Nothing brings life to a design like custom photography. Having a photo shoot with a professional photographer can be an extremely enjoyable and enlightening experience, when you are prepared and the process is well planned. The following presentation will explain how best to approach managing a photo shoot.

1. White paper | March 2012
How to plan a photo
shoot
TeamClient Design Toolkit

2. 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 Author
Rhianna 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.
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3. Planning a Photo Shoot
There 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.
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4. We Love It! Design Frozen
The 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 Date
Once 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.
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5. Let's Talk it Out - The Pre-pro Call
In 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 Shoot
On 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.
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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

6. 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.
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7. Now What? Post Production
Shots 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
Release
Once 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!
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8. For more information contact:
Jean-Pierre Lacroix
President
Shikatani Lacroix
387 Richmond Street East
Toronto, Ontario
M5A 1P6
Telephone: 416-367-1999
Email: jplacroix@sld.com
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