Anatomy of a Commercial Photo Shoot

Business

In this class you’ll learn by example as Lindsay Adler walks you through every aspect of coordinating and executing a successful commercial photo shoot!

~~$49.00~~ $34.30

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about this class

Congratulations! You just got asked to bid and shoot your first commercial photography job, but now what? How do you know what to charge? How do you handle logistics? What should an estimate look like? There are a lot of things to consider and this class will serve as your introductory guide to a successful experience!

I remember my first few commercial jobs. I didn’t know the lingo, etiquette, what was expected of me, or how to not look (or feel) like a fraud. I tried to play it cool so they couldn’t see my lack of experience. Thankfully, years later and dozens of commercial shoots under my belt, I have the knowledge and expertise that I can pass on to you.

In this class I will walk you through the entire process of a commercial shoot using one of my own commercial clients to show you a real-life example. You’ll take a peek at the bidding process including the types of questions to ask, payment structure, billables, estimate (format andapps) and more. Next, once you get the job, we must move onto the planning stages. We’ll talk about communicating with the client, castings, logistics, mood boards, call sheets and more. Then, comes the shoot day! I’ll give you tips and tricks to help your shoot day be successful as possible.

Finally, we’ll touch upon how to handle file delivery as well as final invoices.

Who is this introductory class good for?

You’re just stepping into the world of commercial photography and need someone to show you the ropes and catch you up to speed on the basics.
You’re a portrait photographer trying to diversify into commercial income flows.
You’re a student asked to shoot your first ‘real job’.
You’re a photographer with some commercial experience but always wanted a bit more insights into the process

What is this class NOT?

This is not a marketing class. I will not discuss things like promo cards, marketing emails, networking or other commercial marketing tactics. To learn about those, be sure to check out my free youtube videos to give you some tips on my commercial marketing approach.
This class is also not an advanced commercial photography class. I could spend DAYS teaching the ins and outs of every question, consideration and logistical approach to a commercial shoot. Instead, for this course is an introduction into this exciting and financially rewarding photographic world– and I want to make it more accessible to those who are interested in dipping their toes in!
This class is not a photographic techniques class. I won’t be discussing commercial lighting or retouching– but you can visit learnwithlindsay.com for my in-depth courses on these subjects!

My goal is to make your first commercial shoots less intimidating and more accessible! This class is not dozens of hours drenched in complex verbiage and overwhelming jargon with every imaginable challenge you may run into… instead it is meant to help you dip your toes into this exciting and financially rewarding world!

I’m excited to get you started on the right path to a successful commercial job!

Comes with a companion guide chock full of industry definitions, questions to ask, bidding and estimate checklist and more!

Bonus companion guide included!

Class Details

Streaming
Video Tutorial
Companion Guide Included

class curriculum

Introduction
Ask Questions
It’s important to fully understand every aspect of your client’s needs. Asking the right questions can avoid headaches, miscommunications and will allow you to budget accordingly. In this section we’ll go over the questions you should be asking.
Build your Estimate
In this section we’ll explore how to build your estimate as I go over various examples that include all of the necessary elements to consider for a commercial shoot.
Mood Boards
Mood boards are something you should consider using for every shoot as they help you and your client visualize the end result. This is especially important in a commercial shoot so you can alleviate any confusion and manage your clients expectations. In this section we’ll take a look at how I use mood boards in my own shoots.
Gather your Creative Team
You’ve submitted your bid, you’ve got the job, you’re on the same page about the final look with your client, now it’s time to gather your creative team. You may think this is like any other shoot but there are a lot more things to consider in terms of support staff for a commercial shoot. We’ll go over the team members I use for commercial shoots.
Logistics
Once you’ve gathered your team, it’s time to get the logistics handled. Some shoots are easy, others require a lot more planning an execution. From permits, to locations, security, food etc. There are a lot of things to consider. I’ll go over the things that you should think about and may vary between shoots.
Casting
Now it’s time to do a casting for your talent. Castings are definitely an important part of a commercial shoot, as you don’t want any surprised when your model/talent show up. This helps ensure again, less potential problems on the day of the shoot. For example, casting for a beauty shoot, it’s good to weed out potential models that may have less than ideal skin. It’s also good to see how they interact with the camera, take direction etc. In this section we’ll discuss how to properly do casting for your commercial shoots to make sure you have the right person in front of your camera!
Call Sheet
So what’s a call sheet? Fundamentally a call sheet is an overview and all of the information and schedule for that day. Things like contact information, wrap time, location information etc. This is a very important step so that all of your team is completely on the same page so there is no confusion. I’ll show you an example of what a call sheet looks like and some fancy software that can help faciliate this for you.
Shoot Day
You’ve done a lot of ground work to ready yourself for this day. You should feel fully prepared at this point to make things as smooth as possible. In this section we’ll discuss what to expect during the shoot day, how to make sure everyone is on the same page and how to manage your clients expectations on set.
Retouching & File Delivery
The shoot day is over! Hopefully it was a success…but it’s not over yet! Now you have to worry about file delivery and getting the images to your client. You may think this is a simple task but there are some things to consider when you’re shooting for a commercial client. In this section I’ll discuss the retouching, file delivery and considerations to keep in mind.
Smaller Budget Productions
Not every commercial job requires a commercial sized budget. How do you bid for something smaller, or a company that has limited budget? Should you vastly adjust your rate?

In this section I’ll show you the tweaks that I make when bidding for smaller production jobs, while still keeping things profitable and being paid fairly.
Bringing it all Together