From Booking to Editing: What Happens Behind the Scenes of Your Photoshoot

Nov 25

By the time I pick up the camera, we have already made several decisions: what the photographs are for, where we will shoot and what direction we want to explore. After the session, there is another stage of choosing and finishing the images.

Here is how that process works for a portrait or boudoir session. For business photography, the shot list, approvals and delivery also depend on the agreed brief.

Start with the purpose and timing

You can get in touch with a finished idea or a few questions. I will ask what the photographs are for, your preferred timing and any style references or concerns you want to discuss.

A website portrait, a birthday session and a printed wedding gift have different requirements. If the photographs need to be ready for a particular date, include that date in your first message so we can plan time for the shoot, selection, retouching and any printing.

Build the visual plan together

A shared mood board helps us compare ideas for light, wardrobe, location and the overall feel of the photographs. I can add references, and you can bring images that appeal to you.

It helps to say what you like about each reference. The pose, the colour and the setting are separate choices; we can keep one and change another. From there, we can decide whether a studio or another location suits the idea.

Direction during the session

On the day, I guide posing and movement. You do not need to arrive with a set of poses memorized. We can look at photographs together as we go and adjust the direction.

The mood board stays useful as a reference, with room to respond to what is working in the space. For an indoor session, we can also put on music you enjoy.

Choose the photographs for retouching

After the shoot, I review the photographs and make initial colour adjustments for the selection gallery. For personal and boudoir sessions, you then choose the images included for professional retouching through a private gallery.

This is also the point to share specific retouching preferences. The number of gallery photographs and finished images depends on the session format; we confirm those details before booking.

Finish and deliver the selected images

I refine the chosen photographs with careful retouching and deliver the finished files through the online gallery. If you want a photobook or printed gift, mention it while we are planning so we can discuss the format and schedule.

For business work, tell me where the files will be used. The required crops and delivery need to fit the website, campaign or other use agreed in the brief.

See the decisions in actual shoots

For examples from the blog, read what happens during a boudoir session or my article on planning photographs for a business.

You can also see a lighting-focused session in The Dance of Light and Shadow, and a commercial series in the Helene Clarkson collection shoot.

What to send in your first message

The purpose of the photographs, approximate timing and any deadline are enough to start. Add references if you have them, along with anything you are unsure about.

Send me your idea and preferred timing, and we can work out the next step.