Need an exclusive photoshoot for your brand? Consider doing it yourself

Having an exclusive photoshoot is something not new to us. Our creative director AD considers herself extremely lucky to have a background in typographic design and photography from the prestigious London College of Communication that has helped her tremendously from the get-go, to create a distinctive recognizable aesthetic to her African handcrafted jewellery brand. AD has always been a huge fan of the Swiss typographic movement notably Josef Müller-Brockmann, who has been influential in her graphic designs.

In terms of photography Sebastião Salgado, Malick Sidibé and other internationally acclaimed photographers have played a vital role in inspiring her exclusive craft.

Always passionate about high contrast images, this love was soon to be translated into her photography not only to create an impact but to highlight the exclusive jewellery that’s being captured.

Here’s what she has to say:

So, the collection has been designed created, and is ready to go out to the big wide world, what next?

Creating a new collection takes a huge amount of time and the adrenaline is pumping 24/7. It’s important to keep the momentum going even after so that an exclusive photoshoot can be executed inline with the vision of the collection and of course the brand aesthetic.

Research
This is where research is key. It’s just another crucial part of the journey that you should find exciting. I have always found photographic research fun and it always leads me to amazing discoveries. During this process, you must visualize, visualize and visualize again. Without a vision, there is no direction.

Don’t skip the mood board stage

Whilst your creative juices are flowing you need to create a mood board. A mood board is a type of visual presentation or a collage consisting of images, text, and samples of objects in a composition. Successful collections and photoshoots cannot be achieved without mood boards. It gives direction and purpose. Don’t be tempted to skip this stage. To create a mood board think of a concept, collect images for inspiration from magazines online then combine them either on the web or physically.

How to do your own photography

Gear and the shoot
Not everyone has an unlimited budget, in fact, quite the contrary. Don’t get sucked into spending your hard-earned money on the latest trends or gadgets known as G.A.S. Gear Acquisition Syndrome. What’s important is not an exclusive gadget but your eyes and vision. The key mantra that the AD brand uses is LESS IS MORE. This mantra not only proves to be highly effective visually but also cost-effective.

Start small. You may have a camera or even a smartphone (which by the way we know are great these days). For great phone photography always adjust focus and exposure, try HDR mode, use natural light, apply the rule of thirds and you’ll be good to go.

The importance of the backdrop can’t be over-emphasized enough. Remember less is more? The less fuss there is the better. Whilst shooting never forget that you are trying to kill two birds with one stone that is: take a wow factor photo that will not only grab people’s attention but will sell a product.

As we all know we can’t control the elements so it’s always safer to do shoots in a controlled studio environment. The secret is that you don’t need to rent out an exclusive studio or spend vasts amount of money on a photographer or studio. Find a space with plain backgrounds and great natural lighting.

Do it yourself. Not only will you get a lot of satisfaction but you’ll save a lot of money that would be better spent in other areas of your business. As you begin to practice and create your vision you can then make small budgets every month or so to either upgrade your equipment or get a few other essentials.