Build the shot list from real layouts
Collect the website pages, adverts, social templates, brochures and profile systems that will use the photographs. Mark orientation, crop, copy space and any fixed dimensions.
Turn those needs into priorities: people, processes, products, spaces and details. Separate must-have frames from ideas that can be attempted when time and conditions allow.
Make each location camera-ready
Clear temporary clutter, confidential paperwork, bins, damaged signage and irrelevant screens. Check that essential rooms are booked, accessible and available for setup before the first subject arrives.
Do not remove all signs of real work. Decide what supports the story and prepare it deliberately, then tell the photographer about anything that must not move or appear.
Schedule people in short, realistic windows
List names, roles, availability and the images each person is needed for. Allow transition and reset time instead of booking ten people for the same minute.
Tell contributors where to arrive, how long they are likely to be needed and what the photographs are for. Invite them to share mobility, sensory or access needs privately so the setup can be adapted.
Give wardrobe guidance, not a costume
Ask people to wear clothing that fits their role and feels comfortable. Share brand colours and the planned background, then flag tight patterns, prominent third-party logos or reflective items only where they cause a real visual problem.
Bring simple alternatives for critical portraits and check uniforms in advance. Consistency should not erase personal identity or make staff look unlike themselves.
Prepare products, props and demonstrations
Clean products, charge devices, remove old labels and collect approved packaging. For workplace sequences, decide which process can run safely and who will demonstrate it.
Use realistic data and documents that are cleared for photography. Do not plan to blur every live customer screen after the shoot.
Complete privacy and release checks
Tell employees, customers and visitors where photography will occur and how images may be used. Obtain the releases appropriate to the organisation and assignment before people are placed in essential scenes.
Review whiteboards, ID cards, number plates, prototypes, patient or customer information, artwork and third-party brands. Assign someone with authority to decide what must be removed.
Confirm the day’s logistics
Send the precise entrance, loading and parking details, on-site contact, security process, lift or stair access and room schedule. Share power or flash restrictions and any site induction.
For exterior work, agree a weather decision time and a useful indoor alternative. The photographer should receive the final call sheet before travelling.
Final 24-hour check
- The shoot owner and factual reviewer are confirmed.
- Layouts, crops and must-have images are prioritised.
- Rooms are booked, cleared and accessible for setup.
- Contributors have personal times and preparation notes.
- Wardrobe alternatives exist for critical portraits.
- Products, props and approved demonstration data are ready.
- Privacy, releases and restricted areas are resolved.
- Access, weather and indoor contingency are on the call sheet.
Understand the supplier’s work in the corporate photographer guide, coordinate larger portrait groups with the company headshot-day guide, or review your preparation with The Camera Guys.
