Step 1: Meeting with the client.
In the first meeting with the designer I wanted to get a feel for what she wanted. I think the biggest thing is communication so that everybody is on the same page. I took some examples of swimwear photos that were all in different styles to see what she liked and didn't like about them.
Some of the things covered were; the model, & how she posed and her facial expressions, detailing of the bikini's, the feel/atmosphere the photograph gave off & the lighting used. Knowing this information was very helpful and I came out with an understanding that she wanted clean images where the model & bikinis were well lit and sharp,in focus photographs detailing the special features the bikini's had. She didn't want any harsh shadows across the model as not to make the photographs seem moody/too sexy & the model was to be similarly posed in each photograph.
These photographs were to be more along the lines of a catalogue, not a campaign, but at the same time not to be boring. I also asked to see some of her designs and the material of the bikinis, that way I could see what style they were to match up a theme.
Step 2: The concept.
The client already had an idea of what she wanted for the style and after seeing the bathers it was very clear what road we were going to go down. The concept was wonderland theme. So I put together a concept board of different images that I thought matched what the client wanted. Again making sure I'm communicating.
Step 3: Location.
The client was very happy with the images I had presented to her in the concept board, so the next step was fining a suitable location to match our theme.
We spent the day checking out some places and after deciding on one in particular I did some test shots in the area to get a feel for the lighting and spots I would use. This also allowed me to work out what lighting I would need to bring and how many assistants I would need. I was also able to work out what set-up we'd have for the day and other bits and bobs we would need. For example there were no toilets there, so we would need to bring a make-shift change room for the model.
Step 4: Preparation
After deciding on the date for the shoot, information and contact details were sent out to all involved, from hair & make-up, video-grapher, to the model & assistants. Everything was packed, towels to snacks, water, equipment, music and more.
Step 5: Day of shooting.
In the end this shoot took 3 days. It was important we had such a great team to help. The lighting equipment played a huge part in pulling this shoot off successfully & also by getting the lighting correct saved me extra time in post work.
The last thing to do was edit all the images. I had already worked out the style I was going to do in photoshop. So all that was left to do was add some re-touching magic and special effects and I was done. This took about 4 weeks.
Fathom were very very happy with the final product. It was a great photo shoot & I enjoyed the experience. I cant wait to see what we'll do for the next range :) 