Help Your Clients Define Exactly What They're Looking for With a Photographer's Brief!

You may have the experience of putting together a project proposal for a potential client, but what about making life easier for clients at the very start by showing them how to prepare a photographer's brief to help them define exactly what they're after and, subsequently, help you understand their requirements?

Before you make a project proposal, you generally find out the key things your client is looking for. Obviously, you cannot provide a quote for them until you know what the job will realistically involve. Although we may respond to potential inquiries with our day rate, we still need to know all details involving this job, from image usage to location, from the type of files they require to the equipment you'll need to fulfill this assignment. 

To stop you from wasting the precious time in coming up with of all the questions you should ask before taking on the assignment, have you considered creating a photographer's brief, which on the surface makes it easier for clients to detail exactly what they're seeking, but in reality makes your life a lot easier, too? Photographers from Decoy Media have put together a helpful resource that gives advice to clients on answering all the key questions the photographer may require, which in return helps the photography assignment run smooth, and helps the photographer deliver results that are exactly what the client was looking for. 

As with anything in life, small details are key. Decoy Media start their photographer's brief with essential information, such as:

• Who is the client?
• What is the project?
• Where will the shoot be located?
• What are the start/finish times? (Include a full running order if applicable)
• Include the name and mobile number of someone there on the day

For this, it's important to let the client consider alternatives, such as, what happens if the weather has extreme conditions and shooting isn't possible in the chosen location or at the chosen time of the day. Equally, the client must be informed on photographer's policies if the shoot runs over the scheduled time. Furthermore, Decoy Media stress the importance of your client explaining more about the essence and ethos of their brand, which will give you, the photographer, a better idea on how your client wants their brand to be represented in the visual content that you create for them.

The list covers several crucial questions, from "what are your objectives?" all the way to "what are your expectations for delivery?"; if you'd like to see the full list, view it here. Majority of vital questions and considerations are covered in this list, and should give you enough information to work with if you are looking to create a similar resource to share with your clients. Perhaps, consider creating an online questionnaire that your client can fill in, without having to print off a single sheet of paper. Having it all summarized in one place will also help you refer to it should any questions or discrepancies arise before, during or after the shoot. I use this exact idea for my wedding clients, and it's been invaluable to have all this information on hand without having to trawl through a bunch of emails, where you may have discussed different options or ideas!