This was probably one of the most nerve-wracking things I’ve ever done in my career. Well it was my first two weeks of being with We Are Ghost so could you blame me? You hear of Rekorderlig, you drink Rekorderlig, its everywhere you go, right?! So, I felt a huge sense of pressure, but also huge excitement from knowing I was managing and organising this particular shoot for them.

So let me take you back… Rekorderlig had approached us with a brief, a new suite of lifestyle photography for their social media. Despite only been with We Are Ghost for a short while, I already knew that we offer the highest level of skilled and creative photographers. And with the design team to back them, this was a perfect fit for us and we knew we would deliver.

Within the brief they had put together a suggestive mood board to give us an idea for the sort of images they required. This included:
Location ideas (that tie in with their particular target audience)
Model ideas (wanting to use a variety of diversity and of course legal age restrictions) 
Props (that would set the “theme” and style they required) 
Style and wardrobe requirements from the models 
A shot list of images needed for their social platforms over a period of time
Any other image requirements needed for both off and on trade locations

A few repetitive words that were used within the brief were “scandi” and “natural lifestyle”. So, I knew that no matter what we did, we had to incorporate the Scandinavian ‘look and feel’ to this photoshoot, to ensure we captured the most natural environment possible.

With a first glance of this brief off I went… I did my research and created mood boards for us to visually see what we were working with. I began to gather reference images of what I thought the client had in mind. This included anything from lifestyle “friends action” shots, props to use, and even a selection of other drink based photography to get ideas for capturing the perfect lifestyle brand images.

Location was my first point of call because if we could get the perfect location approved by the client then it was a huge tick off the list. I did my research locally, and further afield. Locally I found a wonderful pub that was called “The Dragon at Willington”. They had recently had a refurb and I had noticed they were due to have “igloo” type seating areas for their customers, which fitted the “Scandi” theme perfectly. I went to visit them and spoke with a lovely member of staff who looked after their marketing and events. Once I informed her of all of our ideas, she excitedly gave us the green light to use the facilities including the igloos at our most convenient time. 

Once the location was sorted and approved by the client, I started to think about the models. This was a big priority as we were promoting alcohol so there is a 25+ restriction on age. I managed to gather a diverse selection of models who all fit the brief, which I sent over to the client along with ideas for wardrobe changes for each of them (male & female). I began to gather all information into excel spreadsheets. One for all of the models so they have a full understanding of what is required of them throughout the day, and another one for colleagues involved so they can see a timeline of how the shoot would pan out. The first document I sent to the models was a detailed timeline of how the shoot would run, what outfits they would need throughout the day and where and when we would need them. I then also attached all model Release forms to their emails so they could sign and send me back ready to document and keep for legal purposes. 

Then we get to the big day! I felt so nervous waking up that morning. However, I had planned everything and all of the vital details were confirmed, so as long as everyone turned up to the correct place it would be fine!

AND THEY DID! YAY 

The whole shoot ran so smoothly. We had 2 males and 4 females which was the perfect mix. Their wardrobe choices were perfect and the weather was spot on.
We got through the shot list in good time, with me directing the models where needed. We even had enough time to get some shots for the venue as a thank you for letting us use their location for this shoot.

The best part of this shoot for me was using the Igloo location. It made the images look so chic, while at the same time absolutely smashing the Scandinavian vibe that the client was after. The photographer managed to capture the lifestyle images perfectly, working seamlessly with a group of models who were mixing with one another on a fantastic level. We captured the group in mid-conversation, with jokes being made. This really gave that natural lifestyle imagery the client was after, with of course Rekorderlig always being in the images stealing the show!