6 ways to get the most value from your photo shoot

1. Preparation

This one may seem like a no-brainer and we’ve all had “fail to plan, plan to fail” drilled into us at some point, but when shooting stills it could be the difference between bagging multiple shots by lunchtime… or still being at square one!  Know your shot counts, collate those crops, track down your traces and get those samples in check and you can’t go far wrong.

2. Objectives

Before shoot day, make sure you and your team have established clear, concise objectives.  Locking down creative concepts, the purpose of your shots and where they’ll be featured saves heaps of time on the day.  Besides, it’ll ensure we’re not needing to shop it, hire it or source it on the day, making your shoot much more smooth sailing.

3. Be realistic

Make sure the objectives you’ve set are achievable within your timeframe and budget. Too often it can be tempting to ‘crowbar’ those extra shots in to feel like you’re getting more for your money, when in actual fact it can have the reverse effect and impact the overall quality of your shots.

4. Consider adding motion

Motion content doesn’t always call for a full film crew. The simplest of techniques can be woven into your stills shoot to multiply the assets you’ll get at the end of the day. Motion’s been proven to achieve much higher levels of digital engagement and social algorithms prioritise getting this content in front of your audience above stills. Remember the above points though, always try plan for this in advance!

5. Style it out

Never underestimate the power of a stylist. With their bags of tricks and endless techniques, stylists are the Mary Poppins of any shoot. They’re the trend scouters, solution seekers and all-round commercial eye of the industry that’ll give your product the va-va-voom treatment it deserves. You know your product best, but they know how to make it pop in front of the lens.

6. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself

At Powerhouse we don’t take ourselves too seriously.  We like to create an atmosphere that makes clients feel right at home and like part of our ever-growing family. It’s such a fun industry we’re in and it’s important not to lose sight of this amongst the challenges of any campaign!