Image requirements: what are we capturing and where will images be used?
In part 1 of this planning guide series we covered how to create or review your brand identity as this sets the tone and style for your photos. In this second part we start to think specifically about what images you need to create in a brand photo shoot, and where you will use them. Grab a cuppa and notebook and think about these questions.
WHERE will you use your photos?
It may feel backwards to start with planning where you’ll use your photos but it’s actually the best way to do it! Knowing where you’ll use them tells you so much about what orientations you need, where about in the photo to place the subject and how much negative space to leave for text overlays etc. This is useful to do because social platforms have different image formats so what you create for Facebook won’t always work on Insta and what you create for your website may not work well on social platforms. The ‘insta crop’ is notorious for being troublesome!
Previous
Next
What about composition?
As mentioned above, knowing where you will use your photos gives us an indication of what compositions to use when creating your photos; positioning the subject in the centre for instagram photos, or to the side for Facebook banners, how much negative space for text overlays, portrait, landscape and square formats.
Knowing these requirements means I can create photos for specific platforms or make some of them multifunctional.
Negative space at the top works well for text overlays
What do they need to say?
What stories do you want to tell with your photos? Storytelling in marketing is a powerful tool in building a stronger connection with your audience, making them see how your products or services can really benefit them, making them care about something, improving engagement by making your brand more human and by evoking emotions you encourage your audience to engage with your brand. Stories don’t need to be huge, they can be tiny, 5 minute moments that tell how a product or service came to be, how it can make a difference to daily life, how it is made, how it can make you feel etc.
If you have specific ideas you want photos for then make a list for us discuss. Are they for your website, blog, IG, Pinterest? Jot that down too.
List out what feelings you want to invoke too.
What brand stories can we tell?
Maybe you want something more general for your brand photo shoot, to show you at work or to document your creative processes, we can tell that story too by capturing you at work, details, any packaging or delivery methods and show you, the business owner so people can connect with you. Maybe you want to capture what inspires you in your work, if that’s important to your story we can do that!
Maybe a short film would work better? If so we can discuss, plan and create it together!
Write your shot list
Using your notes you can now write a pretty detailed shot list, including:
- Orientation: portrait, landscape, square.
- Subject location: centred, left or right, leaving negative space for text.
- Where they’ll be used.
- What feelings you want to invoke.
- What stories to tell.
- Exactly what will be photographed.
So, what’s next?
Now you know what images you need and where you will use them it’s time to think about shoot locations, how to style them and what props to use….. coming soon!
