The Strategy Behind the Shoot

Every shoot starts with understanding what we're creating, who it's for, and how the images will be used.

Sometimes that means working from an established creative brief. Other times, it means helping shape the concept, locations, shot list, and production details from the beginning.

Once we're shooting, preparation gives us a foundation. But some of the strongest images come from recognizing what's happening beyond the shot list.

The photographs below offer a look at that process, from planning and lighting to working with athletes, directing portraits, and adapting to the location.
A young woman with a race bib standing in front of a dark backdrop, being photographed by a man with a camera. Another man with a camera and umbrella is capturing the scene, outdoors on a sunny day with trees in the background.
Two women posing for a photo in a desert landscape while a man takes their picture with a camera, with mountains in the background.
A man with white hair lying on the floor and taking a photograph with a professional camera, in a studio with photography equipment and a mirror in the background.
Photographer taking a portrait of a man sitting on a black box in a photography studio with red and gray walls.
Empty red stadium seats with numbered stickers, and a photographer sitting on the ground with a large telephoto camera lens.
A woman and a man stand together on a city sidewalk, smiling at the camera. The woman has dark curly hair in a puff, is wearing a white zip-up jacket and black leggings, and has her arm around the man. The man, wearing a black beanie, gray sweater, a
A woman with glasses and a man with a hat and glasses are looking at a camera, while a woman with long curly hair stands nearby in a warehouse or grocery store setting with bins of green apples and shelves filled with gray boxes.
A man with gray hair, glasses, and a black cap, wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, is sitting on a black bench and examining a camera in front of a rack of black dumbbells on red shelves in a gym or fitness area.
An adult male showing a camera to two children at an outdoor event.
A man sitting on the floor uses a camera with a large lens, aiming it towards a window. The room has photography equipment including a tripod, a light stand, and a softbox labeled 'Westcott' on the floor. There is a pink chair, a door with an 'OUT' s
A man standing on a soccer field during a match, carrying a camera on his shoulder, wearing a bright vest, shorts, knee braces, and sneakers, with a large crowd in the stadium behind him.
Photographer sitting on gym floor taking photos of women exercising in a gym with red walls and a black floor mat.
Inside view of a grocery store or market with shelves of canned goods, boxes, and produce. Two men are visible, one taking photographs and the other wearing an apron. Large windows allow natural light to brighten the space.
Photographer taking a picture of a woman posing on the sidewalk beside a gray wall.
An older man with white hair is taking a photograph of two women doing yoga on a black mat in a gym with red walls.
People exercising in a fitness class with a photographer capturing the scene, inside a gym with red and white walls and fitness equipment on the floor.
Two people, an older man with glasses and a beanie, and a young woman in athletic wear, looking at a camera together outdoor on a sidewalk near a grey wall.
A photographer wearing a black shirt, blue jeans, gray shoes, and a backwards cap is setting up lighting equipment in a studio with a red textured wall, black and white striped carpet, and grey backdrop.