How to prepare for an industrial photoshoot:

6 Key Steps

You’ve determined that you need a photographer and have engaged the premier industrial and commercial photographer, Diego Cappella (good decision). Now what?

Some preparation on your part will go a long way towards getting the best possible results. Fortunately, we’ve identified the key elements of preparing for a photo shoot at your commercial or industrial business.

Step One:

Define your Purpose

PAC Stainless Steel of Houston, Texas needed to visually populate a website.

Why have you hired a photographer? Make a list of the materials you intend to use photos for. Some examples include websites, brochures, and advertising materials. If you’re building a social media presence or otherwise require a steady feed of new photos over time, think about collaborating with Diego to build an “image bank” for current and future applications.

Step Two:

Make a Shot List

Sawing and Shearing, an industrial manufacturer in Chicago, asked to photograph all the machinery for their website

Look over your list of materials and start generating a list of must-have photographs. Focus on what sort of photos you would use in each place. For instance, if this is all material for a website, take a look at the various sections where photographs may fit in and imagine some ways to reflect that section’s purpose.

Photos may fit differently in a catalog than in a specific advertisement layout. Include specific aspect ratios. For instance, many home pages will require a landscape shot to span the width of the page while allowing for text either below or above the photograph. This forethought allows the industrial photographer to maintain a cohesive composition rather than having to crop an existing shot in a way that could compromise its cohesion.

Step Three

Identify Locations

Here, industrial photographer Diego Cappella made employee portraits visually compelling by shooting workers in their element

Now consider your industrial environment and process. Come up with a list of key locations. Most industrial companies would want to include an assembly line. But what other spots might you like to highlight and what places may offer special visual appeal? Using your shot list, make sure you have chosen a place or included locations where those photos may be fulfilled. Remember, you can get as creative as you like. For instance, you might want to set employee portraits among machinery rather than simply a neutral background.

Diego Cappella chose this industrial location at Tropical to highlight company branding.

Think about where your brand logo is visible, and be sure to include those places in your location list.

Don’t forget to choose a launching spot for us. This should be out of the way of operations and secure enough to leave photo equipment unattended.

Step Four:

Communicate Your Brand

This industrial company wanted to highlight innovation. Industrial photographer Diego Cappella captured a worker using the latest technology in manufacturing.

Remember that photographs are not all literal. Think about what underlying themes and messages are integral parts of your brand. For instance, you may make a point of conveying dependability, friendliness, or expertise.  Make a list of these core messages and brand colors to share with Diego Capella before the commercial or industrial photo shoot.

You probably have a logo or website that includes your company's colors and design aesthetics. If not, take a moment to browse through the choices that form different looks and feelings. A good resource for color schemes, styles, and moods can be found on design sites or by looking at the choices made by businesses similar to your own.

Step Five:Spread the Word at Work

Tri-Rail chose to have workers wear their uniforms for employee portraits. Note that the color also corresponds with their brand colors.

Don’t take your workers by surprise. Without adequate preparation, an industrial photographer has a harder time maintaining safety and capturing spontaneity. Let your employees know that a photographer will be on-site on that specific date. If workers don’t want to be photographed, have them wear a red shirt or, if your uniform or key colors include red, choose a contrasting color and let us know what that is. If you have uniforms or branded clothing, have your staff wear that – it will highlight your brand even in areas that may be common backgrounds for many companies, such as an assembly line or machinery storage area.

A company asks workers to wear a brand color to work on the day of their shoot.

If your employees wear their own clothes, look back at your brand element list and choose a color that corresponds with your color scheme and ask your workers to include that in their dress choices for the day of the shoot. Ask also that they are conscientious about their appearance – they should avoid old or worn clothing and present themselves at their visual best.

 Step Six: Clear the Clutter and Stage Locations

Before their industrial photography shoot, LandSouth Construction made sure safety equipment looked new and clean and included building plans in one of their locations.

Take a look at your list of locations. Make sure you or your employees remove trash and personal items from those spots. This will both help the industrial shoot to run smoothly and also ensure that the photographer can maintain a safe distance from hazardous work or machinery.

Consider using your phone to take quick snaps of those locations and think of how they will ideally look on the day of the shoot. If possible, wipe down greasy machinery and clean the areas thoroughly, even if your protocol does not require this on a regular basis. Consider ways to stage the locations with branded products or company and branding style.

For quick reference, here’s a list of the six key things to do in preparation for an industrial photoshoot.

1) Make a list of the different marketing and web materials for which you need photographs.

2) Make a list of the must-have shots for each application, including any necessary correlating aspect ratios.

3) Make a list of locations or backgrounds you think will best suit your needs. Choose a secure staging area for us.

4) Make a list of your core brand messages, style, and colors so that an industrial photographer can represent those things visually.

5) Let your employees know about the shoot in advance. Ask those who do not wish to be photographed to wear a red shirt and the others to either wear their uniform or good clothes with your core color.

6) Remove trash and personal items from your locations. Clean equipment and consider adding objects that enhance your brand message.

And don’t forget to have fun because that, too, is a great way to put your best foot forward!