The Media City Salford Quays Photo-shoot, was the largest photo-shoot I organised. When I started my fashion company Collette Costello. To promote my range of vintage fabrics and fashion. Photographs from the shoot were featured by many press publications. Including The Guardian, Red Online and ASOS Marketplace. This blog post is a guide to how I pulled off a successful fashion photo-shoot, with some hints and tips.
You will need:
- Mood-board/ Shoot Plan
- Photographers
- Hair/ Make-up Artists
- Models
- Clothes/ Accessories
Mood-board/ Shoot Plan
To help with planning make a photo-shoot ideas boards, it can also be called a mood, style-board or a shoot plan. Include examples of other photo-shoots that you like. Examples of hair, make-up, jewellery, location and model. You can show this to your photo-shoot team so they know how to style your shoot, the look you are going for.
Clothes/ Accessories
As a designer I started by making the collection of clothes that I wanted photographing. If you are looking to just style a shoot, sometime shops will lone you clothes to use. Or you could offer to style and do photographs for a up and coming designer. Once you have the wardrobe, you need to plan a look around the garments. This mean planning accessories, everything from shoes to tights and jewellery. I asked models to bring accessories with them. It can cost a small fortune to provide everything little item. Instead you could ask to borrow accessories from designers and shops.
Location
I have done indoor photo-shoots and a lot of equipment like special lights are needed. To make the photographs look good it can be difficult, even with a special camera. In the past I have hired a photography studio. You need someone who can use the equipment and you maybe only have an hour to get a great shot, so this do not always work. I find the best place to get good photographs, is outside at a great location, with great buildings. Which is why I choose Salford Quays, as my photo-shoot location. When we started taking photographs at Media City the home of the BBC. We were told we need special permission. That we were not aloud to take photographs outside the BBC studios, so always check.
Models
I got my models from a web-site where up and coming models are looking to build their portfolio. They will often work for free in exchange for portfolio photographs. I used web-site such as Star Now, my Models included Kelly Jay Warman and You Tuber Hannah Renne. Social media apps are also great to connect with other industry professionals. Look on Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Remember to make sure your model matches your style of clothes, do they have the hair, skin tone you are looking for! The same applies when looking for MUAs and Hairdressers. I found recent graduates who again would work for free in exchange for portfolio images. New models can be awkward and unsure how to pose, so this can be the down side. Make sure you have poses sorted before the shoot with them.
Photographers
I had two excellent photographer working on my photo-shoot. Lorna Roberts and Emma Phillipson. This worked really well, I had loads of images to choose from. A third photographer David Dunkerley, shoot behind the scenes photos. Without the photographer the shoot can not go ahead, so it was good to book two and have a back up. Be careful when working with photographers, they very often will not exchange skills. In the past I have had photographers approach me offering to shoot my collection. Then at the last minute asking for me to pay for the full rent on a location for shoot. telling me as a designer this was my responsibility, as the model and they were working for free. Make sure you value your own skills. Designing clothes is as difficult and takes as much as skill as everyone else. Check the photographers work out before working with them. You can waste a full day on a shoot with a photographer that will never send the images or they are bad.
After the Shoot
All the hard work is done, you have great images so get them out there. Magazines, bloggers, influencers want good images. So send them over and see if they will feature your company. ASOS marketplace put my company on the front page of their web-site. As the photo-shoot images were so good, this lead to a lot of interest and sales.
Top Tip: A successful photo-shoot is all about organisation. Be supportive, polite to people working with you. Models, photographers will want to work with you again if they think you are professional.
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