managing a photo shoot

White paper | March 2012

How to plan a photo shootTeamClient Design Toolkit

Shikatani Lacroix is a leading branding and design firm

located in Toronto, Canada. The company wins

commissions from all around the world, across CPG, retail

and service industries, helping clients achieve success

within their operating markets. It does this by enabling its

clients’ brands to better connect with consumers through a

variety of core services including corporate identity, naming

and communication, brand experience, packaging, retail,

wayfinding and product design.

About the AuthorRhianna Padamsey, Account Manager at Shikatani Lacroix

As an account manager at Shikatani Lacroix, Rhianna is

responsible for managing packaging design projects for the

PepsiCo Beverages account, which includes top national

brands such as Tropicana, Brisk, 7UP, Mountain Dew,

Aquafina, and, of course, Pepsi.

Prior to joining SL in 2010, Rhianna worked as a media

relations specialist at Business Wire, the world's leading

news distribution service.

Toolkit | May 2013 | Photo Shoot | 1

Planning a Photo ShootThere are many elements that make up successful and

impactful package designs. Fonts, colours, textures and stock images or illustrations can elevate even the smallest

and simplest packaging from mundane to spectacular.

That said, nothing brings life to a

design, particularly a packaging design, like custom photography.

Having a photo shoot with a professional photographer can be

an extremely enjoyable and

enlightening experience, while providing a level of customization

that is not possible to achieve through the use of stock

photography.

Though package designers can repurpose existing imagery,

or source royalty-free stock photography, you may decide during the design process that custom photography is your

preferred direction. In this case, it is best to alert the agency

as soon as possible so that they may make arrangements to tentatively book a photographer.

However, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure

that the process is as smooth and effective as possible.


We Love It! Design FrozenThe most important step on the road to a photo shoot is

the Design Frozen stage. Once a design is refined to the client’s satisfaction, a PDF is sent to the photographer so

he/she can get a feel for the products that need to be shot and provide a cost estimate. It is important to avoid any

major changes after this point as the choice of products,

props, stylist, and the estimated number of hours required to shoot are all based around this design. With this in mind,

if there are minor changes, both the agency and the photographer will try to accommodate the client’s requests

to ensure the final product is to everyone's utmost

satisfaction.

Let's Do This! Set The DateOnce the photographer has reviewed the design and the client has agreed to the cost estimate, the photographer

will provide dates that work within the client's supplied

timeframe. Keep in mind that it is best to secure these dates with as much notice as possible to ensure a stylist is

available. These dates will be kept on hold for a short time, during which the client can confirm internally. Once the

client provides a confirmation, the dates are then booked

firm. This means that should the photo shoot need to be cancelled for any reason, the client will incur a financial

penalty. In a fast moving industry, it is inevitable that things may change unexpectedly, but if possible, cancellations

should be avoided once the dates have been solidified.


Let's Talk it Out - The Pre-pro CallIn preparation for the photo shoot, the agency account

manager will schedule a pre-pro (pre production) call between all parties — client, account manager, art director,

photographer, photographer's assistant, and stylist. These calls last approximately one hour.

These calls can be extremely productive and allow everyone involved to discuss the shoot before the big day.

The photographer and stylist will discuss each shot, lighting, angles, and any props that may be required. They

will also request that specific amounts of products be sent

to their studio in advance of the photo shoot. The stylist will do the prop shopping and this cost will be reflected in the

estimate provided by the photographer. For the call, everyone involved should have PDFs or printouts at hand,

and should come prepared with any questions they may

have as this is the last opportunity for the client to speak directly with the photographer before the day of the shoot.

The photographer's assistant will also provide everyone on the call with the start time, address and directions.

Say Cheese! The Photo ShootOn the day of the shoot, clients usually arrive at the studio around 9:30am. The stylist, photographer, photographer's

assistant, account manager and art director will arrive earlier to prepare. Though the photographer has his/her

own area, a separate seating area with tables and

comfortable chairs is often provided, and clients and account managers alike are encouraged to bring their

laptops and iPads. It is important to note that a typical day runs from 9:30am to 5:30pm but may go longer if

necessary.


For the call,

come prepared

with any

questions as

this may be the

last opportunity

to speak

directly with the

photographer

before the day

of the shoot

Once the shot is ready, the

art director and photographer will ask the

client and account manager

to come forward and review. At this point, the client can

ask questions or make requests for changes either

directly, or through the art

director or account manager. Clients are

encouraged to speak with the photographer. However,

the art director and account

manager are happy to communicate between the

client and photographer.

Any areas that may require

adjusting, such as dark spots, light spots, etc., are

noted so they can be retouched at a later date.

Once all the scheduled shots are completed, the client will have the opportunity to review and select the images they

would like to move forward with. Within a few days, all the raw shots are transferred to the design agency.


Now What? Post ProductionShots are transferred electronically (or on

a disk) to the production team and Photoshop experts at the design agency

to begin final artwork and digital retouching.

Although final artwork time is always estimated initially, the digital retouching

process can take hours or days, and is always quoted as a separate cost.

Depending on the number of images,

SKUs, and the extent of the retouching, costs and time required can vary. Once

the images are retouched, cropped and placed within the final artwork, final PDFs

are sent for client approval. Sometimes,

additional retouching may be requested.

The End of the Road - File Prep and ReleaseOnce the client approves the final artwork, and the PDF has been accurately

checked and proofread, the artwork is prepped for release.

When files are prepped, all elements are checked to ensure everything is perfect.

Layers, colours, fonts, UPCs, ingredients, NFTs, etc. are all verified prior to release. If any elements

are missing or have not been supplied, notes are made on

the files to notify both film and print suppliers. The file is then released to the film house before it can begin its new

life on shelf!


For more information contact:

Jean-Pierre Lacroix

President

Shikatani Lacroix

387 Richmond Street East

Toronto, Ontario

M5A 1P6

Telephone: 416-367-1999

Email: [email protected]


managing a photo shoot

Design

product design

design process

design firm

professional photographer

packaging design projects

agency account manager

design frozen stage

clients brands