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Professional Photo Shoot Tips

February 21, 2017

Professional Photo Shoot Guide

Do you remember playing with your parent’s camera as a child, taking photos of everything from your family dog to your favorite pair of sneakers? Well, with the impact of social media, it seems the need to capture every moment hasn’t changed much! Today, everyone thinks they can be a professional photographer. The truth is, capturing a perfect photo with the right lighting, backdrop and imagery can be quite challenging.

Photographers can make the simplest things beautiful and seize those special moments in life, inspiring anyone that sees the photo. Photographers are lighting experts, gurus on precise camera-settings, and keen on being able to look at their subject’s features to find their best perspective. When you add editing experience, a perfect picture can become even more picturesque!

Do you need new headshots for your staff? Would you like to have photos of your new office building on your website? We can help! If you are trying to do it yourself, here are a few tips. Or, give us a call and we can take care of the details for you.

Stray away from automated settings. 

To achieve the best photo, the photographer should rely on the settings of the camera and adjust to capture the best picture. Using auto will try to balance the light automatically and that doesn’t always offer the best photograph. When a photographer has taken the time to get to know their camera, they will achieve the best photo in the given environment. Lighting kits can also be used and experimented with before the photo shoot.  Photographers also do research on where they are shooting, angles, and preparing for the shoot in advance to ensure a successful session.

What types of professional headshots are best? 

Depending on the industry, some companies prefer more formal headshots. If you just opened a doggie daycare, too formal of a headshot will look out of place. No matter what type of headshot you prefer, make sure it ties in with your brand. A silly-faced headshot of a neurosurgeon just wouldn’t make sense! Most importantly, appropriate lighting needs to be used no matter what type of headshot you prefer. Different lighting can convey soft, even lighting, or dramatic, directional lighting. It helps to show the photographer samples that you like (and even dislike) before a photo shoot. Just like an exterior shot of an office building will look very different depending on the time of day, so will pictures of your staff members. Lighting is a key element to any photo shoot.

What are the qualities of a good photographer? 

The best pros behind the lens usually are specialized in a certain “style” of photography. It’s a good idea to look closely at his or her portfolio. See something you like? Then set up a meeting so you can outline the project. Are you hiring someone to update your website photos? Do you need product photography done?  Make sure the work you see is illustrative of the kind of photos needed.

Once you know the photographer can create photos to match your vision, make sure one more attribute has been reached: does this photographer make you feel comfortable? If you are sitting in front of the lens, a good photographer will make you feel at ease and ready to have fun.

Our staff photographer/videographer has worked with numerous clients, developing photography that is consistent with the business’s brand. Corporate brochures, headshots, event photography and product photos are all part of her portfolio.  Whether you need an on-site shoot at your business or one in a studio, she’ll deliver! Want to learn more about the photography and videography that Cork Tree Creative, Inc. has to offer? Give us a call at 618-656-7333 or find us online at www.corktreecreative.com.

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