What goes into a fashion photoshoot

roby17269 (62)in #photography • 8 years ago

As per the previous post, here is how I organize a shoot. I am not claiming this is the only way to do it :) Some steps may be missing or in the wrong place depending who you ask to. Also, the list below does not imply that I do everything by myself! It's a team effort, remember? :)
And most of the steps would warrant a story on their own...

At a high level, the process to set up and execute a photoshoot (at least the way I do it) is:

Someone has a need / an idea that needs to be translated into photos
The idea owner (could be a paying client or someone with a personal project, such as me) meets with the photographer and stylist and / or designer to flesh out the details: general styling direction, mood, purpose of the photos, etc.
Agree on styling (clothes and accessories) and model selection - create mood board (pretty much a bunch of photos from the web that explain the general idea and styling of the shoot)
Agree on the type of studio or location for the shoot
Agree on the rest of the team (e.g. make-up artists and hair stylists)
Book the models and the studio / location (you may need to acquire a permission for the location) and whatever rental equipment is needed - you may want spares for some critical piece of equipment
Procure clothes and accessories
Keep fingers crossed
A few days before, confirm with everyone that they are all „go“
On the day, do get to the location in time
Have drinks and munchies for everyone
Pray that all the people involved do arrive (in time being a nice surprise)
Assess the model body/skin/hair (unless it’s a model we’ve worked with already… it has happened to me that some models are not totally honest about their measures, or that they arrive to the shoot after a night of debauchery)
Leave the model with make-up / hair (after having agreed with the stylist the look that needs to be achieved). In the meantime set up lights and backgrounds and props as needed
Model gets dressed and accessorized. Second model (if any) gets under make-up / hair. Light tests
Shoot the first model in the first look while the second model gets ready
Get in a pattern: shoot one model while the other changes make-up / hair / style
Pack up everything, exchange contact details as needed - you may need model release forms signed depending on the type of shoot and the fate of the photos
Clean up the studio / location as needed
Copy and back up all photos from the camera to the computer
Select the photos for post processing – this may be only you deciding or team consensus, depending on your inclinations about dictatorship vs. democracy :) I do maintain that the photographer should have the last word unless there is a paying client that has commissioned the work
Send the selected photos to the retoucher with instructions
Share the final versions with the team (unless there is a paying client that doesn’t want that) and possibly try to get them published (again depending on the presence of a client or not)
Archive the photos
Plan for the next shoot