Episode 6: Editorial shoots for your creative business

Hi, today I’m talking about styled shoots, or editorials – what they are, why you should do them and how to go about organising or participating in one should you be invited.

First things first, I want to be clear what we’re talking about today:

So the difference between a Brand shoot and a Collaborative Styled Shoot – a brand shoot is for YOU, you should expect to pay for it – from photographer to stylist, make up artists, models and hiring of other elements like furniture or location. This is solely to promote you and your business, the images might be used in blogs and magazines as well as on your own website and social media for PR purposes.

Collaborative shoots are usually organised by one or two people, but everyone gives their time in exchange for the images and share costs. The end goal is usually to have the images published on a blog or in a magazine that is suitable for all the brands involved, with later on the ability to use the images on each of the participants websites and blogs and social media.

Today I’m focussing on collaborative styled shoots (or editorials). I’ve been styling and managing these (from concept to mood boards and on the day styling and direction) for over a decade now (with close to 100 shoots featured on blogs and in magazines around the world). And of course, I’ve been photographing them more recently too alongside my creative direction skills. I also used to run online courses and live workshops on this topic (I’m pondering on a new one soon too – watch this space).

But anyway today I’m sharing some of my top tips for getting the most out of collaborative editorial shoots, whether you’re the one organising it or you’ve been invited to take part in one.

The First questions to ask are always:

WHERE will it be published

This is core to understanding the PURPOSE of the shoot – (which is always ultimately to attract your attract IDEAL clients – what do they want to see and where are they likely to look for it?

WHO else is involved – do their businesses align with your look, style and ethos

This is all about the right TEAM building  - you all need to be on the same page – no one person gets the limelight. The aesthetics and client base must be the same or very similar to be effective – so that everyone will get the exposure they desire and the shoot has a consistency of approach look and feel.

Please don’t post in Facebook Groups for team members for collaborative shoots unless you are VERY specific about who you are looking for in terms of style and content – you will be very unlikely to find your dream team this way.

Instead research and find your prefect team members – don’t be afraid to reach out to people – if you have a strong brief with a story that resonates and a clear direction and idea for publication you are much more likely to get a ‘yes’, than if you just reach out saying you are doing a ‘pink themed shoot’ – what is special about what you’re doing? Why should that supplier want to be involved?

Does the shoot have a message that will resonate with your perfect clients – for example inclusivity, sustainability or a way of showing off what can be done that’s innovative and different. This is where Pinterest is not always your friend – when building a mood board try Not to choose imagery directly related to the shoot concept or theme – try to be more inventive with your inspiration and ideas. Instead focus on emotions, texture, colour and overall feel of what you are trying to create.

The end goal must always be to get PUBLISHED – otherwise what’s the point? Bear in mind that it is increasingly difficult to get published anywhere unless one of the team is a featured vendor/advertiser on the intended publication.

RESEARCH – look at the blog posts or magazine articles carefully – what are common themes and types of content that get published in the outlets you are aiming for?

Think about BUDGET  - every good shoot costs money – it should always be viewed as an investment – be up front with the team if you expect them to share costs for models, set design or venue fees. But be aware that not everyone’s input might be equal, for example florists might have to spend hundreds of pounds to design the look you want, and they can’t be reused after the shoot.

Organisation is vital, everyone needs to know exactly when they’re needed – do a call sheet, create a mood board so everyone is on the same page and detail every element in your design.

Ahead of the day make sure everyone knows how to get to the shoot location, provide emergency numbers to call in case of delays or problems. Devise a full itinerary to ensure everyone’s contribution gets the shots required and that nothing is overlooked, as well as keep you on schedule.

A shoot day goes past in the blink of an eye, and running out of time and/or daylight are really common issues!

After the shoot day

Make sure your photographer is aware of the requirements of the outlet you intend submitting to for publication so they can ensure they have the right image sizes, types and dimensions for submission. Don’t be disheartened if your first submission isn’t successful, keep trying other outlets.

Ensure everyone has a copy and paste list of the full list of contributors with website and Instagram links so that everyone is appropriately credited for their work.

Don’t be tempted to overshare images ahead of publication, especially if a blog or magazine requires no sharing until publication. Make sure you know what the exclusivity periods are and be careful to communicate any rules to all the team. You don’t want your hard work to be for nothing if a feature gets pulled due to someone excitedly sharing before they’re allowed!

Once you have the go ahead make sure you share as much as possible on the day of publication and beyond – really make that investment work for you and enjoy showing off all your inventiveness, creativity and skill!

I hope you’ve found this a useful introduction into editorials, but do get in touch with me if you need help designing and/or shooting your own – I can coach you through designing and executing a successful shoot, and am always up for collaborating on the right project as a photographer too!

You can book your free discovery call on my website at www.katecullen.co.uk/coaching.