Guide for Composing a Photography Brief
In the world of photography, clarity and creativity go hand in hand. Two essential tools that help photographers achieve this balance are the photography brief and the swipe file.
A photography brief is a document that outlines the objectives, requirements, and expectations for a photography project. It serves several key purposes: clarifying expectations, guiding creative decision-making, ensuring consistency, and facilitating communication between the photographer and the client. The process of setting a brief involves defining project objectives, specifying requirements, establishing style and tone, setting deliverables, and including budget and timeline details.
On the other hand, a swipe file is a collection of inspirational materials, such as images, ideas, and concepts, that can help spark creativity and guide the direction of a project. The purpose of creating a swipe file is to inspire creativity, refine aesthetic, and ensure consistency in visual approach across related projects. The process of creating a swipe file involves collecting inspirational materials, organizing them, reviewing and reflecting on them, and applying them to projects as needed.
By integrating both a photography brief and a swipe file, photographers can ensure that their work is both creatively fulfilling and meets the client's expectations. For instance, the brief for the ongoing Makers project includes specific ideas for each artisan photographed, such as wide photos of the artisan in their studio/workshop, close-ups of the artisan at work, and close-ups of the artisan's tools.
These tools are not exclusively for professional photographers. A self-imposed brief can be written for casual photography outings, such as working in black and white, using a specific lens, looking for architectural details, including sun and shadow, using the square format, and aiming for a simple, bold, graphic composition. Similarly, a swipe file can be digital, such as a folder on a computer, or physical, such as a magazine clipping or a cut-out article.
In the digital age, platforms like Pinterest and Instagram allow for the creation of swipe files by pinning interesting photos to boards or saving them in collections. These tools provide a single, easy-to-access place for organizing inspirational photos, making it convenient for photographers to refer back to them when needed.
However, it's important to note that a swipe file is not intended for copying someone else's photos, but for using them as inspiration to create unique photos. A mood board, for example, is a collection of photos that convey a specific mood or feel for a shoot, and can take various digital forms.
In conclusion, whether you're a professional photographer or an amateur, the use of a photography brief and a swipe file can significantly enhance your photography journey, helping you create meaningful and impactful images that resonate with your audience.
A photographer can curate a swipe file with black and white compositions from home-and-garden magazines to refine their aesthetic and gather inspiration for their lifestyle photography projects. By combining elements from a swipe file with a photography brief that outlines compositional decisions such as using a specific lens, working in a square format, or including architectural details, photographers can deliver home-and-garden photographs that are both creatively fulfilling and appeal to their audience.
