Commercial Photography Checklist

Why a checklist matters

A strong commercial photography checklist helps translate brand strategy into images that convert. It reduces reshoots, controls costs, protects rights and ensures assets are created in the correct formats for websites, ads, ecommerce and print.

Pre‑production checklist

• Objective and audience
  • Primary goal: conversion lift, brand refresh, press, recruitment, listings or product launch
  • Where images will live: website, email, paid ads, marketplaces, brochures, PR
• Brand and creative direction
  • Look/feel references, framing, aspect ratios, negative space for headlines
  • Wardrobe, props and styling notes; brand colour constraints
• Shot list with usage
  • By scenario: hero banners, product, process, people, place, details, social cut‑downs
  • List required orientations and crops: 1:1, 4:5, 16:9, 3:2
• Locations and logistics
  • Access, parking, power, noise, light windows, wet‑weather fallback, bump‑in/bump‑out
  • Location agreement if private property is used
• Talent and releases (Australia)
  • Model releases for identifiable people; guardian consent for minors
  • Property releases for recognisable private properties or artworks/logos as needed
• Permits and compliance (Australia)
  • Council permits for public spaces, National Parks approvals if relevant
  • CASA rules for drones; use licensed operators for commercial shoots
  • Work Health and Safety plan; on‑site PPE if required
• Schedule and run sheet
  • Call times, scene order, buffer time, meal breaks, golden hour windows
  • Contingencies for weather, power or no‑shows
• Budget and approvals
  • Day rates, equipment hire, studio/permit fees, travel, props, retouching, licensing
  • ABN and GST on invoicing; usage terms documented

Equipment checklist

• Cameras and lenses covering required focal lengths (ultra‑wide to portrait primes as needed)
• Lighting: strobes or continuous, modifiers (softboxes, scrims, reflectors), stands and clamps
• Backgrounds or product surfaces; styling kit; gaffer tape; sandbags
• Tethering laptop/tablet for client preview; calibrated monitor for product colour
• Power: batteries, chargers, power boards and extension leads; portable power if on location
• Data: high‑speed cards, card readers, duplicate external SSDs for on‑site backup
• Ancillary: grey card/colour checker, lens cloths, step ladder, rain covers

Creative and shot list checklist

• Define hero images first: website banners, campaign anchors, PR hero
• For each shot: purpose, framing, background, props, orientation, crop safety, copy space
• Variations: wide/medium/tight, vertical/horizontal, expressions, with/without product
• Consistency: angles, lighting ratio, colour temperature and shadow density
• Compliance: avoid restricted logos, signage or sensitive patient/client information

Shoot‑day checklist

• Briefing: align team on objectives, schedule, safety and approvals
• Test frames: exposure, white balance, flicker check under LEDs, moiré on fabrics
• Tethered reviews with stakeholder sign‑off for key setups
• File hygiene: in‑camera time sync, rating system, backup to second drive at breaks
• Continuity: note lighting positions, power levels and camera settings for resets
• Wrap: confirm deliverables, retouching priorities and next‑step dates

Post‑production and delivery checklist

• Selection: cull and contact sheet for approval; mark hero selects
• Retouching: colour consistency, skin and fabric clean‑up, dust removal, banner crops
• Output specs:
  • Web: sRGB JPEG or WebP, target file sizes for Core Web Vitals, responsive crops
  • Print: TIFF or high‑quality JPEG, embedded profiles, bleed requirements
  • Ecommerce: consistent angles, 2000–3000px longest side, pure white background if marketplace requires
• File naming and structure: YYYYMMDD_project_scene_seq_vXX, alt‑text guidance for SEO
• Delivery: cloud folder with usage rights, expiry and credit guidelines if required
• Archive: two copies on separate drives or DAM with metadata

Australian legal and compliance notes

• Model releases for identifiable people; store signed PDFs with file set
• Property releases for private locations when usage is commercial
• Drones: comply with CASA rules, no‑fly zones, distance from people and airports; use licensed operators
• Permits: local council, National Parks, beaches and heritage sites may require approvals
• Public liability insurance and worker safety procedures for on‑site shoots
• Licensing: define scope (media, geography, duration), exclusivity and third‑party rights

How to brief a photographer

• Business goal and commercial context (what success looks like)
• Brand guidelines, reference images and do/don’t list
• Shot list with priority order and intended placements
• People and responsibilities: decision maker on the day, stylist, HMU, safety lead
• Access, parking, power, Wi‑Fi, bump‑in/bump‑out and security constraints
• Deliverables, usage rights and deadlines

Industry shot list ideas

Use these prompts to tailor your commercial photography checklist:

Budget and timing signals

• Headshots and team update: half‑day to full day; allow time for approvals and retouching
• Product table‑top (25–60 SKUs): 1–2 days shooting plus batch retouching
• Brand story on location: 1 day capture, 1–3 days post depending on deliverables
• Real estate: 1–3 hours per listing; add time for dusk and aerials
• Add‑ons that change cost: studio hire, props, stylist/HMU, complex retouching, licensing scope

For detailed pricing context across scenarios, see the Australian guide below.

Measure performance and ROI

• Track conversion rate change on pages updated with new images
• Compare ad CTR and CPA before/after using new creative
• Monitor time on page and scroll depth for image‑heavy content
• Attribute sales enablement usage: proposals, decks and PR pickup
• Tag image cohorts in your DAM to link to campaigns and analytics

Tie your asset plan to campaigns and landing pages so results are visible, not assumed.

Common mistakes to avoid

• No clear usage defined (wrong crops, missing negative space, poor fit for ads)
• Skipping releases and permits (delays, takedowns, legal risk)
• Under‑estimating time for setup, styling and approvals
• Inconsistent lighting or white balance across a set
• No backup plan for weather, power or data
• Delivering only high‑res print files without web‑ready exports

Suggested next steps

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