Before your next brand shoot, think about:

• Logistics: Do we already know which people, products and spaces need to be photographed? Has the location been scheduled / held for our shoot?
• People: Does everyone know when and where they're needed? Do they know what to wear? What to bring?
• Spaces: Are desks, conference rooms and other locations clean and camera-ready? Have you removed all the water bottles, random wires/cords, trash, and unnecessary signage?
• Products: Are everything we’re photographing unpacked, cleaned and organized? Is there a list of combinations needed?
• Props: Are laptops, notebooks, tools, packaging or other items we might need gathered ahead of time?

These sound like small things, but they add up. The less time we spend preparing during your scheduled photography time, the more time we have to create.

That can mean:

• Expanded varieties and combinations
• Comfortable models / people, not rushing last-minute
• More groups / products / portraits / etc.
• Checking boxes off on your shotlist
• More images for your marketing library

Whether we're photographing employees collaborating, students working together, products, portraits, or people walking and talking through your space, preparation helps us get more out of the time you've already budgeted.

One of our client's preparations made our shoots so incredibly efficient that we could easily accomplish everything she wanted at each one-hour shoot.

A little preparation beforehand lets us hit the ground running a few minutes after we arrive - and that can make your photography budget go a lot further!

Want to know more about what this might look like for your organization? We're happy to consult on how to maximize your photoshoot experience. Comment below, or connect via email!

See you next month!
​Autumn

A few things that are incredibly helpful:

→ Give us the lay of the land.
Where are the important spaces? What's off-limits? Which entrance actually gets us where we need to go?

→ Tell us what the schedule doesn't.
A run of show might say “reception,” but you know the CEO always stops by for the first 20 minutes, or that the award recipients gather somewhere after leaving the stage.

→ Make VIPs easy to spot.
One of my favorites: a printed page with names and full-color photos of your VIPs. Hand it to your photographer at the beginning of the day and we can find the right people in a crowd without constantly asking, “Is that them?”

→ Flag the logistical quirks.
Restricted access, surprise announcements, room changes, security requirements, tight transitions - tell us before they become surprises for us, too.

→ Point out the “you wouldn't know unless you work here” stuff.
If there's something important that an outsider would never recognize, give us the inside scoop.
Ten minutes of context at the beginning can save a lot of questions later—and lets your photographer spend more time doing what you brought us there to do.

Do you have an upcoming event and you've been meaning to book a photographer?

​How else can we support you through your photography experiences? Comment below if you have questions or would like to make a request for our October blog post.

See you next month!
Autumn

Before your next event, try asking one question:

"Six months from now, what photos will we wish we had?"

The answer is often different from the event schedule.

Those images might end up in your annual report, a grant proposal, your careers page, next year's event promotion, or a press release. Thinking beyond the event itself helps create an image library that keeps working long after everyone has gone home.

​Here are a few ways to think about it when planning your photography:

• Annual reports & impact storytelling: Choose moments that show outcomes, not just activity - people engaged, results in action, and real-world impact.
• Recruitment & careers pages: Capture authentic team interactions, workplace culture, and candid moments that reflect what it’s actually like to work with you.
• Fundraising & grant applications: Document both the need and the response - before/after context, community involvement, and measurable change.
• Marketing & campaigns: Look for versatile images that can be reused across multiple channels (social, web, email) rather than one-off visuals.
• Press & media use: Prioritize clean, well-composed images with clear subjects that can stand alone in editorial contexts.
• Long-term value mindset: Ask during the shoot, “Where else could this image be used in 6-12 months?” to maximize return on the session.

Planning something this fall?

See you next month,
​Autumn

Sometimes it's hard to actually show how budgets effect photo and video production value. In this example, Sandwich Video was asked to create three separate campaign videos about the same product - each on separate budgets of $1,000, $10,000, and $100,000.

While I don't do video, I found this to be a really helpful explanation of how a budget impacts what we (as creatives) are able to accomplish for our clients.

Can you tell the difference?

I found these videos to be extremely helpful. What do you think?

Happy Friday!
​Autumn