How do we work?
1. We start with a conversation to generally establish your needs and expectations, the specifics of the business, the volume of work, the deadlines and budget for the filming.
2. We prepare together or you provide us with as specific a creative task as possible, in which the requirements for the photos that we need to take for you are defined. It is our starting point and is an extremely important step to ensure that we meet your requirements exactly. The assignment must include at least the following information: number of photos per product or dish, orientation of photos, purpose of photos and/or desired resolution, requirements for colors used, props, information on target audience and image style, compositions with or no empty space to add texts etc. It is very helpful if you provide us with photos from your previous campaigns or other photos that you like for visual reference.
3. We prepare you an individual offer based on the creative assignment and agree on the schedule and deadlines for implementation. Timescales depend on the number of images desired, the studio's and client's workload, and the need to secure specific props for the shoot. Upon acceptance of the offer, we sign a contract for photographic services based on the creative assignment and prepare a list of the images to be captured.
4.1. When shooting the products in the studio of Symmetry Photography, You hand over or ship the products to us according to the agreed schedule, and we take care of procuring the necessary props for the photos. Products that are not perishable (e.g. unwrapped food and drinks) are returned to you after they have been photographed.
4.2. When filming meals and drinks or other products at the client's premises, we come to you according to the agreed schedule, and you are required to provide us with a suitable space to work.
5. After shooting your products or food and drinks according to the prepared list, we process the images according to the creative assignment and provide them to you via an access link. We only provide processed images according to the creative assignment. We do not provideraw files. We reserve the right to publish individual images as part of our portfolio, unless expressly stated otherwise in the contract (eg if you are taking test shots before a product is officially launched).
What do our services include?
Symmetry Photography offers professional product, food and beverage photography for manufacturers, commercial and restaurant owners. Our services include:
1. Selection and, if necessary, supply of appropriate props and backgrounds that will contribute to the best presentation of the product in accordance with the requirements in the creative assignment. We have a variety of decor and background items and their use is included in the price of the service. In the case of project-specific decors and props requested by the client, with whichSymmetry Photography does not have, the cost of their purchase will be added to the cost of the service, after which they will be handed over to you, together with the captured products. The cost of props, which at the request of the customer are destroyed in the process of their use, will also be added to the cost of the service.
2. Preparing the set and product for filming - this usually involves cleaning the product thoroughly, removing labels that don't need to be seen, arranging the stage and lights.
3. Photographing the products in accordance with the requirements in the creative assignment - when necessary with variants, for example, from a different shooting angle, with a different orientation of the photo, combinations of products, etc.
4. Processing of the photos according to the creative assignment - cropping in accordance with their purpose (for websites, e-commerce platforms, facebook, instagram etc.), cleaning up minor blemishes, basic image adjustments for brightness and contrast, etc.
5. Uploading the photos to an online album that you will have private access to, where you can download the processed images. No files are provided inraw format.
Our services do not include design and printing of advertising materials and creation of web sites.
What is required from your side?
Your role in the shooting process is extremely important to the final result. First of all, you know your products and customers best, you know what they like and what they don't. You also know what message you want to send with the photos.
Therefore, we want to emphasize again how important it is that you give us clear and specific creative brief - for us it is like the blueprint according to which we have to build the house. It tells us exactly how you want the photos to look.
The other most important element are the products or food themselves, that we need to capture. There is no way one can take a picture of a withered flower and make it look like a fresh, just-bloomed flower. Therefore, it is very important that the products we will use for the photos have an impeccable appearance - no crumpled or scratched packaging, detached or crooked labels, etc.
Therefore, we ask you, when preparing the products that you will send us for photography, to select the products and pack them in such a way that we receive them in the best possible appearance. Even if some minimal defects can be corrected during photo processing, not everything can be changed, and this also takes additional time and makes the service more expensive.
When photographing dishes and cocktails, the time in which they look fresh and appetizing is very short. Most often we only have a few minutes, after which they begin to wilt, melt, the foam and fizz disappear. That's why it's important to prepare everything right when we're ready to shoot it. It is also very often necessary to use non-edible elements in the arrangement of some dishes, for example burgers, sandwiches or soups, in order to show all their layers or contents. This means that the dishes we will shoot will not be able to be served to customers of the restaurant afterwards, but will be prepared solely for the purpose of the photoshoot. Therefore, it is necessary for you to choose the most convenient time and space for the photos, when the chef or bartender who will prepare the dishes and drinks will be available and the shooting process will not interfere with the work of the establishment.