Mistakes to avoid

The biggest mistake: no shot list. Showing up with a mood board but no list means you leave with beautiful photos you cannot use. Every frame should have a destination.

The usual suspects

• Booking too little time. Hair, makeup and outfit changes always run long.
• Saving hero shots for the end, when energy is low and makeup has faded.
• Bringing too many outfits. Two to four looks is plenty for a half day.
• Forgetting vertical frames, then cropping heads off in reels.
• Not asking about usage rights for ads before you sign.

Each of these is easy to fix with a little planning, and every one of them shows up in the final gallery if you skip it.

Time mistakes

Almost every shoot underestimates changes. A full outfit change with a hair touch up takes 15 to 20 minutes, and moving lights between rooms takes 10 to 15. Build those into the schedule instead of hoping they go fast.

The other time mistake is booking the location for the shoot only. Load in, unpacking and pack out are part of the booking, and running past your hours can cost overtime or cut your last set.

Tip: When in doubt, add an hour. Most of these mistakes come down to time. An extra hour on the booking costs less than a reshoot.

San Antonio weather

From June to September, highs often sit near 100F. Plan outdoor looks for morning or golden hour and keep them short, about 20 to 30 minutes, with water and shade nearby. Makeup slides and hair frizzes fast in humidity. Golden hour shifts by season, so check sunset for your date.

Watch the wind too. Gusty spring afternoons blow hair across faces and knock over light stands outdoors, so bring sandbags or ask your photographer to, and keep hairspray handy for outdoor looks.

Late spring thunderstorms roll in fast. Have an indoor backup for every outdoor shot, ideally in the same location so you do not lose time driving.

Styling mistakes

• Brand new clothes with fold lines and tags still on.
• Wrinkled products or labels turned away.
• Too many props, so the product gets lost.
• Outfits that fight a colorful background.

Wash and wear new clothes once before the shoot, steam on site, and check every label and logo in a test frame. If you are unsure about a prop, leave it out; an empty corner rarely ruins a photo, but a cluttered one often does.

Picking the wrong photographer

Price is not the trap; fit is. Look at full galleries, not just a highlight reel, and check whether past clients look relaxed. A wedding photographer can be brilliant and still not know how to light a product for an ad. Ask to see brand work specifically.

Ask three questions on the first call: what does a typical brand delivery look like, can I see a full gallery from a similar business, and who edits the images. A clear, fast answer to all three is a good sign. Vague answers about rights or delivery are a red flag.

Mistakes after the shoot

Another quiet mistake is posting all your favorites in the first week. Spread the best images across your calendar so the shoot keeps paying off for months. Back up the full delivery in two places, since download links often expire in 30 to 90 days.

• Not renaming files by use, so nobody can find the homepage shot.
• Cropping a horizontal hero into a story and cutting off your head.
• Applying heavy filters that clash with the photographer's edit.
• Forgetting to credit the photographer where your agreement asks for it.

The shots people forget

Finally, do not skip the wide, empty set shots with no people in them. They are the easiest images to put text over for quote graphics, banners and announcements. Also grab a few frames of your hands, your tools and your workspace; they fill the grid between big posts.

Last chapter: how all of this works in the rooms at The Gallery. You can also browse the photo gallery first.

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