Things you should know when organising a photo shoot…

If organising a photo shoot is something new to you, or if you are a seasoned pro, preparation is key.

I’ve worked in many areas over the years, and this principle is applicable to all genre’s. So, if you are organising a shoot with a rock star or a fashion designer, follow my basic rules/principles and you will be fine…

People often ask me, where do you start? The only answer is at the beginning, or in my case, at the end and work backwards towards the start…

Things I often ask my clients to establish a brief are:

1. Most importantly, when is your deadline?
2. How long do we have for the shoot?
3. Are you using a location or a studio, if so will we need to do a recce?
4. Where are these shots going, magazine, web, billboard?
5. Who’s the target audience?
6. Do I need to accommodate a template layout?
7. How many pages do you need?
8. Are we using models, if so we will need to do a casting?
9. Will we need a make-up artist/stylist/hairdresser? This obviously depends on the brief and isn’t applicable to everyone.
10. What’s the budget? If they budget is tight then some of the above will not be able to happen. Be realistic as to what can be achieved on the day and in preparation.

Other things to consider too…

• If the shoot is going to be a long day, then refreshments and catering will need to be on hand. A crew and models can’t perform if they are tired and hungry. Your reputation is at stake and you need to bring the best out of everyone for the shoot to happen, so make sure you look after your team!

Blueprint Studios – I can see why it is Elbow’s favourite jamming space

Future Music Magazine booked me a few days ago to photograph Blueprint Studios in Manchester, and it was a great Rock N Roll experience.

I have worked with the magazine for many years, and built up a good working relationship. It’s also really nice when a client says “go do your thing” as they implicitly trust what I do for them and the countless bands they work with. I have really enjoyed also working with many of these bands on Future Music magazine’s behalf over the years.

Blueprint Studios really is a fab place to hang out, record music, or just jam and rehearse. The building used to be a missionary and was redesigned by a nightclub interior designer, giving it a chic, eclectic and retro look that has the ‘wow’ factor - everywhere!

I had the pleasure of meeting Guy Garvey, lead singer of Elbow last year, and having gone to Blueprint, I could see why he loves this place and why they’re recording their latest album there at the moment: the people are easy-going but professional in their attention to detail. Elbow use the space to rehearse regularly, and have recorded there before.

The job entailed shots of the main recording studio (which was amazing), the live rooms and the big room, my personal favourite, which is an incredibly beautiful space – not to mention the beautiful acoustic quality produced there.

The shoot at Blueprint Studios reminded me of something – co-owner Tim said that they pride themselves on giving the same service level to every band, whether they are starting out or internationally-acclaimed pros like Elbow, and this resonated with me.

Whether I’m working with superstars such as U2 or Slash from Guns N Roses recently, they get the same service as smaller bands I’ve done professional shoots for, such as Seagull Strange.

I don’t get star-struck, and I think the big stars – in particular – appreciate this focus in music photography.

After all, we all have a job to do – and we’re all professionals.