How to Photograph a Retail Store: A Guide for Retail Store Photographers
It’s been more than 10 years since we started photographing luxury retail and department stores around the world. Combining elements of design and architecture with consumer behavior and the shopping experience is magical and requires a lot of attention to detail.
Bringing Customers In
Online shopping is convenient, fast, and requires just a few clicks to complete a purchase. However, nothing replaces the real experience of visiting stores, seeing and touching products, and enjoying a good time out. Our goal is to reflect this experience, the design, and the offerings, setting the right expectations for your customers.
The Impact on Revenue
Featuring great pictures of your store brings many benefits to your customers. Exterior images help them recognize the location, while interior shots help them understand the layout and the selection of products available to them.
Preparation for a Retail Store Photoshoot
For pristine execution, we must prepare the store for the photoshoot day. Here are some main points to follow:
- Organization: Ensure the store is organized according to company planograms.
- Cleanliness: Clean the store 30 minutes before the photoshoot, focusing on displays, mirrors, and elements where fingerprints can be seen.
- Signage: Remove all “sale,” “new,” or any other temporary signage to make sure the pictures are timeless.
Timeline
It is essential to mention that most stores are photographed right after closing time or before opening to minimize disturbance to customers. Depending on the size and number of visuals, it usually takes around 4 hours to capture both the inside and outside. Some luxury brands or large department stores may take a full day to several days, depending on the desired result.
Exterior and Interior
We usually start with exterior photos. It is important to tell the story from the outside in, allowing customers to recognize the store once they have seen the images. Moving to the interior, it’s important to capture several overall visuals that represent the layout and the overall mood and feel of the space. If needed, capture different sections to showcase the variety of products available. Remember, before visiting your boutique store, consumers don’t know how big or what type of products this specific location offers.
Large Scale Projects
We work with many companies and brands across Europe and the USA. The visibility must look similar across all stores photographed to keep the identity and visuality cohesive. We understand that capturing multiple boutiques can be challenging and time-consuming for brand managers. As an agency, we support them with project management, coordination, and execution of large-scale projects as part of our services.
Photo List
- 1x Exterior
- 1x Optional Exterior at an angle
- 2-3x Overall look and feel
- 2-4x Sections or Departments
This covers the average retail store size with 6-8 final pictures.
Checklist
- Coordinate with the store manager (date & time)
- Ensure the space is ready per your guidelines
- Confirm if a photo permit is needed; inform the mall or center if required
- Double-check that windows, glass, and mirrors are cleaned
- Identify who will sign off that the space is ready to start shooting
Inspiration
We invite you to be inspired by our retail photography portfolio.