Maximizing Complete Creative Trust: Tips for a Brand Photoshoot

June 19th, 2024

Creative trust is something you treasure most as a photographer. Creative trust is a brand giving you the reins in creating the vision for their brand.

Kaitlyn, owner and creator of Agave Swim Co, trusted me with her hand-made swimsuit brand, and the end result was AMAZING!

First of all, if you have creative trust from a brand, it is so so sacred & sweet. This is hard to come by and is the highest compliment of your work.

Second, don't let that blank slate scare you. You are talented & have earned their trust for a reason - it's because of you and your work.

If a brand does not have specifications for a shoot, here is what to do to get an amazing result!

Review Their Story & Branding

If a brand does not have a creative brief or guidelines for the project, read between the lines.

What I mean is, there are so many hints of their branding in their website, in their About Me page, and their socials. Read about how they founded the brand, what the brand stands for, and assess all of their current visuals.

From there, try to understand what is consistent among all of that. For Agave Swim, it was their bohemian style, sustainable practices, and inclusivity of every shape and size. We met virtually and chatted about her brand, how she got started, and what it meant to her.

The custom patterns and colors were all unique- and from there, we made each look unique too.

From disco to playing mermaids to just being in nature, we ensured all looks were bohemian and earth-inspired.

Ask Questions & Get Input

If you are unsure of the branding, ask the creator questions. Of course, you want these photos to be something they use for months at a time and that can have positive outcomes, such as increased sales, views, engagement, etc.

Ask questions like:

What brands do you admire?

What is your brand story?

Who is your ideal customer?

What is your brand personality?

What is your brand voice?

What is your general aesthetic (think colors, themes, settings, feelings, etc)?

Propose Multiple Ideas

Both you and your client understand can come to an agreement on the creative direction, aesthetic, and goals of the project.

Do they want more photos of the bikinis over the bikini bags? Do they like how you described the aesthetic of their print?

Create a moodboard and some looks to propose to them to ensure that the artistic vision aligns with the brand's objectives.

Kaitlyn and I grabbed coffee to review these looks, and it reassured me that I was on the right path & even inspired more creativity with her ideas. She liked 3 out of the 5 looks best, and so we planned and shot those.

Get Them Involved

To my previous point, you don't want to drop the final photos without the brand being involved.

Despite these photos being your art, they should have a final say & should guide the vision.

If you can have them involved at the shoot, let them assist you in creative choices on-the-spot.

For example, we wanted to set up our third look & needed to choose whether we wanted to stay on the beach or go set up on the cliffs. For the look, we decided together that more greenery suited it best.

Remember that the brand also has a strong creative instinct as a business owner!

Custom sustainable bikinis, handmade in Orange County

Request Feedback

"Bring a beginner’s mindset – one of openness, curiosity, and interest – to every new project you take on. "

Always learning, always teaching, they say. It's so important to ask your clients what

THEY think of your process and final product. Even if they are 100% satisfied, they may impart their wisdom from their POV that can help you land more clients and make other's just as happy with their photos.

View Results

Happy clients are great, but what about sales? What about engagement? These metrics are proof that your content is engaging and attractive to their audience.

Numbers don't lie. They will show others just how effective your work is!

Ask for:

Engagement rate with your content posts (likes, views, comments, reshares, etc)

General traffic (story views, profile views, website views, etc)

Sales (have they had more sales of those particular prints compared to others that were not photographed? have sales margins increased?)

Ultimately, creative trust allows the photographer to bring their artistic vision to life while satisfying the brand client’s needs and expectations with minimal direction.

Follow these steps to execute a vision that they could call their own, and you will have the most beautiful photos that resonate with the brand!