Building your Product Photography Shot List

Building a shot list prior to a product photography session is very helpful part of the planning process that makes shooting so much more simple. The picture of the work I have ahead of me becomes very clear & I know exactly what my client is needing.

It can be simple

Simple shot list includes a list of each item that you need photographed, but here are some things that are very useful when I go to shoot. Usually the more specific that you can be the better!

Specifics that are helpful on a shot list:

Image orientation

Do you need your images to be landscape, portrait, or 1:1 ratio (square)? This is specifically important if you already have a website or template already designed. Styling images for each kind of shot can be different, so having a predetermined orientation is very helpful when going to shoot your product.

1. Landscape 2. Portrait 3. Square

Specifically sized photographs

If you’re in need of specifically sized photographs, like a header, this is necessary for me to know prior to shooting. Because of the specifics of these types of images, they need to be shot so that we don’t crop out too much of your product…the last thing we’d want to do!

Northern Neck Popcorn bag needed header images for the the top of the website that they could switch out on a seasonal basis. These were styled specifically for this purpose because of their long, but short, image ratios.

White space needed

Do you need me to make sure that you have some white space to the left/right/above/below product? Many times this space can be used for writing or logos on marketing materials or websites.

By leaving white space to the right of the products, I gave Sarah-Daye of Night & Daye Studio the option to place wording beside her product image.

Groupings of multiple products

Do you need specific groupings of multiple products? Please make a list of these products on your shot list and (if possible) make sure they’re grouped when you ship them.

Few Made asked me to make collection images of each category of jewelry they offered. Here I captured a group of their earrings.

Variations

This is a variation of the same product (size, color, material). Please note that a variation image needs to be taken and the different variations (ex: Champagne glass–red (main image), white, silver, gold, black).

In this case, I took pictures of size variations for Clothed with Truth’s disc necklaces.

Props

If you’re including props, make sure to list which props go with which product

For her product shoot, Stephanie, provided a bunch of props from her very own home. On her shot list she included which scents she intended for each prop to be styled with.

meet Gari-Ann

Gari-Ann Kia is an accomplished Branding and Product Photographer with a passion for helping creatives and professionals elevate their brand by showcasing their product, promoting their services, or simply enhancing their brand image. Gari-Ann's expertise in branding and product photography will help you stand out from the crowd. With years of experience in the field, Gari-Ann has honed her skills and developed a unique approach to visual storytelling that resonates with her clients and their target audience to help them stand out from the crowd.

Gari-Ann currently lives in the Washington DC area with her husband and two children. She enjoys traveling with her family, some of their favorite destinations have been Santorini, Wanaka, Paris, & Aix en Provence. In her free time, Gari-Ann enjoys giving back to her community by supporting fellow military spouses & their families and mentoring other small business owners.

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