10 Ways To Get MORE From Your Shoot

Make sure you use your studio time to the max!

We want to share with you some options that you may not have considered, which when added to your photography shoot can increase effectiveness, or give added assets that will boost your image portfolio.

1. Book A Stylist

For some shoots this is obvious, but often whilst a stylist is not absolutely necessary, the investment can reap huge rewards.

An industry stylists experience will often mean that you can be set up right first time, creating more time on your shoot to take more shots, delivering you more assets.

Stylists are there to support you, giving advice and making suggestions on the tricks of the trade that create the most beautiful images. If you can't attend the shoot yourself, knowing that a stylist who understands your brand is on set can really help.

They know how to work with your product to capture the essence that you are looking for in creative ways that you may not have considered before.

From selecting just the right props to accessorise your shoot, to working closely with the photographer on layout and lighting, making sure your product looks its very best. Using a stylist will always enhance your shoot experience and end results.

2. Add Video Content

Moving imagery is big news. If you have a social media presence you will already know this, but video is engaging and enticing for all marketing channels and is bound to be a hit with your audience.

Adding video to your planned stills shoot is relatively simple and can give you valuable additional assets far beyond the investment required.

If you are shooting fashion on models, add a quick catwalk style video to the mix to really show how your fabrics move and highlight those all important styling details. This can be done in tandem with your stills shoot to use models time efficiently.

If you are showing your homeware product in a room setting, video gives an evocative atmosphere that adds to your still images, making products really come alive for your audience. When you have had the perfect room set built, it only makes sense to use it to the fullest extent, so while your set is dressed and looking amazing, unleash the video cameras to add even more content to your portfolio.

Product videos can be used to entertain or to educate, or both! Showing your products using the medium of video allows your audience to see all angles, giving a better understanding of your product features and quality. Add annotations to the video and you can boost the information delivery and selling feature highlights massively, all in one asset.

3. Behind The Scenes Action

Audiences love to see how your shoots are created, and the human side behind the final image. We create these assets for our own shoots and always get a fantastic response when we share them on social channels.

Why not give your audience a taster of things to come by sharing some "behind the scenes" on your social media stories, or other channels. Giving a glimpse of new ranges, or just to show the fun that goes into creating your images.

These can be in the form of stills taken throughout your shoot, a time lapse of the whole event, or even video footage edited to give a fast paced, high octane, view of your day.

4. Lifestyle Content

Clean, clear product shots are great for information, to show product features and functions; but to convey the aspirational qualities of your ranges, add some lifestyle shots to the mix.

Showing your product in the environment it was designed for, or in use the way you intended, really elevates your sales potential by increasing desire for the lifestyle behind the image.

It doesn't have to mean a full room set build, the impression of the right setting can be created relatively simply, if needed.

5. Get Creative With Lighting And Angles

Simple shots can be switched into something special with a change of lighting or camera angle to alter the mood. Turn ecommerce shots into dramatic marketing campaign shots with just a few changes to set up.

It may only take tweaks to the lighting set up to ramp up the atmosphere and deliver images that pack a creative punch.

6. Add Special Effects Or Creative Retouching

Defy reality with image enhancing effects. Let our creative retouching team work magic with your product images to make the ordinary extraordinary.

Whether you want to add explosive colour, or tell the story of your product features with special effects, including creative retouching with your product shoot will give your images the WOW factor.

7. Stop Motion Animation

Moving content doesn't have to mean video. Stop motion animation is a great alternative for creating fun clips, perfect for social media channels and advertising.

Giving your products personality is easy, while still being informative and aspirational.

Once your product, mannequin, flat or model shoot is complete, why not have some fun with stop motion to add into the mix.

8. Change The Backdrop

Maybe a lifestyle setting isn't quite right for your image needs, but that doesn't mean plain white is your only option.

Step your creative settings up to the next level, whether that is a bold colour statement, or a theme that works beautifully with your product, to give you additional eye-catching assets for social media and marketing channels.

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9. Take Still Life To Real Life!

Still life fashion is great for showing your products in a consistent way, but mix in modelled images and you can bring them to life for your customers. Show fit and texture, increasing confidence to make a purchase.

Do this at the same time as your still life images, and you can ensure complete consistency of styling and colour matching across all of your images.

10. Create Cameos

Add cameo shots to your room set shoot to give useful additional assets.

More than just close up detail shots, cameos are mini set ups that can stand alone as a vignette addition to your main image. Focus attention on accessories or smaller products allowing them to take centre stage and shine in their own right.