Planning a shot list | Toronto Interior Design & Architecture Photographer
Planning a shot list for an interior design photoshoot.
While not a necessity, planning a shot list is super valuable come shoot day. It ensures that the images that result from your shoot will work great as a set and support your upcoming uses and business goals. Your shot list can be very specific with sample angles or inspiration imagery or, you can keep it broader with a list of features you are looking to highlight and the approximate number of shots you are looking for.
More specifically, some of the benefits of creating a shot list include:
- Keeps you organized, and makes sure you don’t forget to capture important elements.
- Assists with planning props and styling for your shoot.
- Ensures images captured support other intended uses such as editorial or awards submissions.
- Supports your marketing efforts and is in line with your brand aesthetic - e.g. your social media content plans, useful for upcoming blog posts or editorial feature pitches.
- Creates collateral that fits your needs in terms of orientation (vertical vs. horizontal) or specific crops you might need (e.g. a narrow website banner).
Here are some of the types of shots you might be looking to capture:
Wide ‘hero’ shots that show the overall space.
In most cases, these are key to showcasing the overall design. You generally don’t need a wide shot from every angle possible, there will likely be a 2-3 angles that have are stronger in terms of composition and show all the important elements.
Shots that show how spaces flow and connect.
Shots like this help orient the viewer when they are looking at a project as a whole. It also shows your ability to create a consistent and complimentary feel throughout a project. These are great for editorial and can be less confusing than trying to shoot very wide shots.
Vignettes or detail shots that showcase workmanship and finishes.
Tigher shots are great stand-alone on Instagram but also pair nicely with wider shots to showcase the craftsmanship and thoughtfulness that goes into the design of a space. Be selective in what you want to showcase, you don’t need a detail shot of everything. I like to compose shots that show how a few elements work together. Very tight detail shots might not be helpful without some context of the other elements, and end up looking like a product shot. It’s helpful to think about how the detail shots support and add to the set of images as a whole. Most vignettes or detail shots are shot with a tighter lens which has a longer focal length creating more compression and offering a more intimate feel.
Images That Tell A Story
Making a shot list is especially important if your goal is to receive some editorial coverage. Know that they need more than a beautiful space to showcase, there needs to be a story to tell. Think about this before you plan your shoot, some types of stories that might be relevant include stories related to the homeowners, design challenges, colour stories, unique customizations, transformations, restoration projects, DIY elements, or a unique location. When you prepare your pitch, you’ll need to include a few sentences that talks about why your project is worthy of a feature and have strong images with great styling to support it.
Images that show functionality.
Design is about more than the aesthetic and showcasing some of the functional elements you add to a space is truly one of the main benefits to working with a professional. Choose a few features you’d like to highlight. You might decide this is most effectively portrayed with two versions of an image, such as alternate versions with something open and closed. This can make for a fun reel or swipe-through carousel post on Instagram. Or consider adding in a person to show how it is interacted with. Even if something is truly just functional, there is always a way to capture it beautifully.
Throw in a designer portrait!
Come to your shoot ‘photo ready’ or with a spare outfit on hand so you can step into a shot or two. We don’t need to do a full portrait session but it’s an easy way to get more content, ensures you have a recent shot of yourself and can be beneficial for some publications or awards requirements.
After Shots that match a ‘before’ angle shot or rendering.
Images like this are particularly strong in showing how you can execute a transformation. These are also often required for awards submissions and are very impactful and engaging on social media.
Shots that show life in the space.
Adding a person, pet or more relaxed styling can really add life to a space and make it feel like a home. At the core, the end user you are selling to is a person looking to improve their lifestyle. Sometimes all the pristineness of interior design shoots can feel a bit unrelatable to a potential client, but if they can picture themselves living there, including these lifestyle elements can be a very effective marketing tool.
Prioritize your shot list and remain flexible!
Sometimes, even with the best planning and intentions things run long. At certain times of the year, there is less daylight or unforeseen issues eat up more of the day than planned. Prioritize your list in terms of ‘must haves’, and your ‘nice to haves’ if time permits. This ensures you get the coverage you need. You are better off having fewer stronger images than a lot of rushed images with poor composition that don’t work for what you need.
I always encourage clients to keep the list a little flexible, every project is unique so the final set of images will be too.
If you have an upcoming project and are looking for more help creating your shot list, don’t hesitate to reach out!
