Behind the Scenes of a Photo Shoot

Location, location, location…

The first stage of planning any shoot involves finding the perfect location to transform into our room sets.

Our Somnus collections offer a more design-led, contemporary look, which allows us to get creative and work with a stylist to build our own studio sets from scratch. This gives us the flexibility to create a clean, modern look to suit the brand.

For our Harrison Spinks collections, we are always on the hunt for the perfect home to host our shoot! The traditional, classic qualities of the brand lend themselves to the beautiful beams, intricate windows and unique features that country homes offer. Using a company called UK Locations we will look for homes with the traditional feel we want to create, as well as ensuring that the rooms are spacious and provide sufficient access for us to bring in and assemble our beds. Organising a recce before the shoot allows us to feel confident that the homes will suit our needs. This also allows us to begin planning which rooms we would like to use, and from what angle we would like to shoot from.

Preparing the brief

Once we have chosen our ideal location it is time to brief our stylist. We usually work with the same stylist for all of our shoots as she has a deep understanding of our brands and the look we would like to create. We begin by considering which headboards and bases we would like to shoot, and the fabrics in which these are to be upholstered. We then prepare a brief for the stylist including fabric swatches and photographs of the headboards and the rooms we are planning to shoot in. She will then design the room around these, using the fabric swatches for inspiration on colour schemes and choose items of furniture and props to complement these. After receiving an initial mood board, we work closely with the stylist to finalise the design and select the pieces we feel best suit the brand. It is then over to the stylist to order any items and arrange a courier to deliver and remove these after the shoot.

Handcrafting the mattresses, headboards and divans

Once the mattresses, headboards, divans, and the fabrics in which these are to be upholstered are finalised, our Sales Team key the order to be made by our highly skilled craftsmen. Each product is handcrafted to the high standards expected of every Harrison Spinks bed, using time-honoured skills and traditional bed-making methods. Delivery is then scheduled with the Transport Team, who also arrange for two members of the team to assist on the day of the shoot, moving furniture and assembling our headboards and divan bases.

On the day…

Our team arrive at the location bright and early on the day of the photo shoot, where they meet the stylist, photographer and courier. The props, furniture and of course mattresses and headboards are unloaded from the vans, whilst the photographer determines which room to shoot first depending on the natural lighting. He will then begin setting up his equipment and lights, whilst the Transport Team clear the room and bring in our chosen furniture and props. This is when we really begin to see our vision brought to life as the finishing touches are added to the rooms. No detail is too small for our stylist, who ensures that every cushion and throw is perfectly plumped and positioned.

It’s then over to our photographer to capture the perfect shot, taking a main product shot and several close-up inset shots that capture the detail of our mattresses.

A little help from Photoshop

The images from the shoot will then be sent across to our team, who make the final selection to be art worked. We want the images to look as clean as possible, so any plug sockets, cables, light switches or fire alarms will be retouched out of the photo. This is also an opportunity to make any lighting adjustments to ensure the colours of our products are accurately depicted.

Once any final retouches are made, our finished images are then ready to print in our brochures and upload to our website!