Whether you call it a location portrait or an environmental or editorial one, it’s a portrait in an appropriate setting. The setting could be a conference room, an office or a cranberry bog (yes, a cranberry bog) but as long as it is appropriate for the publication (annual report or magazine) or website (company or client), then you can be as inventive as you like as long as it is also appropriate to the story and if combined with other portraits, that it is part of a theme.
We can do up to four editorial portraits in a day if they’re in the same location, possibly more if they’re not complicated from a technical perspective. If multiple locations are in play, a conversation is in order to determine the most cost-effective plan for your company’s requirements.
A few things to consider (much more can be found here):
1) Dimensions of Images: Are the images to have multiple uses in multiple formats? If so, you’ll need to have a plan so that you get both landscape and verticals as well as close-ups and wide-angle shots.
2) Outside or Inside? The less control you have over lighting, the trickier (and more time-consuming) lighting can be. Outside locations can be very tricky because the quality of light changes throughout the day and the best time to shoot outside isn’t usually during typical business hours. But, it depends on what your photography needs are, if “magic light” (sunrise and sunset) is necessary and how much additional lighting will be needed.
3) Usage: Do you need unlimited usage for all media? If you think you will use the images for more than just an immediate need, then talk to the photographer about cost differences between single use and unlimited use. Bare in mind that most photographers are happy to discuss multiple use but very few will sell the copyright on said images.
4) Privacy: Are your employees willing to be in the photos and will you need a model release? If the images will be used within the company, you would rarely need a release form but if you’ll be using them on websites or company collateral, you want to be legally covered to use those images. In addition, if you’ll actually be using them for advertising purposes, then you will definitely need a model release.
5) Insurance: Is your photographer covered if they shoot at your location? Check with building management to see what is needed. Usually they will require the building listed on the policy as an “additional insured”.
The more planning you do, the smoother your location portrait shoot will be. 🙂
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