Reading through a recent client brief we received from Parfums De Marly inspired us to write this article. We just wrapped our second shoot with them, and their briefs have been so great to work with.In the world of photography, the power of one key element is often underestimated: a complete photography brief.Some newly started photographers do not push back for one, and this may be due to the immense pressure that they face as art creators because they are eager to attract new clients.

Think of a brief as the middle ground where the client and the photographer meet.

Its role is to amplify the client’s objectives, while steering the photographers’ focus into the right creative territories.There are many key elements to cover in a photography brief, like:

• Timelines

• Preferences for stylists

• Location

• Number of images

• A shot list

• Models

• The story the images need to tell

• How the stories are told

• Budget (as it helps measure the scale of the project)

• And many more

When we asked a good friend, Bjoern Lauen (a Dubai based photographer) what he looks for in a photography brief, this is what they had to say:“The points I look for in a creative brief are the elements that enabled me as a photographer to create imagery that meets the client’s expectations. The brief is a literal translation of an idea that has been developed by a creative team into written and spoken words, that allow an outsider to understand the idea and the thoughts behind it.”Since producers also play a crucial role in shoots, we also asked our dear friend Alina Al Hamdani the same question and here is what she had to say:

“I like briefs that are detailed, visual, and communicate clearly the background, the scope, the message, and the deliverables.”

The more detailed a brief is, the more successfully it fulfills its purpose as a compass that guides both the client and the photographer. This helps ensure that the best outcome is delivered, and that the client has a document to look back at for reference as the project progresses.To us, a “perfect” brief is not only a document that clarifies what needs to be created in terms of images, but also provides stimulus and inspiration for the photographers to refer to during their creative process.There are times where clients are unable to adequately explain what it is that they are looking for in their images. In such cases, we recommend that they put together an inspiration board that consists of snippets of images that are close to what they are looking for in terms of photography style and colors. We also wouldn’t shy away from having a brainstorming session with the client so that together we can come up with the perfect brief.One important thing to note is that a brief is not always set in stone. There is always room for it to evolve as long as both parties are aligned on timelines and expectations are managed.This is how clients can help photographers help them. These are some of the images we ended up with from our project with Parfums de Marly

Send us an email at info@luminary.com and let's talk about your ideal photography brief :)