How to Prepare for a Fashion Editorial Shoot

Model/Styling/HMUA: Malen  malen (@muhlenism) • Instagram photos and videos

Handbag Designer: Crystal Bananas:  Surface Design | Adrienne E B Allen

Preparation for an editorial shoot starts before the date is even booked. What "editorial" really means here is story. So in this case, an editorial shoot is the process of telling a story. You are creating a series with a beginning, middle, and end, and it must feel cohesive throughout.

The first step is getting an idea. You really shouldn't just plop "photoshoot topic" into Chat GPT like many photographers these days do, and I don't mean to put that too bluntly. Rather, you must immerse yourself in places where ideas will come naturally. Visit art exhibits, listen to good music, meditate, spend time in nature. Experience life and the ideas will generate themselves...organically.

Once you have an idea, you should create a mood board for the story. What will the lighting look like? What will the model be wearing? How will their hair and makeup be done? I actually recommend going a more old-fashioned route than Pinterest and finding examples in real life and snapping a photo, or looking at magazines and books. A physical, printed moodboard that you can hold in your hands is a piece of art in itself. But if you have to do it digitially, you can collage it together with Photoshop and the like.

Now you'll want to create a budget for how much the lighting, team, location, studio, etc, will cost. Always consider what unexpected expenses might arise. This can be, but doesn't have to be, the boring part. You may want to gather quotes or create a running list of resources to have on hand for last minute projects. And please, feed your team. There should always be space in the budget for food and coffee.

You should book the studio and team as far in advance as possible, and try to have a day where you can do a lighting test. Sometimes lights don't work as planned and the lighting test will help you determine if you have the "look" you are going for. A hair/makeup trial is not unheard of as well.

In part 2, we'll discuss what happens the morning of the photoshoot- if preparation is done correctly, it's chaotic than you'd think.