So tell me — how does a commercial photography shoot actually work?
If you've never booked a professional photography shoot before, working out what you're actually paying for can be a little confusing.
Is it just someone turning up with a camera? Do you need a stylist? Who organises the location? What happens if you have no idea what you want the photos to look like?
The short answer is: it depends.
Every commercial photography project is a little different, and that's kind of the point. A small product shoot might be fairly straightforward, while a larger campaign could involve creative direction, styling, locations, talent, video and a whole lot of logistics behind the scenes.
Here's what a typical Swell project might look like.
Before anything gets booked, we start with a good old fashioned chat.
I'll want to know about your business, what you're shooting, where the images will be used, if you have a budget, any existing ideas, how much content you need, and, most importantly, what the images actually need to do for you.
Maybe you're launching a new collection. Maybe your website desperately needs an update. Maybe you need some socials content. Maybe you've got a beautiful new space that needs photographing before the client moves in with their kids, dogs and potentially ugly furniture. Or maybe you just know that your current imagery isn't quite doing your brand justice, but you're not entirely sure what you need instead.
That's all completely fine. You don't need to arrive with a perfectly written creative brief and a fleshed out Pinterest board.
Part of my job is helping you work that out.
01.
The Brief
Once we've worked out what we're trying to achieve, we can start figuring out how we're going to get there.
Depending on the project, this might include developing a visual direction, creating a mood board, putting together a shot list, deciding on locations, working out what props or styling we need, or planning how the images will work across your website, social media and marketing.
Some clients want to be very involved in this stage. Others are more than happy to hand me the reins.
Both are completely fine.
The important thing is that we're on the same page about the overall direction before shoot day arrives.
02.
Creative Direction
& Planning
This is where things can vary quite a lot from project to project.
You might already have everything you need. Your products are ready, your space is styled, and all you need is someone to photograph it beautifully.
Or you might need a little more help.
Swell can assist with things like styling, prop sourcing, location scouting, talent coordination, set builds, and more depending on what's required. Essentially, if there's something that needs to happen to bring the shoot together, I got you. That way you can get on with running your business and doing what you do best, knowing the planning and preparation is being taken care of behind the scenes.
And I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty either. I'll paint things, build things, move things, make things, rearrange things, hang things, carry things and generally get stuck in wherever needed. I love the conceptual side of creating a shoot, but I also love pulling out a drill and actually creating. I might be doing a full styling production one day and turning up with a camera and a very simple shot list the next. That variety is my jam.
And no, this doesn't mean every shoot needs to become a full-blown production involving six people and a truck full of props. Sometimes a good chair and some nice light will do the job. But I’m here for both ends of the spectrum, and everything in between.
03.
Styling, Props,
Locations, etc
Then we actually get to the fun bit.
Shoot day might mean a studio, a stunning home, a beach, a pub, a warehouse, or somewhere completely unexpected. Wherever it is, that's where everything comes together and the plan starts becoming the actual thing.
There's usually a lot more happening on a shoot than what you see in the final photographs. Depending on the project, I might be styling sets and locations as we go, setting up artificial lighting, working out how to make the most of available natural light, coordinating talent, handling logistics, keeping an eye on the run sheet, making sure I remember to put the florals in water, and ensuring we're actually getting the most out of the time we've got.
There might be furniture to build, sets to put together, products to move, outfits to change, props to tweak, lunch to organise, music to put on, metaphorical fires to put out, and hundreds of tiny decisions to make along the way.
I'll problem-solve, adapt and keep things moving no matter what surprises pop up. Plus, sometimes the best image of the shoot is the one you weren't planning to take.
We'll work through the plan, but I'm also not particularly interested in sticking to a shot list just for the sake of ticking boxes if it’s not working. If we see something better, we'll follow it. I'll collaborate with you, your team, creative directors, designers or anyone else involved so that everyone is working towards the same thing, while still keeping an eye on the bigger picture.
For shoots involving people or talent, I'll also help with direction through the process rather than expecting everyone to magically know what to do in front of a camera. We'll work through poses, movement and whatever feels natural for you and your brand.
The general aim is to make the day feel productive, creative and actually enjoyable to be part of. Some shoot days are chill and laid back, others are creative chaos in the best way. Whatever the day throws at us, I’m here for it.
04.
The Shoot
Once we've wrapped, I move onto post-production.
I'll go through the images and make an initial round of selects, narrowing everything down to the strongest photographs from the day. From there, you’ll have the chance to make your own selects, so you're choosing the images you actually want rather than receiving a predetermined gallery of images.
If you’re not sure what you need, I can absolutely help with this part too. I can make recommendations based on what we shot, where the images will be used and which photographs I think give you the strongest and most versatile overall gallery.
Once selections are done, your final images are then professionally edited to make sure the gallery feels cohesive, polished and true to the direction we established in the brief.
The amount of post-production varies depending on the project. Product photography, for example, might require more detailed retouching than a lifestyle shoot, while an interior project might be more focused on consistency, colour, light and fine-tuning the details. I'll give you an idea of the expected editing time and post-production costs as part of the quote, so you know roughly what to budget for from the beginning.
05.
Post-Production
Once post-production is complete, your finished images are delivered via an online gallery, ready to download and use.
Depending on your project, you might receive a mixture of hero images, detail shots, portraits, lifestyle imagery, product photographs and different orientations or compositions. I’ll generally make sure you have a useful mix of high-resolution files for things like print and larger applications, as well as web-ready files that are optimised for websites and social media.
The exact deliverables will depend on the project, but the aim is always the same: you should finish the shoot with a gallery that's actually useful to you. Not just a folder full of pretty pictures.
06.
Delivery
There is one other part of commercial photography that is worth understanding: image licensing.
When you book a photographer, you're not necessarily buying ownership of the copyright. You're generally purchasing a licence to use the images for agreed purposes.
For most Swell projects, web and organic social usage is included in the quoted fee. Additional usage, such as paid advertising or a full buyout, can be added depending on what you need.
This is something we'll discuss as part of the quoting process, so you know exactly what you're getting and where you can use the images.
I've also written a whole journal post about image licensing if you want to dive a little deeper, you can read through it here.