What's the role of an Art Director in a brand photoshoot?
I recently had a wonderful day out of the studio in the English countryside. My clients were having a photoshoot with Jade Alana and I accompanied them to style the shoot after creating the art direction for them last month. With a car full of props and greenery I set off to support the day and create a setting that felt aligned and considered.
You might recognise this location house from Instagram as one of the Interior Design projects of House Nine. Having told Simon I'd capture loads of behind the scenes, I failed dismally so here are a few snaps I took of the property when we'd packed everything up just before I travelled home.
In the kitchen at ‘Fosse House’ booked through Peagreen Locations. Image by Rachael Cox
What is an art director?
Before we get into some of my tips and insights, it’s worth exploring what an art director is and the role that they brings to brand projects. An art director is the person who holds the visual direction of a project and ensures everything you see feels considered, cohesive and aligned with a bigger vision of the brand.
An art director will decide on the look and feel of the shoot and consider how these choices support the brand as a whole. They help define the overall mood and tone, guide the styling, props and location, they help shape the composition and light and keep everything visually consistent. In a nutshell, the role of an art director is to guide the shot, to decide what comes next and to provide solutions along the way.
In the context of a brand photoshoot, the art director will come into the project when ideas for imagery are being collected and support up to and including the execution of the shoot day itself. They’re not there to take the photos but they are there to make sure the photos work.
Do I need a brand designer or an art director?
In short, you need both - or at least a brand designer who understands visually all that you’ll need to communicate in your imagery.
I am a brand and web designer, but my background is in interior design. I studied Architecture at university, have travelled extensively and have been absorbed in various design industries for most of my working life. These experiences shape how I see the world and enable me to visualise what a brand should convey in order that it articulates all the business owners want it to.
An increasing amount of my work at the moment is creating art direction for photo shoots for clients who have undertaken the brand element. They want their images to match the creative direction and visual language of their brand.
It's worth remembering that the logo, colour, type and graphic elements are only one part of your brand. Your imagery holds the wider picture by shaping how it feels, evoking emotion and quietly communicating your positioning and message.
Can I be the art director of my own photo shoot?
Most people assume a shoot is about the photographer without realising how much thinking comes before the shoot. Having a clear art direction for your brand is the difference between turning up on shoot day and hoping it comes together, and arriving knowing it already has.
You do need some kind of plan. Experience has taught me that sometimes clients can get a bit lost when they try to explain what they are after to their photographer. You might have a pin board full of images, but being able to curate these into something that aligns with the positioning is crucial. You might like something but might not be able to share what you’re hoping to achieve or why you like something.
If you are able to articulate and convey what you want, plan cohesive visual stories and consider how you want to style the shoot, there’s nothing to stop you from being your own art director. The main thing is that the imagery needs to feel like it belongs to the same world as the branding with a clear visual thread. You want to avoid your images from causing a disconnect.
What do I need to plan for my photo shoot?
If you’ve done a photo shoot before, you’ll remember it being stressful but not always why it felt that way. But there’s a lot to plan and consider leading up to the shoot and the shoot day itself.
So what do you need to plan for your photoshoot?
Plan your stories
Think about what messages you want to share through the shoot. What are the different facets of the business and what do people need to understand?Choose your location house
Consider where the photos will be taken and ensure the location give the right feeling. Ensure it’s saying the right thing about your business and reenforces your style, colours and interior style.Choose your outfits and how it works together
Think about what you’ll wear; casual, formal etc. Think about tones and textures, colours and pattern. These things matter in the images. Think about tying outfits to the different stories you want to tell to ensure everything works togetherWhat props do you use
A vase isn’t ever just a vase - is it glass or ceramic, hand made and organic or clinical and modern, is it vibrant or patterned. Every decision gives off a feeling and it’s all of these micro decisions that communicate and convey an overall impression.Consider the space on camera
When you’re reviewing the location house you need to be mindful of how the space will translate on camera. Is it light-filled or dark and moody. Is it spacious and wide or cramped? Is it calm and minimal, or busy and maximalist?
Elevate your Interior Design brand
At Wildings Studio, we help interior designers stand out through bespoke branding and art direction. We translate your unique aesthetic into a cohesive visual identity, ensuring your studio’s story resonates with your ideal clients.
For more professional insights and tips on branding for interior designers, explore our latest articles and guides.
Ready to transform your visual presence? Get in touch about your project today to see how we can bring your vision to life.
Do I need a stylist on photo shoot?
Most of my clients do not like being photographed and it takes a little while to warm up and feel relaxed. There are lots of moving parts to shoots pulling together different props, outfits, room staging - so stopping to get new props out, arranging and faffing with florals, remaining poised (and not sweaty) and getting through the shot list is tricky.
