How to Prepare for a Clothing Brand Photoshoot (Before You Meet the Photographer)
Before you meet a photographer, decide seven things: who your one main customer is, which platform the images are for, how each outfit will be styled, which props and setting fit the client's life, what your reference images are, which practical details need sorting, and where the images will be used. A photographer can't make these choices for you, and a shoot without them tends to produce pretty pictures that don't sell.
·I'm Carolina Leguizamon, creative director at Daniel Ahlberg Photography. I direct the shots on creative, wedding and brand shoots, and I also work with founders before the shoot to prepare them. Recently I met a clothing brand that wanted photos for their new collection. When I asked who their customer was, the answer was "women of all ages, 18 to 60." That's the most common answer, and it's the main reason brand photos end up looking generic. Here is the preparation I walk founders through.
1. Choose one main customer
"Women 18 to 60" is an entire market, not a customer. An 18-year-old student and a 55-year-old manager shop in different places, follow different accounts, wear a garment in different ways and respond to different images. If you try to speak to both in one photo, you speak to neither.
Pick the person you expect to buy the most, then describe this:
- Age: a range of about five to ten years, not forty.
- Her week: what she does, where she goes, what she needs to wear.
- Where she shops now: which brands, and at what price level.
- Where she spends time online: TikTok, Instagram, or somewhere else.
- Why she'd buy this item: the occasion, the problem it solves, how she'd style it.
Choosing one doesn't exclude anyone else. Customers outside your main group will still buy. You're choosing who the images are made for, so that every decision after this one has an answer.
2. Let the platform decide the content
The platform changes what I shoot, how I shoot it and what you need on the day.
- TikTok usually means short vertical video with movement, a real setting and a less polished feel. The garment is shown in use.
- Instagram is typically a mix of stills and short video with a consistent look across the grid. Light, colour and framing need to match from post to post.
- Your web shop needs clean, consistent images: the same angles for every product, on-model shots, and close-ups of fabric and details.
Many brands need all three. That's fine, but say so up front, because it changes the shot list and the time needed. If your main customer lives on TikTok, start with that and add the rest.
3. Style the whole look, not just the garment
Customers don't buy a garment in isolation. They buy the way it looks on a person with shoes, a bag and a context. Decide in advance:
- What each piece is worn with.
- Which outfits show the collection best, and in what order.
- The colours and textures that should sit around your product without competing with it.
If you're not sure, bring more options than you need. Styling decisions are quick on the day when the choices are laid out in front of us, and slow when we're improvising.
4. Pick props and a setting that fit your client's life
Props and locations should say something about your customer, not only look nice. If she's a student, a lecture hall, a café or a bike may tell the story better than a bare studio. If she works in an office, the setting changes. Decide what the setting says about her, then choose props that support it, and have them ready before the shoot. A forgotten prop is easy to miss until the day itself.
5. Bring references
Collect five to ten images that show the look and feel you want, plus two or three accounts whose content you'd like to match. Don't copy them. They're there so that you, the photographer and I all mean the same thing when we say "natural", "editorial" or "clean". It's the quickest way to avoid a shoot that looks good but isn't what you pictured.
6. Sort the practical details
- Samples in every size you'll show, steamed or ironed.
- A backup of the key pieces.
- Models confirmed, with their sizes, and hair and make-up decided.
- A location with permission to shoot, if it isn't a studio.
- A prioritised shot list: what you must have, and what is a bonus.
- One person who approves the final selection.
7. Know where the images will be used
Tell your photographer where the photos will appear: your web shop, social channels, ads, retailers' sites, press. Usage rights depend on this. If influencers or partner retailers will also use the images, say so before the shoot, because their use may need to be agreed separately. Daniel explains how this works in his guide to image rights for commercial photography.
What creative direction adds
A photographer takes the pictures. A creative director decides what the pictures need to show and who they're for. I offer this as a service: before the shoot we work out your customer, your platform and your look, and on the day I direct the shots with Daniel so that each image fits the plan. Brand shoots fall under commercial photography.
Commercial work isn't listed at a fixed price, so the free consultation is where we scope it. For the general picture of what photography costs in Stockholm, see the pricing guide.
Your pre-meeting checklist
Copy this and fill it in before you meet a photographer.
Customer
- My one main customer, in a short paragraph (age, what she does, where she shops)
- Why she would buy this product
- Which platforms she uses most
Content
- Where the images will appear (TikTok, Instagram, web shop, ads, press)
- The number of looks and the pieces in each
- 5 to 10 reference images and 2 to 3 accounts I like
Styling and props
- Outfits planned, with shoes, bags and accessories
- Props chosen and ready
- Setting or location chosen
Practical
- Samples in all sizes, steamed or ironed
- Models, sizes, hair and make-up
- Prioritised shot list (must-have and bonus)
- Who approves the final selection
- Who will use the images besides me (influencers, collaborators)
Frequently asked questions
Decide seven things before you meet the photographer: your one main customer, the platform the images are for, the styling of each outfit, your props and setting, 5 to 10 reference images, the practical details such as samples and models, and where the images will be used.
Start with the person you expect to buy the most, not everyone who might. Describe her age within about five to ten years, what she does in a week, where she shops now, which brands she buys, and which platforms she uses. If you can't answer, look at who already buys from you or from brands you admire, or think about who would make a good model for your brand and get inspired by them.
It depends on where your main customer spends time. TikTok content tends to be short vertical video that feels less polished, and Instagram tends to be a mix of stills and video with a consistent look. Choose the platform your customer uses most and start there.
Samples in every size you'll show, steamed or ironed, plus backups of the key pieces. Bring the shoes, bags and accessories for each look, the props you've chosen, and your reference images and shot list.
A creative director decides what the images need to show and who they're for, then directs the shoot so each image fits that plan. That includes the concept, posing, props, models and shot list, while the photographer handles the camera and light.
Not always, but it helps when you're unsure who your customer is, which platform to prioritise or how to style the collection. It saves time on the day and reduces the risk of images that don't fit your brand.