When you’re organising a commercial photoshoot, knowing how to write a photography brief might be one of the last things on your mind. But, it’s typically one of the first things on your photographer’s mind.
A solid brief is hugely beneficial to you and your team as well as your photographer. A good brief will give your photographer all the necessary information to decide how to run the shoot.
The Brief Isn’t a Photography Question (And That’s a Good Thing)
Most guides about writing a photography brief jump straight to logistics. File formats, shot counts, budgets. And those things do matter, but they’re actually the easy part.
The thing that makes the biggest difference to your final images is something you already know better than I do: who you’re speaking to and why. That’s a marketing question, not a photography one. And if you’re reading this, you probably already have a good handle on it.
I’ve shot over a thousand commercial sessions across events, headshots, interiors, and brand campaigns. The shoots that produce images people genuinely love and actually use always start the same way: with a conversation about what the images need to do. Not just what they need to look like.
Once I understand your audience, your goals, and where these images are going to live, I can make the creative decisions that serve your strategy. That’s where the magic happens. So let me walk you through what’s helpful to include in a brief, and I’ll explain why each part makes a difference.
What Every Brief Needs (Regardless of Shoot Type)
Before we get into the specifics for different types of shoots, here are the five things I find most useful in every brief. Don’t worry about getting these perfect. Even rough answers give me enough to start shaping the shoot.
1. Who are you talking to?
Your target audience shapes everything. The lighting, the styling, the composition, the mood. A campaign targeting 25-year-old professionals looks completely different from one aimed at C-suite executives. Even a few lines about who these images are for helps me make better creative calls on your behalf.
2. What are the images for?
This is one of the most useful things you can tell me. Where are these images going to live? Social media, website, print, internal comms, annual reports, PR, billboards? Each channel has slightly different requirements, and the composition changes depending on where an image ends up. A photo that works beautifully on Instagram might need a completely different crop for a printed brochure.
You don’t need to have every detail locked down. Something like “we need images for the new website homepage and a few for LinkedIn” gives me plenty to work with.
3. Visual references
Honestly, this is my favourite thing to receive. A few reference images tell me more in seconds than a paragraph ever could. And I get it, describing a visual style in words is hard. “Modern but warm, professional but approachable, clean but not clinical” could mean ten different things to ten different people.
So instead, just show me. Reference images don’t have to be photography. They can be from competitors, from brands you admire, from Pinterest, from magazines. What you like and what you don’t like are equally helpful.
And it doesn’t need to be fancy. A shared Pinterest board, a PDF of screenshots, or even a few images dropped into an email is plenty.
4. Technical requirements
If you have these details to hand, they’re really helpful. If not, we can figure them out together:
- Landscape, portrait, or both? (If you need both, say so upfront. Shooting with text overlay space in mind changes how I frame every image.)
- Final image count and must-have shots versus nice-to-haves.
- Any specific cropping or aspect ratios (square for Instagram, 16:9 for website headers, etc.)
- Brand guidelines if you have them: colours, fonts, visual style.
- File delivery preferences (resolution, format, naming conventions).
5. Budget and timeline
I know sharing a budget can feel awkward, but it genuinely helps me plan the best shoot for you. My rates are fixed, so it’s not about giving me room to charge more. What your budget tells me is how creative I can get.
A larger budget means I can explore things like additional lighting, styling, assistants, multiple locations, or a second shoot day. A tighter budget is absolutely fine too. I’ll plan differently, but both can produce great results. I just want to make sure I’m working within your expectations from the start.
For timeline: roughly when is the shoot? When do you need first drafts for review? When is the final deadline? The more notice I have, the more flexible I can be. But if you’re in a rush, just say so and we’ll work it out.
Briefs by Shoot Type
The basics above apply to every shoot. But depending on what you’re booking, there are a few extra things that help me plan properly. Here’s a breakdown by shoot type. Just pull out what’s relevant to yours.
Event Photography (Awards, Conferences, Corporate Functions)
Events move fast and there’s no “let’s try that again,” so the more I know going in, the better I can be in the right place at the right time. Here’s what’s most helpful:
Include in your brief:
- Run sheet or event schedule. What’s happening and when? Key moments I can’t miss: award presentations, keynote speakers, panel discussions, the CEO’s speech, any surprise elements.
- Priority shots. Who needs to be photographed? Are there VIPs, sponsors, or speakers who must appear in the final gallery? Names and descriptions (or photos) are really helpful so I can spot them on the day.
- Venue details. Where is it? Have you been there before? If you can share floor plans or photos of the space, that helps me plan lighting and positioning. I know most of the major Edinburgh venues (the Balmoral, EICC, the Waldorf Astoria) but every event setup is different even in a familiar space.
- Branding visibility. Are there sponsor logos, banners, or stage graphics you need captured? Do you need wide shots that show the branding, or is this more about candid people photography?
- Coverage hours. When do you need me there and when can I wrap? Pre-event setup shots? Networking drinks? After-party?
- How will the images be used? Social media during the event? PR and press releases after? Internal comms? Awards submissions? This affects everything from how quickly I need to deliver initial images to what style of editing I use.
Corporate Headshots (Team Sessions)
Headshot briefs are usually the most straightforward, which is great. The main thing is getting the logistics right so everyone has a smooth experience on the day.
Include in your brief:
- How many people? This determines how long the session takes. As a rough guide, I allow around 5 to 10 minutes per person depending on complexity. A team of 20 takes around 2 hours.
- Where are we shooting? On-site at your office, at a studio, or somewhere else? If it’s your office, I’ll need a space with decent natural light or room to set up my own lighting.
