Photoshoot Checklist: Ensure High Sales With Better Planning

A key to creating stock photos that sell well is in organization and planning. You’ve probably organized more than a couple shoots, maybe you’ve done some spontaneously as well. If you did both, you certainly know that carefully planned photoshoots and themes brought you the best return on investment.

Generally, you can divide the whole process into three smaller sections: planning, execution and the aftermath. All three categories have subtasks and processes that go with them, but in this article we’ll focus on the planning stage of the photoshoot and give you all the details you need to create a successful stock shoot.

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Brainstorming

Quite logically, the first thing you should do is come up with ideas. And there are more than several ways to do this. We recommend that you keep a notepad, or an app for note taking on you at all times - you never know when the ideas will hit.

Additionally, you should subscribe to a newsletter from the agencies you upload stock to, they usually share work from other photographers, so your inspiration might come from there.

You can also share ideas with people you usually work with - editors, keyworders, models, or other artists. They’ll see your idea with different eyes and might be able to expand on it.

Write Down the Keywords and Do Some Research

Writing keywords before you start shooting will help you create a mood and the flow of your photos. It will also help you take care of the next step - research.

Use the keywords you came up with to search the agencies for images with similar topics. Write down what are the commonalities and differences between them. Also, keep an eye on anything that’s missing in a certain topic and cover that with your photos.

Create a Shot List and a Vision Board

While you’ll get a lot of ideas on the set, and some things will happen naturally and spontaneously, you shouldn’t rely exclusively on that. Write up a list that will include poses, scenarios or settings you’d like to include in your photos. You can also add possible locations and check them out before the shoot day to make sure they’re fitting and that property owners will be happy to collaborate.

You can spice the list up by using other photos as inspiration - this way you’ll remember them with ease, and it will be simpler to communicate your ideas to the rest of the team.

Do the Casting

If you have worked with a lot of different models in the past, after you create the vision board and a theme you’ll probably realise that one of them could be a part of this photoshoot as well. But if you don’t have anyone in mind, you can organize a local casting, or research and reach out to potential models on social media.

Casting doesn’t only include modes - think about the stylists or makeup artists you would need for the day. Call up the ones you already worked with, or find those that would better fit the theme of your new photoshoot.

Find and Secure the Location

Once you’ve completed your idea for the shoot you must find a perfect location. First of all, think whether a location you could use already exists, or if you’d need to recreate something in a studio. If you need to rent a location, call and check the cost to make sure it fits your budget. If you can do a shoot in a local store or a bar - call the owner to check if you could get a property release form, what would you need to pay for renting and if you could maybe exchange the cost for a few images they can use for their own marketing purposes.

Handle Release Forms

By handling release forms before you start shooting, you’ll be certain not to miss anything. If you have a StockStudio account, you can use it to share and manage any release forms you have, wherever you’re located. Chances are, your models already know what these are, and that you need them in order to sell the images. However, private property owners might not know, so make sure you explain why you need their signatures.

Equipment and Props

Write a list of any equipment you might need to rent for the photoshoot, and make sure you arrange the details of renting in advance. If you wait too close to the shoot day you might lose something that could be essential to the successful production of your images.

Don’t forget about the props! Depending on the topic, you might need coffee mugs, photo frames, bottles of water, etc. Write down everything that should be included in the photo so you don’t forget a single prop.

Prepare for the Worst

Yes, you should be optimistic and expect everything will go as planned. But, you should always be prepared for the worst. What if someone on your team is unable to come? Or if your lights start glitching mid-shoot? These are just some of the things you should think about before the day comes. Get some backup lights, and have a plan B for essential collaborators on your team. Also, if it’s an outdoor shoot - pay attention to the weather forecast, there’s not much you’ll be able to do if it starts raining and you need a sunny day.

The fact is that things can go wrong within seconds, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up if they do. Just be prepared to react.

Final Thoughts

Preparations for a good photoshoot take time. Don’t rush the process. Go through each of these steps carefully, even twice if you must, if you want to ensure that you’re 100% ready for the photoshoot day. Over time, the preparation becomes routine, but that makes it easier to skip the little steps if you don’t have your checklist on hand. Which is why we recommend that you write down all the steps you take when planning each stock photoshoot, and follow them without making exceptions.

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