they will have everything they need and be ready for a pose-off.

If you have decided to round up a half dozen friends for the shoot, be picky and do not invite everyone you know to show up. Make sure the people you choose will fit your demographic and display the look that you want to relate to your customers. Doing so will save you a ton of cash especially if they are able to handle their own make-up. Know that getting in front of a camera for the first time can be very intimidating. One thing to keep in mind is that first time models worry a lot about posing and you may have to rely on your photographer to coach them through different poses.

Now that you have chosen you models you are ready for your photo shoot! Be sure that your models are aware of what they eat and how many hours they sleep the day before your shoot. Eat healthy (avoid fatty foods), drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol. Some other key things to keep in mind are wardrobe selection, props, accessories, flesh coloured undergarments for the ladies.

Decide On Your Location

When looking for the best location you must first think about how you would like to represent your collection. Larger companies will usually use an indoor studio and change out the props/background to achieve while other pick various locations to use. Whichever your choice you must do three things: research, research and research. A great tool that can be used is Flickr. This is very useful because you can search around locally for places photographers have already deemed photo worthy and at the same time see how well they developed. When shooting outside you are at the mercy of the weather but the possibilities of locations are endless. You may want to coordinate your location search with your photographer.

I would recommend finding at least 10 locations and then narrow the number down to a number you are happy with. Doing so will give you a better understanding of your location options. When I was looking for a location for Envee Apparel’s Spring/Summer collection I had several locations I liked and will use in the future but decided on something that went with my theme well. In the constant battle between good and evil (part of the theme related to the “”Know Your Destination” collection) I thought something similar to a Garden of Eden feel would work best. When deciding your location you should create a story board so you can visually map out what you hope to accomplish at each location. When doing this it may be a good idea to start planning what products/models you would like at each location as well. Before finalizing anything look over your story board to make sure your plan best represents your line. If you would rather play it by ear the day-of, more power to you.

What To Do The Day Of The Shoot

The day of the photo shoot itself is a very important one as you only have one chance to execute it correctly without dishing out more cash (or product) to everyone involved for a re-shoot. I made sure that everyone involved in our Envee Apparel photo shoot received some free gear and swag for participating. Prior to this day you should have already confirmed that everyone will be arriving on time at the set location. For the “Know Your Destination” collection photo shoot I created a nice email with the shoot details, a map and a little blurb about what to expect. It is recommended that you bring snacks, drinks and provide food. If you are providing hair and make-up professionals for your models, make sure that this part has been completed at least 30 minutes before “go time”.

When starting the shoot make sure that everyone is having a good time because the more fun everyone has the better the photos will turn out. As the owner of the company you should be helping your photographer in the different locations and taking a look at some of the photos from the camera before you switch locations. This will help make sure that you are getting photos you can use from each spot. After you are done taking photos in each location get together with your photographer before everyone packs up and leaves and make sure every shot you intended on getting has been captured. After everything is wrapped up, it is time for post production and then implementation for marketing purposes.

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Robert Hartland – In addition to running his fashion and lifestyle blog, he also owns Envee Apparel – Artistic Men’s and Womens T-Shirts. Please send him an email if you have any questions or just want to say thanks.

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