Photo: Andreas Endregaard for Ticara Devone
So I put this out into the Twitterverse about putting a guide together for creatives on how to make the most of your shoots. For me, whenever I shoot, I provide a moodboard to the photographer for what I am trying to convery. However, when it comes to something like a lookbook that I am creating for myself that features new hot product from a major brand, I take it a step further. Firstly, I was not asked by the brand to shoot any of these images. I love to create and creating for myself is like practice for something bigger. I don't know what that "something bigger" is just yet but I'll be ready for that moment when it comes. I am always sharpening my skills in this area. Below is a basic "Creative Deck" that I created for myself for a lookbook. Some decks are more detailed than others, sometimes I create decks that have moving gifs and additional details. For this I would be sharing it with the photographer to include the basics and everything we needed to execute.
This process took over a month since I would be using new product from a brand that I waited on before creating everything you see below. In this post you'll see slide from my actual deck created for this photoshoot.
Let's dive in!
RECEIVE THE GOODS, PICK THE GOODS
If you’re receiving product from a brand then you more than likely have an idea about the product that you’re receiving. Usually they will include pictures of the collection and/or provide a link to information about this upcoming release. If you’re planning for yourself without reaching product from a brand then be sure you have an idea of what you want to communicate with the pieces you select. Maybe you are looking forward to the holiday season and are planning looks to showcase something you are passionate about. Either way make sure this aligns with your brand and tell a story.
THE CREATIVE DECK
This is my favorite part of the creative process. With my experience working in advertising I was introduced to “The Deck.” This is something we would use to communicate with clients our vision of their ask. In this part of the process, I include some of the most important things that I can share with whatever photographer I will be working with on this project. I make some edits that make sense through a creators lens. What I include in my decks are below.
ABOUT THE COLLECTION.
This information can usually be found on the brands website in the ‘news’ section. I included this because I like to know what inspired this collection and be sure to have it just in case the photographer would like to be informed as well.
OFFICIAL BRAND IMAGES.
These are the images found on the brand website as well. This can serve as inspiration for your shoot. It’s always interesting to see how the brand translates their product to photography.
THE PRODUCT.
I usually include a slide that shows the product that I have and my plans to style it. I’ll provide links to the website where the product is available plus a link to footwear as well. Again, this is good information to share with the photographer, the colors and product can help determine the mood and/or location you shoot this particular lookbook.
MOODBOARD.
MY FAVORITE PART! This is really my favorite part of the creative experience. I love pulling images that inspire not only me but the photographer. One of my favorite platforms for this is Pinterest. They have sooooo many images, you can type in anything and probably find exactly what you’re looking for OR search something in general and uncover something unexpected. For this process I use Pinterest, Google and Instagram. Don’t sleep on Instagram, you can save images on the platform and also search my hashtags.
LOCATIONS.
Another important aspect of your shoot is the location. That can make or break your images and I plan these beforehand to be a cohesive moment with the product that I will be wearing. For the Jordan Brand shoot, I wanted something with angles and shapes. We ended shooting in one of the locations from the deck.
SHOOT. SELECT. EDIT.
Shoot day has finally come, we meet on location and bring along some friends if we need help with additional lighting. I love workingwith photographers who can guide me (shout out to Dre), to do something I've never done before. We were on location for maybe about an hour to take several shots and try diffrent things.
Once we’re done with the shoot, the photographer shares the unedited photos and I make my selections. Finally, the photographer sends me the edited picks out of the bunch.
PUT THAT ISH INTO THE UNIVERSE.
After all the steps above are complete, I craft a blog post and get my story ready for release. This can take me a few hours to thirty minutes. After all the work is done I get it prepared to share with you guys! This process is one of the most important! This is what will live on my website forever. At the end of the day, this is the only thing people see. They do not see all the time it took you to get this idea off of the ground. So, when you put it into the universe make sure you are sharing it in a way that makes sense for you and your initial vision. Think of the many things you can do once you post the lookbook. Example, this blog post. I am using these images as a teaching moment for my viewers. There's several things I could do with these images such as use them for my media kit, craft another blog post about jumpsuits. All the time you have put in should be worth the finished product.
If you haven't seen the full lookbook, be sure to check it out right here. Hopefully, this post will help you in the future when it comes to projects that you are working on! If you do use this as a guide be sure to tag me on social! Would love to see how you create!
