Photoshoot Mood Boards

Tell me how you really feel. Better yet…show me! I am a visual learner through and through. I have to see it to believe it, to understand it, to talk about it; I mean the list goes on! Hence why I picked a career in a very creative and visual field. In our last post, we discussed how to properly prepare for a photoshoot. This included a list of things to do, share, and not forget when it came time to execute. One of those tasks being to create a mood board to share with the team regarding the upcoming shoot so that everyone is on the same page. When words fail you, mood boards are the way to go!

A mood board is a digital collage of ideas. It is a great tool to communicate direction for an upcoming shoot or project. Organizing photos, links, videos, and color schemes will help you convey your desired appearance and feel.

When first creating a mood board, it is crucial to understand the direction or purpose of the project at hand. Is the project for a specific brand? A new product? A person? Consider a theme to anchor your idea to. This could represent a color scheme, a particular design aesthetic, or even a historical era. After you have a clear theme for your project, the time for creativity has come. Here's where the visuals really start to matter! I like to use photos I have saved, found online, or taken for previous projects as long as they fit the shoot's overarching subject. When working with models, these pictures can also provide posing ideas.

To stay organized, I break my mood boards into sections. First, I create a section for aesthetics. This is where I source images that create the vibe I am going for and pose inspiration. Next, I create a section for models and all the details pertaining to them. This includes hairstyles for each model and makeup looks. This can also serve as a guide for any accessories that each model must wear or bring. Additionally, I create a section for outfits. If there will be an outfit change during the shoot, I align each outfit with the location of where that particular outfit is being shot. For example, if I were to shoot in a studio that had different rooms/scenes, I would match outfit A to be shot in Room 1, outfit B to be shot in Room 2, and outfit C to be shot outside of the studio. Lastly, I make sure to insert notes. These can be short reminders or points to emphasize during the shoot.

At the end of the day, mood boards have to make sense to you and your team. It is crucial when communicating your ideas to be as detailed as possible. There are several platforms that we, at Leaux Vi, utilize when creating mood boards for clients. If you need any additional help creating a mood board for an upcoming project or would like to take a look at the specific platforms and programs we use, please email us or leave a comment below.

Love & Light,

Lauryn Victoria