Freestyle Brand Shoot Planning

January 24th, 2024

Added this beach essential to my surf bag, and I'll never go back. The Shark Watch by Freestlye is the perfect surf accessory to keep the time while you're in the water and not compromise on style.

I planned a styled shoot to capture the Shark Watch in the Plumeria style for Freestyle. This watch comes in sooo many cute colors and patterns and is made locally in Orange County!

Read more here about how I planned for this shoot & followed brand guidelines for stunning and on-brand results.

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Back in October 2023, I reached out to Freestyle about their infamous Shark Watch - the one watch that can do it all. I've been eyeing this watch because it's the most functional and cute beach essential you could ever own. I figured I would reach out to shoot some photos for them, and what do you know?

Sooo, 10000 photos later, they were incredibly happy with the results. And why? Because I followed their brand guides but also aimed to represent them with every photo!

You see, the thing about shooting for brands is that they want to know that their resources were well-spent investing in photos that tell their story.

You can do that with well-thought out planning and good research!

Here are steps I follow for every single photoshoot:

1. Outreach or inbound project requests

2. Take a look at the details & try to get as much info as possible

3. Discovery

4. Could be over phone call, individually going through their website and socials, or chatting back and forth about brand guidelines

5. Shoot planning (what I will focus on in this blog post)

6. Shoot day - YAY

7. Editing/proofing

8. Depending on the photographer, you may edit with your style or to match theirs. You may also send a proof to see if they have any rounds of edits before you deliver the final photos.

9. Delivery

10. Feedback & testimonies

Let's talk about 2 & 3 - discovering what the brand wants and how you plan to create their dream photos.

2- Discovering more about the brand

Discovery is so important to show them you want to make THEIR vision come to life. It's great if you get creative and do your thing, but it's even better if it aligns with what they are looking for.

Discovery can be done in several ways, but I prefer a short phone call or chatting over email/socials so you get those questions answered.

With Freestyle, I had been following their page for awhile. I had a pretty good idea of their style BUT I also took a look at their previous posts and then asked them if they had brand guidelines. They sent me their guidelines over email, and I was able to ask questions and make sure it was what they were looking for.

Questions you can ask in discovery:

• Do you have a mood board or any inspiration for this shoot?

• Do you have brand guidelines?

• What would make this shoot successful in your eyes?

• Any questions or suggestions for me?

3 - Planning for the shoot

When you plan for a shoot, it's important to consider several elements: colors, props, backdrops, outfits, overall aesthetic, and more.

You may want to reference their page or come up with some out-of-the-box ideas that are similar to the theme.

Here are a couple tips for good shoot planning:

• Create an organized note with all the details to share with any other collaborators (models, social media managers, etc)

• Collaborate on a mood board to gain inspiration

• Make a list of items needed for you to bring

• Props

• Clothing

• Other materials (for effects or added texture)

• Describe the aesthetic and mood of the shoot - make sure it is known

• Link the brand socials or guidelines so everyone can reference it

• Write up a shot list (If needed)

An example from my shoot with Freestyle:

Freestyle specifically said they loved orange and blue hues (me too haha) for their posts. They also sent this beauty - the Plumeria watch- that was yellow with pink flowers. I had a lot of pastels to incorporate!

We went with a lot of neutral clothing to let the colors pop, and Regina happened to have the most gorgeous board - yellow with pink trim and flowers :') . The tan and blue hues pulled everything together for a beautiful pastel aesthetic.

I came up with a good shot list of actions and poses I wanted to try, ensuring that I followed the brand guidelines for the watch.

The caveat - shoots don't always work out as planned.

As great as shoot planning is, that should never take away from your creativity. Just keep in mind that the brand has to come first! Don't be afraid though to lean into that creativity and be comfortable with changes or challenges coming your way.

I wasn't prepared for a slightly gloomy shoot this day, but we leaned into it and found that the pastels really popped. I was able to add warmth back in later in editing, and we carried on as planned.

So try these tips to plan for your next brand shoot, and let me know how it goes!