SELECT BEST LOCATION FOR PHOTOSHOOT

 

How to Choose The Right Photo Shoot Location

Finding the right setting for a photo shoot can be a challenging task.

We reveal how thousands of location properties can be narrowed down to a choice of just one – and how they make sure it’s the perfect photo shoot location for you.

Finding the Right Photo Shoot Location

Educated decision-making is what really sets a location agency apart, and is key to finding the right location for a client. This is why we ask very specific questions when a photographer first makes an enquiry: it means they are not held up too long with us, and we can quickly get the essential information that allows us to find a great match. Equally, if we know exactly what the photographer is looking for ““ type of location, number of shots needed, general look and feel ““ it enables us to be truthful to our location owners, since we would not ask them to take on the work without first being absolutely sure what a photographer needs.

We work with lots of clients, from magazines such as Vogue and Tatler, to campaigns for the likes of Burberry and L Oreal. We find it helpful if the photographer knows the stylist they are working with. Obviously this isn’t always possible, but familiarity with each others practices and personality often makes the day of the shoot run that much smoother. We usually suggest the photographer or stylist go and do a recce of the location before they book. This is a great creative aid.

Having worked in the industry as art directors, we have knowledge and experience from both perspectives, so we are aware of the hitches that can occur during a shoot and the things that we as an agency can do to make life easier. Helping with parking permits, being ready for any last-minute artistic changes and helping a photographer to stretch their brief in order to offer more choices, are just a few of the ways in which we help our clients.

What’s more, being property owners ourselves, we are very much aware of the measures that need to be taken to ensure a property remains intact after a shoot. We ask our owners to provide dustsheets to place equipment on (to save any damage to floors) and tennis balls for tripod legs (again to reduce the risk of damage). It proves a great help and puts the whole team at ease.

Insider’s tip:
If a shoot involves a large amount of furniture, it’s a good idea to take a shot of the room as it was found, so the stylists can look back at the end to see where to put things. It takes the stress out of the shoot, especially at the end of the day when everyone is tired and looking forward to going home.

Perfect Photo Shoot Location

The most important thing to do when calling a location agency is to give a really clear brief. We have a few hundred of locations in our library, so when a photographer calls us, they need to have an idea of the following:

 

• What are you trying to achieve from the shoot?
• How far are you willing to travel?
• What features does the location need to have?
• It’s helpful for us to have reference pictures.

It’s great when a photographer sends us a tear from a magazine, or a sketch, or even a collection of images that sums up the look they are trying to achieve.

We recently had a brief where somebody wanted to emulate a shot from the Watchmen comic, so we were sent a cover from the magazine. It would have been much more difficult for them to describe to me what they wanted, but with the image of the concept in front of me, I was able to find exactly what they were looking for. As an agency, we do our utmost to make it easy for people to find the features they are looking for, in the area they want.

 

 

 

---