It can all feel a little overwhelming right?
The truth is, a successful shoot isn’t just about finding the right photographer or great locations—it’s about being prepared. A little planning goes a long way, and the right kind of planning makes all the difference. Thought, creativity, and a sharp eye for detail will help you turn this opportunity into something truly valuable.
Photography is a powerful way to tell your story. Instead of just talking about what you do, you get to show people—and how you do that shapes the way they see you. Knowing how you want your audience to perceive you is crucial.
Traditionally, Editorial Photography refers to images that accompany articles in publications, but it’s much more than that. Editorial photos have a story of their own—they can hint at a narrative, define a creative concept, or give people an unfiltered glimpse into something real. When used in business, they add depth, personality, and authenticity. They capture the essence of your brand, your culture, and your energy.
No matter why you’re planning a shoot, making the most of it is key. But there’s a balance—you want to be prepared without driving yourself crazy over every last detail. The goal is to set yourself up for success while leaving space for creativity to flow.
Here are my top tips for preparing for your Story-Teller Series.
BEGIN WITH YOUR PRIORITIES
Every shoot has a priority. It might be about bring life to your website. Perhaps it’s about capturing an event, sharing an idea, a season. Maybe you have a book, an online course or a resource to illustrate. Perhaps it’s simply about fleshing out your photographic library.
Maybe you need some casual images of you, your team – what’s missing from your image library? Do you need something more interactive and inspired that focuses on how you interact with life and the community you live in?
Your priority will dictate the sorts of photographs you need, so begin there. What are your absolute must haves? I realise that when you’re investing in this sort of thing, very quickly you can create 79 must haves. Go easy here – try and just focus on a dozen or so images that you absolutely must get within our time together.
I can and will capture plenty more, but this time should be fun, relaxed, creative and give us the opportunity to work spontaneously. The best photographs happen in the flow of inspiration.
IDENTIFY YOUR BRAND TONE AND PALETTE
It’s important that the tone of your photographs incite the feeling you want your audience to associate with you. Minimalism and warm and neutral tones are important to create a sense of relaxation. Take luxury body-care brand Aesop. Their use of warm tones and minimalism reflects their packaging and each photograph across their website and their instagram reflects this aesthetic.
Contrastingly, beauty chain Mecca uses sharp focus, bright colours, high contrast and dynamic images to create a sense of joy, excitement and youthful playfulness around their products. Your decisions around palette highlight your vibe, so it’s important these decisions are executed in your photography as well.
If you have already identified your tone and colour palette, fantastic, just let me know the details. If you haven’t, take a look at your favourite brands. How do they make you feel? What is it that attracts you to them and how does their online imagery communicate this? If it’s all a bit overwhelming, neutrals are a versatile option when you’re building your business or know you are due a rebrand.
If you’re working with a designer, put us in touch with each other!! We can work together to create harmony across your branding. Some clients incorporate their colours into their clothing, accessories, nail or hair colour, and props for the day.
CREATE YOUR VISION
The wonderful thing about putting your brand stories first is that it neatly sidesteps that temptation to head to Pinterest, type in ‘brand photography’ and commission a whole set of images that look like everyone else’s. This approach encourages you to think a bit more laterally, to be more creative and to style your own story in a way that reflects your unique business.
As you think about the stories you want to tell during this session, I am sure that you’ll start to get some gorgeous photographs in mind. It’s time to do your research, to sketch out (or pin) vignettes that will act as your inspiration point and to think about how you’d like your shoot to feel. You might build your vision around a colour story – autumnal maroons, golds and sage colours.
You might build your story around a feeling – of spring lightness and airiness perhaps. You don’t need to lock in every detail and it’s great to go with the flow, but get a sense of what you’re aiming for here.
PREPARE YOUR FOUNDATION
Pull together your props; declutter, clean and tidy any spaces you want to shoot in. Getting all of this done well ahead of time means that on the day, I can capture the beauty in what I see and you can focus on being creative and most of all, having fun! When you’re having fun, amazing things will happen and that’s when we’ll create something magical.
GO FOR FINAL TOUCHES THAT SUIT YOU
Some clients like having their nails done, others their hair, but above all else, you just need to look like you! If a big blowout isn’t your day-to-day, you don’t need it at all. If heavy makeup isn’t your usual, skip it. Instead, stick with what you feel relaxed in, just considering this a polished version of how you would present yourself to clients when you see them. Dressing for the first meeting you have with a client is a good guideline for how “dressed up” you should be, and if you’re after some tips for doing your own makeup, then here’s a post I wrote to help.
Plain fabrics are an easy choice 99% of the time but it’s not always the case, though! One of my clients wore plenty of prints in their shoot because as a design studio, these are a huge part of their work. I would avoid other logos, very small stripes and polka dots as cameras make these look psychedelic, as well as small, intricate patterns that are harder to understand from a distance. If clients know they want a slogan tee I usually suggest sending me pics; sometimes designs can fold in ways that make them unclear and as photos often have text placed on top of them, I usually recommend limiting slogans to just one outfit.
It’s worth bearing in mind that the more you do this, the easier it gets so relax, enjoy the process and I hope you’re inspired by the outcome!
See you soon!
