5 Steps to Maximize Your Commercial Shoot Day

Photographer: Lisa King

Commercial photography shoots involve many moving parts. You are no longer in the comfort of your own studio or simply packing gear to head to the park. Commercial photography means you are shooting for a business, often for advertising or marketing materials. You are now stepping into another business owner's space to represent their brand, and that role is not one to be taken lightly.

When you are representing something that someone has built and watched grow (like a baby), you want to exceed their expectations and embody their vision. All this is to say that it is extremely easy to grab the wrong lens or forget your light. It has happened to all of us. We get so caught in the moment of trying to visualize and craft the perfect shot that we overlook the small stuff.
This is where this blog comes in to help. Here are 5 steps to maximize your commercial shoot day.

Step 1: Plan with a Purpose
Define your goals early, but don't worry about the exact angle yet. Knowing your end goal will ultimately guide your lighting, composition, and pacing (e.g., Are you creating a new website hero image, updating menus, or capturing social content?).

Step 2: Prepare your Space
Tidy, style, and light your location before the crew arrives. Clear all the clutter, polish the glassware, and stage key products or dishes. A 15-minute prep can save you hours in post-production.

Step 3: Coordinate your Team
Make sure chefs, managers, bartenders, or staff members know the schedule and their roles. Nothing says setback like being in the moment and finding out your manager is running food. Keep backups of props, ingredients, and uniforms (you just never know).

Step 4: Batch and Flow
Group similar shots together (all your bar cocktails, then all the entrées). This will help keep your lighting consistent and reduce setup downtime.

Step 5: Review in Real Time
Take a few minutes in between setups to review key shots on set. Adjust composition or styling while everything is still in place—not later.

These 5 simple but helpful steps are going to maximize your time and resources, making every commercial photography shoot run smoothly. But we know the pre-shoot anxiety is real. To help ease the pre-shoot stress, we've put together a Commercial Photography Shoot Checklist of everything you will need to have a seamless shoot.

In the end, you want to provide the best experience for every one of your clients. Click here to download your free Pre-Shoot Checklist for Photographers and elevate your client experience today!