What you need to know before a virtual photoshoot
“That’s a great image. Too bad we can’t use it — he’s not wearing a mask.”
In the past year, how many times have you said this while reviewing images for your brand? You’re not alone. The way the world has been living during this pandemic, and the need for brands to be represented as current, authentic and socially responsible, have driven an urgent need for many companies to create brand imagery that reflects our new reality. But how can you conduct a successful photoshoot when the whole world is on lockdown? At Simple Truth, we had to ask ourselves that exact question.
In early 2020, BrightStar Care turned to us for help recruiting nurses and caregivers for their home care business. After conducting research and defining a strategy, we created a campaign that celebrated the individual stories and personalities of the BrightStar home care team. When COVID-19 hit, the need for nurses and caregivers was critical — we had to get this campaign in market fast. In order to do so, we needed to create a collection of portraits that focused on the individual and could convey what makes each so uniquely special. Our team got to work and this is what we learned:
Prepare to be unprepared.
As much as you plan and think you have everything accounted for, something is going to disrupt your plans. In our case, one of the models contracted COVID-19 the day before our shoot. But because we had a backup plan in place, we were still able to operate full speed ahead on shoot day. The lesson here is to be sure you build in some cushion for every aspect of your process. We had extra models selected beforehand and on hold. We had secured additional studio time in case the schedule ran long or needed to shift. We looked for flexibility across every aspect of our photoshoot planning. The result? Where some unexpected things may have cost us a little time, they did not cost us any more money.
Know your tech.
I don’t mean your iPhone or laptop. Get to know the people on the other side of your screen. In a virtual setting, you will spend much of your day talking to your photographer’s tech team. From, “Can you move the camera, we can’t see the model,” to “Our screens just went black and our client can’t log on,” and everything in-between. Virtual photoshoots absolutely rely on the most current technology and tools, and a crew who is adept at using them while troubleshooting on the fly.
Connections count.
Working with an experienced and well-connected photographer really pays off. At Simple Truth, our first goal is always to select a photographer who’s style best suits our concept. During COVID-19, our second goal was to work with someone we were familiar with and who had top-notch resources for the planning and execution of a remote shoot that would require steep health and safety protocols. In the case of our BrightStar Care photoshoot, we worked with well-known, Chicago-based photographer John Boehm. John helped curate an experienced photography team who stayed active on photoshoots throughout the pandemic. Acquiring and previewing talent, styling models and sets, lighting and camera assists, establishing and monitoring health and safety protocols — each of these requires several people to be in one space, talking and moving about for hours on end. John and his crew had the most up-to-date knowledge and know-how needed to ensure a safe and successful photoshoot experience for everyone involved.
Everyone is an art director.
The very nature of Zoom is big group discussion. And that’s great, until it isn’t — especially for a photoshoot. Gone are those intimate moments between art director and photographer collaborating and ideating on set as the images are being created. On Zoom, everyone has a voice and when it comes to evaluating creative, they can have strong opinions too — all day long. Needless to say, it’s really important to manage this with your client ahead of time. Be sure that everyone knows who will be joining remotely, what their roles are, what they are expected to weigh in on and options for how to provide feedback throughout the day. Coordinating this process with clients ahead of time helps ensure all expectations are met and that shoot day runs smoothly.
Keep it simple and smile.
Do yourself and everyone else a favor — stick with collaboration tools that are easy to access and user-friendly. Nothing is more frustrating for a client than having to navigate a new application while their photoshoot is going on without them. At Simple Truth, we prefer a combination of online tools: Miro for reviewing talent and wardrobe pre-shoot; Zoom for viewing live action on-set; FaceTime for hair and make-up approvals; and Slack for sidebar conversations and ongoing direction throughout the day. We make sure to do a run-through of these tools with our clients before shoot day so that everyone can show up feeling confident and ready to contribute with a smile on their face. After all, photoshoots — including virtual ones — should be fun!
So you see, with some proactive planning, practice and the always-important pre-pro day, a virtual photoshoot can be a real success and result in images that you and your clients can be proud of. To find out more about our recruiting work with BrightStar Care, head over to the case study.