- Background and style. Clean white or grey background? Environmental portraits at desks or in meeting rooms? Outdoor? Do you have existing headshots on your website that the new ones need to match?
- What are they for? Website team page, LinkedIn profiles, email signatures, annual reports? This affects framing and whether I shoot tight crops, half-body, or both.
- Brand guidelines. Dress code guidance for the team? Colour palette to match? Any specific poses or expressions to aim for (or avoid)?
- Schedule. Can you provide a running order of who’s coming when? This avoids everyone turning up at once and sitting around waiting.
See how I handle team headshot sessions here.
Commercial Interior Photography (Hotels, BTR, Commercial Spaces)
Interior shoots benefit from a bit more pre-production planning, mainly because the space needs to be ready on the day. “Ready” means different things depending on the brand, so it helps to talk this through in advance.
Include in your brief:
- Which spaces need to be shot? List every room, area, or feature that needs photographing. Lobbies, bedrooms, restaurants, meeting rooms, rooftops, amenities. Be specific.
- Styling expectations. Should the space look lived-in or pristine? Do you want people in the shots or empty rooms? Will you handle the styling (flowers, towels, place settings) or do you need me to bring a stylist?
- Time of day preferences. Natural light changes dramatically throughout the day. Morning light in a south-facing room looks completely different from afternoon light. If you have preferences, say so. If you don’t, I’ll advise based on the space.
- Access and logistics. Are there guests or tenants I need to work around? Early morning access before check-in? Any areas that need booking or clearing? Security requirements?
- How will the images be used? Marketing brochures, booking platforms, social media, investor presentations? Booking platform images have very different requirements from editorial-style brand imagery.
- Competitor references. If there are other properties whose photography you like (or want to do differently from), sharing those is always helpful.
Take a look at my interior photography portfolio to see examples.
Lifestyle and Brand Photography (Campaigns, Social Content, Marketing)
Lifestyle shoots are the most creative, which is what makes them exciting. They’re also the ones where a solid brief makes the biggest difference, because with more moving parts, having a shared vision keeps everything on track.
Include in your brief:
- Campaign concept and art direction. What’s the story? What feeling should the images convey? This is where a mood board becomes essential, not optional. Show me the visual world you want to create.
- Target audience. This influences casting, styling, locations, and tone. The more specific you can be, the better. Something like “marketing managers at mid-size tech companies, aged 28 to 40, who value authenticity over polish” gives me a lot to work with creatively.
- Model requirements. Do you need models? How many? What look? Will you handle casting or do you need me to arrange it? Do you have existing employees who’ll feature?
- Locations. Studio? On-location? Multiple locations? If you have specific venues in mind, let me know early so I can scout them.
- Wardrobe and props. Who’s handling this? Do you have a stylist? Are there brand colours that need to feature? Products to include?
- Shot list. This is the backbone of a lifestyle shoot. Break it down by scene or setup. For each setup, note: the concept, who’s in frame, what they’re doing, what product or message is the focus, and what channel the image is primarily for.
- Usage rights. For most projects, I include standard usage in my day rate, so this won’t apply to the majority of shoots. But if you’re planning something like national print advertising or a multi-year campaign, it’s worth flagging early so we can have that conversation.
See my approach to lifestyle and brand photography here.
Two Things That Make the Biggest Difference
After years of working with marketing teams across Scotland and the UK, I’ve noticed two things that consistently separate the smoothest shoots from the ones that need more back and forth.
Visual references. Even rough ones. Words are subjective and I’ve had clients describe identical visions using opposite language. A mood board, even just a few screenshots in an email, clears that up instantly. If there’s one thing worth spending five minutes on before sending the brief, it’s this.
Starting with the marketing goal, not the photography. The best briefs don’t start with “we need a photographer.” They start with “we need images that do this for this audience.” When you come at it from that angle, the creative direction tends to follow naturally. And don’t worry if it’s not fully formed. That’s what our pre-shoot conversation is for. I just need a starting point.
Quick Reference Checklist
Here’s a simple checklist you can use as a starting point. Not every shoot needs every item, so just pull out what’s relevant to yours.
Universal (every brief):
- Who is the target audience?
- What are the images for? (list every channel and use)
- Visual references / mood board
- Image specifications (orientation, count, must-haves vs nice-to-haves)
- Brand guidelines (if applicable)
- Budget
- Timeline (shoot date, first draft deadline, final delivery date)
- Key contacts
Events: add
- Run sheet / event schedule
- VIP list / priority people to photograph
- Venue details and floor plan
- Branding and sponsor visibility needs
- Coverage hours
- Same-day delivery requirements
Headshots: add
- Number of people
- Location (office, studio, outdoor)
- Background / style preferences
- Running order / schedule per person
- Dress code guidance
Interiors: add
- Room / space list
- Styling expectations (lived-in vs pristine, people vs empty)
- Time of day / lighting preferences
- Access logistics and restrictions
- Competitor visual references
Lifestyle / brand: add
- Campaign concept and art direction
- Detailed target audience profile
- Model requirements and casting
- Locations (with scouting needs)
- Wardrobe, props, and styling
- Shot list broken down by scene
- Usage rights discussion
Download the Brief Examples
I’ve put together a PDF showing what a great brief looks like for each type of shoot. Four fictional but realistic examples covering events, headshots, interiors, and lifestyle campaigns. Use them as a reference when putting your own brief together.
Download the Photography Brief Examples (PDF)
Not Sure Where to Start? That’s Completely Fine.
Plenty of my clients come to me with a rough idea and we build the brief together over a quick call or a few emails. That’s genuinely part of the process, and I enjoy it. You don’t need to have everything figured out before getting in touch.
