MY ULTIMATE CHEAT SHEET FOR PLANNING A SUCCESSFUL BLOG SHOOT

Disclaimer: This sheet is a list of things I have done/do to create content, these might not necessarily work for you as stated but would give an idea of what to do.

 

• I Create my outfits & poses ahead of time: Before you set out to take any pictures, try on the outfits, the best way to style it, the best poses for the type of outfit you decide to wear, Because the way you would pose when wearing a dress might be totally different from how you pose wearing a pair of pants. I usually center my look around a particular piece. For example: A sleeveless mini dress, I could decide to wear a turtle neck top underneath or a cropped denim jacket on top.

• Create a Moodboard: Inclusive of an idea I’d love to execute, How to style my outfit, Concept of my shoot etc. A Moodboard gives me a great idea of what type of location I want to use, what color I want my outfit to be, if I would be needing props. It’s a visual aide.

• Location Scouting: I do this physically and online (through bloggers, coffee shops, restaurants, pages that talk about things to do in my city (Lagos) I save these into a Folder on IG for my own private viewing & future referral when I am ready to use that specific location. Physically around your estate or friends estate.

• Select the best outfits that go with the location & pick out a day to shoot. Best days to Shoot? For me is during the Weekdays because I love to use restaurants & places that cater to other people I love going to these places during the weekdays Mon-Thurs before 12noon or At least before 3pm when less people would be there 

 

A few tips ? Yes please

• To make the most of these places? I make use of my iPhone 6s+ to take pictures instead of a camera (because once they see a camera they start acting out)

 

• If I am shooting at a coffee shop or restaurant I always have to order something, which most times is a win for me because I can decide to review the place on one post & talk about my outfit on the next.

 

• If you’re not willing to spend money on location ? Make use of private streets or a friends estate. For me when I started out I would use a few spots along my “work street” which I noted down when going home from work. Then on a Sunday I would come with a friend/photographer and make use of these spots (weekends are always better for this because there are no workers in the building over the weekend & the streets are less busy). This tip is cost effective as you can take more than one look at once & you can use a camera freely.

 

• If you work your default days are over the weekends, which isn’t bad still you just have to be ready to wake up early on a Saturday, Go to the location you’ve selected and create content before the crowd starts rolling in or do the above (stated in the previous point). This tip is cost effective as you can take more than one look at once.

 

• If you’re a freelance creative ? You can go to these places ahead of time check them out, find out from the manager if you can shoot there, the benefits they get for letting you shoot. Most times I tend not to ask because they start to charge you which for me isn’t a bad thing if I was a small business owner selling clothes making a decent amount of profit from each piece I sell or an artiste using the location to create a music video. Because the truth is as a blogger you sell these locations more than either of those two cause you’re willing to mention the place used, what you love and people would want to go visit.

 

Extra Tip: To save transportation cost & ease off excessive spending, I tend to do my makeup at a friends house close to my shoot location never from my house as I do stay a tad bit far from the main city of Lagos. This reduces my cost taking a taxify/uber to my location & increases my spending capability of going home tired after a shoot comfortably in my taxify/uber with my extra load.

 

For those who complain about NOT having time to create content because of work ? 

First of all, does your office have a fine environment? Or at least an aesthetically pleasing spot you can sneak in a picture of two? If you do?

• Select a day or 2 days in a week, Dress really nice, do your makeup, sneak out or during your break time take a picture 

 

• Start a series of what I wore to work today – would make a good content for your audience (don’t worry the pictures do not have to be perfect just clear and decent enough for people to see what you wore) 

 

| Thanks for reading |

Till next time

Xx

DID YOU ENJOY READING THIS POST? WOULD YOU BE TRYING ANY OF THESE TIPS OUT? WHAT TIPS DO YOU CURRENTLY USE?