The consultation is probably one of the single most important aspects of beginning any project, as this is where EW Photography will sit down with the client(s) to gain a sense of what it is they are looking to achieve, and provide guidance on how to reach the desired outcome.

The consultation will consist of an initial meeting where the client(s) will outline the pre-conceptualized vision being sought, with feedback on any pertinent details they have considered. EW Photography will then offer reciprocal feedback on the information provided, advice on how to achieve the client(s) goal(s), guide the client(s) on improving upon their vision, and begin devising a workable plan on achieving the results desired by the client(s).

As projects vary in size and complexity from a single-person, natural-light photoshoot involving just the client and photographer, up to more complex productions involving many moving parts, the consultation phase can encompass a single meeting, or multiple meetings, in order to discuss all the possible elements. Whilst this sounds like a long and arduous process, it actually happens quite quickly and organically!

The location is the next most important consideration, as it will determine all the dynamics of the project, including requirements for lighting, clothing, hair and makeup, weather, date and time, length of the photoshoot, environmental considerations to achieve the needed “look and feel” for the shoot, and so on.

During the Consultation and Planning stage, EW Photography will take notes on what the client is seeking, and if an outdoor setting is desired, will then scout possible sites for the shoot, or evaluate suggestions from the client of possible locations if provided, to determine feasibility of achieving the desired results.

This is critical in planning out the rest of the project. It is highly advisable for all parties to meet at the suggested location(s) (once established) well ahead of the shoot date to evaluate the site together, and to offer mutual feedback on which site(s) will work best, as this will contribute to an outcome as inline with the client(s) expectations as possible.

If the project is to involve a model / talent other than the client(s), then this becomes a critical consideration. Choosing a model that resonates with the target audience is necessary to achieve the final outcome of any photography project.

EW Photography can assist with choosing the appropriate talent for the project, taking into account factors such as:

- Genre of photoshoot
- Main focus of the shoot (travel, clothing, location, product, etc.)
- Target audience, including gender, age, ethnicity, demographic location

Whilst any type and style of clothing can be photographed and made to look great, there are some general guidelines we follow as photographers and advise the client(s) of, to have even better results (depending on the genre of photography the client is looking to have taken) including (but not limited to):

- Garments (including shirts, dresses, pants, etc.) photograph best if they are composed of solid colours / pastels
- Garments with loud, contrasty patterns and/or logo’s should be avoided as those tend to clash with background and/or foreground elements in the photograph
- Avoid dressing or accessorizing outside of your comfort zone as It may come off as forced or false

For more advanced projects that will require the client / talent to have makeup, hair and additional styling applied, it is best for any photographer to be in discussions with the relevant artist during the early stages of the project, in order to establish the type of makeup, hair and styling will be best suited to the location, lighting, and dynamics of the photoshoot.

For example, if makeup is made too “wet” or shiny for the lighting being used, it will lead to frustration on the part of the photographer, talent and/or client to achieve the desired results, thus leading to feelings of doubt and frustration, which is something that should be avoided! Anytime the talent being photographed begins to experience frustration or doubt, it will always show in the photo!

Post processing is an integral part of delivering polished, professional imaging results! To that end, EW Photography will work with the client(s) / talent to determine types of post-processing and touch-up work is requested / required to achieve the finished look!

On more complex projects, various elements come into play, including additional talent, hair and makeup artists, multiple locations, several clothing styles, set decorations, lighting variations, etc. As the consultations progress, EW Photography will work with the client(s) to help coordinate in cooperation all the resources, or provide full project management.

The world of copyright and usage rights is bewildering and complex, but thankfully there are clear laws now in place in Canada to facilitate image copyright, image ownership, and image usage licensing.

Copyrights and usage rights will be brought up during consultations, and EW Photography will walk the client thru this to determine exactly what usage rights will be applicable to your completed images, and if any additional licensing fees may apply.

Once all the consultations, planning sessions, location approvals and asset management tasks are completed, EW Photography will draft a project proposal, which will detail and include, but not be limited to:

- A summarization of all items discussed and agreed upon during the consultations and planning sessions,
- Provide inspirational sample images derived from openly available stock images or internal portfolio assets to assist with visualizing the project outcome for more complex projects,
- Disclose all fees for the project, including, but not limited to, photographer fees, talent fees, hair and makeup artist fees, assistant fees, etc.,
- Disclose image copyright terms and licensing fee(s) (if applicable) as determined during consultations,
- Payment terms, including deposit amounts, due dates, payment methods,
- Full terms and conditions of the project, including cancellation policy,
- Acceptance of the proposal

If the project proposal is approved by all parties, and with any agreed upon changes and/or amendments, a formal contract will be sent to the client(s) for signing, and the project can then officially proceed on the agreed upon date(s).

On-set of the photoshoot, EW Photography will become the official DP (Director of Photography), either exclusively, or in partnership with the client(s), and/or an Art Director (if required for more complex projects), depending upon agreed terms during consultation for asset management.

On set, I prefer to keep the minimum amount of additional staff, assistants, or spectators present, as they often serve as a distraction for the client and/or talent. Dependent upon the experience of the talent, having more people than needed on-set serves as a stressful distraction, therefore I try to keep the set spartan in this regard.

Once the photoshoot is completed, EW Photography will begin the process of “culling” the superfluous images, and prepare an online gallery, accessible only by the client(s), where they will have the opportunity to select their top picks of images, that EW Photography will later perform full post processing on, as mutually agreed to.

This is the stage where EW Photography will perform all the agreed upon image adjustments and/or modifications, in preparation for final proofing and delivery.

Once the final image(s) are rendered and ready for the client(s), they will be uploaded to our site for secure final review and download by the client(s) once outstanding balances are received for the project; download ability will be unlocked once client(s) conduct final review of finished images and submit payment electronically via secure checkout.