writing a brief for a photography shoot

[Deleted member 11105]

Hi, i am soon going to have to shoot a hair salon for a website i am designing and i thought it might help the shoot if i write my self a brief to help start the exploration of the subject and give the exploration some direction by defining the desired result and asking probibing questions to gain a deeper understaning of the subject and give my photograhs more relevance and purpose when they are in their final context of the website! what questions should i be asking in my discovery of the subject to discover the most pertinent photographs? what do i need to know to know how to approach the subject? at the moment i am completely open and the final photographs could range from just shooting the salon in the most flattering way i can find to more arty shots shooting it at night with its green night lights on or close ups scissors or shots of the salon being worked in or portraits of the stylist at work cutting somebodys hair or a mixture of any of these. At the moment i feel i need to have a plan so that i have an idea of what will make great photos when i start to shoot so that i am in control and have plenty of ideas and maximum chance of walking away with a good result. can you give me any help on this?
thanks

 

[neo2810]

I would seriously start by learning to use more of the punctuation keys on your keyboard... That was extremely painful reading...

But, the pics you take should be taken in context of the site you are building. I've designed a few hairdresser sites, and I always know exactly which shots I need before I go. Once I've got those shots nailed, I'll then take a few more general shots to use if need be.

Make a list of the shots you need, and a list of shots you would like to take if there's time.

 

[Chappers]

First thing to find out is what the client wants. This may sound easy but usually it isn't. The client knows they want some pictures but have no idea exactly what pictures are needed. You will have to walk them through the process. have some ideas and see what they think. Be careful, they may have no idea and will accept everything you say, but in the cold light of day when they see the results all could change.

I've never photographed a hair salon, but I would look at some of the trade mags and see what they come up with. Bear in mind the site is to attract customers for your client not to show of you creative skills. Sometimes the best shots are not the most creative