10. Behind the Images: What Actually Goes Into Creating an Editorial Shoot?

When you look at a finished editorial photograph, it can seem effortless. You see the clothing, the lighting, the location, the expression and the final edit, but you don't necessarily see everything that happened before that photograph existed.

You don't see the conversations about the concept, the moodboard, the location search, the planning, the outfit changes, the equipment or all the little decisions that happen throughout the day. You also don't see the moments where something doesn't work and everyone has to stop, think and come up with another solution. That is all part of creating the image.

Most editorial shoots start with an idea, and sometimes that idea is very clear. You might have a strong concept, a particular outfit, a location or a specific mood you want to create. Other times it starts with something much simpler: a photograph you love, a colour combination, a piece of clothing or a general feeling that you know you want to explore.

From there, the idea has to become practical.

The styling needs to make sense. The location needs to support the concept. The lighting needs to work with the mood. The person being photographed needs to understand the direction, and everyone involved needs to have a clear idea of what the shoot is trying to achieve.

Then you actually get to the day.

Sometimes everything works exactly as planned. Other times the weather changes, the light does something completely unexpected, an outfit doesn't behave how you thought it would or an idea that looks amazing in a mood board doesn't quite translate in real life.

That's not failure. That's creative work.

The ability to adapt is part of the job. You can have a plan and still leave room for something better to happen. A change in lighting can produce a different mood. A new location can create a stronger composition. A small adjustment to the styling can completely change an image. Sometimes the photograph you didn't plan becomes the one everyone talks about afterwards.

Then comes the part that most people never see: the editing process.

A shoot can produce a large number of photographs, but that doesn't mean every frame belongs in the final gallery. Images need to be reviewed and curated carefully. Blinks are removed, accidental frames are removed, obvious blur is removed and the strongest photographs are selected before they are professionally edited and prepared for delivery.

This is why there is an important difference between a large gallery and an unedited dump of every photograph the camera captured.

A full curated gallery should still be a considered body of work. You get to see the strong usable images from your session and choose the ones you genuinely love, without being given photographs that were never good enough to begin with. That whole process is what turns an idea into a finished piece of work and this is also why I don't see editorial photography as simply pressing a button.

It is the concept, the planning, the direction, the photography, the editing and the collaboration. It is working out what to do when something changes. It is helping someone feel comfortable enough to try something different. It is taking an idea that started in someone's head and turning it into something they can actually see.

That is the part I find rewarding.

It is seeing someone arrive nervous and gradually become more confident. It is seeing a fashion student look at their finished images and finally see their work presented in the way they imagined it. It is helping someone build their first proper portfolio, or simply giving someone the opportunity to create something they never thought they would. Yes, I want you to leave with beautiful photographs. But I also want you to leave knowing that you created something.

That, to me, is the real value of an editorial experience. It isn't simply about having your photograph taken. It is about giving yourself the opportunity to explore an idea, try something different and see what happens when you are given the space and direction to create it properly.

And if you have read all ten articles and found yourself thinking, “Actually, I really want to do something like this,” then maybe the next step isn't another article.

Maybe it's time to create the idea!