When you have finite time on a shoot because of the hours of your location house or photographer you want to make the most of the setting and capture as much as you possibly can.
Working with an art director and stylist is invaluable because it takes the guess work out of the day and leaves you more confident to be in front of the camera and feel relaxed and enjoy the experience. If you can afford it, an art director or stylist will help you to shine and focus on the being the subject of the images rather than thinking about the next shot.
“To guide the shot, to decide what comes next and to provide solutions along the way — this is the role of the art director.”
Three key ways to prepare before your photoshoot
1. Having a plan is essential
Crafting different stories you want to tell is crucial. This helps potential clients consider what it's like to work with you. Breaking your stories down with ideal shots is incredibly helpful. Then going deeper with different outfits, props, room settings takes the guessing out of things. Knowing we can just drop images into the wireframe in a week's time is such a game changer.
2. An art director is invaluable
On a shoot you could be forgiven for thinking the photographer will style each image and help you place props and get each element ready. But in reality, the photographer is focused on the subject (you), the light, what is in and out of shot. Having the photographer stop to style the image eats into your time. Having someone else do the dirty work and oversee this aspect is so helpful.
3. Avoid decision-making fatigue on the day
Photo shoots are fun but hectic. When you have an art director decisions are already made or guided, the client can stay present and engaged and the energy stays focused and calm. Things can start to feel overwhelming so having that additional support keeps the pace up, helps to make decisions quickly and efficiently and boost confidence levels.
What do you leave with after an art directed shoot?
When the shoot is thoughtfully planned and art directed, what you leave with is far more than a collection of images. The goal is to create a cohesive library that works together, rather than a series of disconnected moments. You want the images to sit naturally within the website, social media content and your wider marketing, without needing to force them into place.
You want the photographs to reflect your positioning clearly and communicate what it feels like to work with you. You want to make sure there is a consistency in tone, colour and composition that allows everything to feel aligned.
Perhaps most importantly you want to aim for longevity. There’s nothing worse than immediately thinking about the need for the next shoot. If you’ve planned properly the images should have a depth and range to support your business over time.
The goal isn’t just a set of beautiful images, but a body of work that continues to work for you long after the shoot day itself.
Where brand photoshoots often go wrong
If you’ve ever come away from a shoot feeling slightly underwhelmed, it’s often not down to the photographer or the location. More often, it’s a lack of clarity before the day begins.
There may not have been a clear visual direction, or too many ideas were brought into the day without being properly refined
Sometimes there’s an expectation that everything will come together on the shoot itself, rather than being decided in advance
Styling can feel inconsistent, locations might not quite align, or there are simply too many decisions being made in real time
It’s easy to assume these things will resolve themselves, but they rarely do.
Having a clear art direction helps to remove that uncertainty and allow the day to run with more ease, with decisions already made and a clear vision running through everything you capture.
How we can help your next photo shoot
For most people, it’s not the shoot itself that feels overwhelming — it’s everything surrounding it. The decisions, the preparation, the pressure to get it right. Using an art director takes all this stress off your plate.
This is where I come in. If you want support to get shoot ready we create art direction packs you can brief your photographer with and also offer sourcing and styling on shoot days so that when the day arrives you’re not trying to piece things together or second guess yourself. You’re simply stepping into something that’s already been thought through and carefully considered.
If you’re interested in the wider thinking behind art direction, branding and visual consistency, these resources offer useful industry insights:
Creative direction & visual consistency in branding from Nielsen Norman Group. NN/g is globally respected in design and UX. This articles touches on visual cohesion, consistency and why art direction matters beyond aesthetics
The commercial value & impact of brand consistency from Lucidpress. A helpful research-orientated report that confirms how consistent branding can increase revenue ( around 33%). It reinforces the argument that art direction isn’t just “nice to have” — it has measurable business impact
The role of art direction in photography and campaigns from American Society of Media Photographers. Further definition on the art director’s role in brand photo shoots
About the author:
Rachael Cox is the co-founding director (along with her husband, Simon Cox) at Wildings Studio, a branding, website design and content marketing studio in Torquay, UK. She’s a writer for thethe Wildings Studio blog which you’re currently reading. Rachael is also responsible for the Wildings Studio creative direction, brand strategy and brand design services. Rachael blogs regularly on topics to do with the core Wildings Studio services on branding, website design and creative direction. She’s passionate about helping small business show up in their business and express what sets them apart so they can stand out.
About Wildings Studio
Thoughtful, beautiful branding and websites for design-led businesses
Wildings is a website designer for small businesses offering website design. Based in South Devon, UK, we deliver small business website design for design-conscious brands like garden designers, interior designers, architects, circular ethos restaurants, speciality coffee shops, organic cafés and boutique hotels.
