What is it like to be an agency photographer?

As an agency photographer at Taylor & Pond, every day is an adventure. Each photographer has their own set clients to focus on and fortunately for me, I shoot for a mix of fun beauty and lifestyle clients. Since each brand I photograph for is so unique from another, it pushes me to get creative with ideas and use my imagination to produce content that is both strong and clean.

There are many steps in creating the perfect photo for a client — and as an agency photographer, each day we go through these main steps throughout our day in the office.

Gathering Inspiration

Before you pick up a camera, our creative team gears up for creative meetings to discuss what content needs to be shot for the next month. Everyone comes in with inspiration and ideas for what they’d like to create. I usually come in with photos that caught my eye or have an interesting composition. From there, the team picks apart the photo to figure out “How did they do that?” and “How can we make it unique and on brand for our client?” Photographers often work with graphic designers and designers to successfully achieve the perfect “trick” photograph. Images that seem impossible to create can be achieved through innovation and collaboration.

Prop Shopping + Styling

Props can either make or break your photo. Managing your props are the first step in preparing for the shoot. It is important to create a “scene” when working with product photography. There should be a focal point of the shot, which should always be the product. Our team is always going on prop shopping trips to add to our large selection of props in the office that allows us to find something new every time.

Setting Up Studio Lighting

Understanding the studio and lighting set up is key. What kind of lighting do you want? No shadows, hard shadows or long shadows? These all have to do with your lighting set up! Typically, we start the shot with two lights. One light is in the back with an umbrella to fill the frame with light and the other is in the front with no umbrella in order to light your subject. Often times, the photographer must move the lights around to create the exact lighting they desire. That’s where the fun begins! My personal trick is to only move one variable at a time. This way, each time you take a frame you can easily decipher what affected what.

Now You’ve Got the Shot… It’s Time for Post-Process!

You got the photo? Good for you girl! But, the photo isn’t finished yet. Pop that image into Photoshop and make your magic! A few things to look out for during the editing process include smudges on makeup or product, the labels, white balance, clarity, vibrancy, skin, eyes, nails and reflections. Not editing your photo is like going to a salon, getting a cut and color and leaving with your hair soaking wet. You gotta get that blowout to finish off the look!

So, that’s what an average day of an agency photographer looks like. Even though every day is different and comes with new challenges and opportunities, shooting in the office is always a fun time at Taylor & Pond!

Looking to learn more photo tips? Check out our Photography category to read more!