I shoot campaigns and product photography for fashion and lifestyle brands (HERBODY among others). The difference between "nice photos" and photos that sell is the brief. Here is its skeleton.
1. Goal and placements
Where will the photos live: website, marketplace listings, Instagram, out-of-home? This defines formats, orientation and quantity. A product-card frame and a banner frame are different frames.
2. References and anti-references
5–10 examples of "we want this" and 3–5 of "definitely not this". Anti-references save hours of discussion.
3. Shot list
The must-have frames: product solo, product in hands, on a model, texture macro, lifestyle scene. Without a shot list something always gets forgotten — and a reshoot costs more than planning.
4. Team and production
Model, makeup artist, stylist, location — I handle production with a trusted team in Belgrade and Madrid.
5. Rights and timing
Define where the brand can use the images and for how long, and whether exclusivity is included. My timing: RAW files on the day of the shoot, retouching within 2.5 weeks.
6. Brand tone and identity
Send a brand guideline or at least the palette, fonts and a few reference posts: the light and colour in frame should match your identity, otherwise the photos will not sit with the rest of your content. No guideline yet? We will shape the tone together at the brief stage.
7. Shoot-day logistics
We fix the call time, the order of shots by the shot list, and who handles the product on set (unboxing, styling, swapping samples) in advance. Clear logistics saves hours and protects the budget — an organised day covers far more ground.
In short
A good brief is the goal, references, shot list, team, brand tone, usage rights and logistics. Send even a rough draft — we will shape the rest together, and the shoot day will run without surprises.