Creating Mood Boards for Photoshoots

Creating Mood Boards for photoshoots

I love creating mood boards. It helps in telling the overall story and mood for a photoshoot. Mood boards are basically a visual story board that is provided to all whom is involved with the shoot. Creating a mood board starts with curating a set of images. The images I use are mostly from browsing through Pinterest (btw you can follow me there at Kia Hammond Photography).

The way I create a mood board is by using Microsoft PowerPoint. There are other ways such as using adobe spark in which I use from time to time. I create a blank slide (usually white) and arrange images onto the slide leaving some white space to insert text information pertaining to the shoot.

Below is an example of a mood board I created for a past shoot. It is not as detailed just a simple one. If there are makeup artists involved and stylist, there would be more details. I aim to one day to work with a full team of hair and makeup artists as well as stylists.

Thank you for reading!

-Kia :)

Create Content that you want to be Hired to Create

I recently bought a Target beauty box of the month and decided to do some product photography with a couple of samples that were included. When I’m not working with clients on a project, I utilize my time in building my brand. One thing I have learned while pursuing my photography journey is to create what you what to be paid to create. Aside from fashion/editorial photography, I would also like to venture into beauty and product photography.

The materials I used were colored poster boards from the Dollar tree (which were like .69 cents each), a chair, and painter’s tape. I used my full frame camera (Nikon D600) with 50mm 1.8 lens and studio flash strobe light (you can also use a much cheaper continuous light source). The results are below.

5 Top Things to Know when Photographing in Public Places

Most of my photography sessions are held outdoors and in public places. Currently, I do not have a studio and renting studio time can be very expensive. So, I do quite of bit of location scouting for shoots. In this article I will go over top things I have done and still do pursing my photography journey when it comes to photographing in public places.

1.    Location Scout Location Scout

It is essential to check out the places you plan to photograph at prior to the shoot. This is key to saving time in searching for areas you want to have your client positioned. Make sure to visit the location around the time you would have your session. You can determine what’s a good area to shoot depending on the sun position. Another key part is seeing how crowded a place may be during that particular time.

2.    Public doesn’t mean “Free” to hold a photography session

Some public places require you to have a permit or permission to photograph while on property. Check to see if there is a website for the particular place you would like to hold your photography session. Most will have a section about photography if not call or email to find out the requirements if there are any.

3.    Clean up after your session

No brainer but make sure to clean up after your session. Bring any materials to clean up with especially if the shoot is a messy one. Rule of thumb is to make sure to leave the place like it was prior to arriving.

4.    Be considerate of others

Be mindful of others that may be in the location enjoying the day. Make sure to not block pathways or crosswalks.

5.    Say Thank You

Say thank you to the owner or someone in charge. After all they let you shoot at a great location.  

Keep these things in mind for your next on location shoot. Thank you for taking your time out to read my blog and I hope you find these useful.

How to Get Out of a Creative Rut

Have you been feeling down and unmotivated lately? Do you feel like you have run out of ideas? If yes, it’s okay and it happens to a lot of us. How do you get out of that rut? Let’s go over 3 ways to overcome creative ruts.

1.    Take a mental break

This is essential to your health. Remove distractions and maybe go for a walk/run. Also, go on a social media break. Social media can be overwhelming when trying to push out content and beat/figure out the algorithm. I have seen many creatives take social media breaks and they have had no regrets in taking them, including me. This will help clear your mind and you can regain focus.

2.    Watch a movie

Enjoy one of your favorite movies or go out to the movies. You just might become inspired by something while watching.

3.     Get some much-needed rest 

Don’t force or push yourself so hard that you skip out on what you need the most which is rest. If the ideas are not just there then don’t stress and take time to unwind. Your body will thank you. This is a good reset for your body and mind to get those creative juices back flowing.

Sometimes when you stop looking or searching for ideas the ideas usually end up right in front of you. Let’s all remember that it is normal to have creative ruts and remember to take breaks.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this read.