When you start working as a photographer, makeup artist or stylist, it’s extremely important to understand the difference between the different styles of photoshoots. Our editors get asked often how they should shoot, so we decided to take a moment and explain the details and differences between all types of shootings.
Editorial and Webitorials
Editorial photoshoots must tell a story. After making sure to create the perfect moodboard ( you can read our previous blog about How to create a fashion photoshoot ) you and your team should agree on a story and a style.
They are often for magazines, with the intent on being published either online (webitorials) or in print (editorials).
Most of the time submitted, they can also sometimes be commissioned by magazines to create the images to be published later.
Flexibility and freedom are often on the table, meaning you create for your own creativity and to be able to showcase your style of work and let your creative identity speak. These images are oftentimes not paid for, but used for different reasons ; a designer wanting to collaborate with a team to showcase his designs, for the team’s portfolio, or for the love of creating something out of someone’s mind and learning or exploring new styles and techniques.
Commercial shoots, lookbooks and campaign
Commercial shoots are used….well yes for commercial purposes. They are either to market and communicate a new product or collection. The images are used as a means to advertise, and therefor the photoshoots are paid for.
Organized and planned by the brands, they sometimes give freedom to the art directors or photographers, but it needs to be kept in the brand’s style and identity, so there isn’t too much room for getting out of the brand’s style.
These shoots are therefore commissioned by the brands and used in magazines for advertising.
The difference between a fashion campaign and a lookbook ?
Lookbooks are a collection of images to show the clothing line. Before being digital, lookbooks were an actual printed book with all the different ‘looks’ and products from the brand. They also have a story and help give a narrative to the new clothing collection.
Campaigns are usually a series of images intended as a marketing strategy to promote a brand. These marketing strategies can be simple, such as an image on a banner ad.
