Since we’ll be shooting in the workspace of the small business owners, the casting process also takes on the importance of location selection.

This is not only a question of the layout and decor, but we’ll also be thinking about the technical aspects of the shoot and especially the lighting.

The ideal locations will already have great natural light. That will allow us to shoot with more of an editorial approach. Rather than production heavy lighting setups that require us to move lots of light stands and equipment for every new angle, we’ll have the fluidity to move through our subjects space, inviting them to show us many different aspects of what they do, and keeping them feeling loose and light.

Small business now happens in even more spaces than ever—particularly thinking of more recent WFH scenarios—and we should aim for this library to tell that story

An important consideration of this shoot is that we are shooting real people, not actors. Their level of comfort and ease will be a significant factor in the outcome.

This starts well before the shoot. We’ll aim to have several touch points with our subjects before the shoot. This could range from video chat as we prep for the shoot to an in person tech scout prior to the shoot. Every chance to build rapport with the subject will add to the success of the shoot.

We’ll be on the lookout for small things we can plan to increase the authenticity. Can we have a real life/biggest fan customer drop by for part of the shoot? Can we capture them working on a real work in progress project?

We will keep our footprint in their space minimal, which will help keep them feeling authentic, loose and natural.

We’ll keep as much as possible of the team outside the space—most likely in a nearby motorhome/basecamp (and ideally not right in front of their business) while a smaller team goes into the business for the actual shoot.

We’ll schedule the day with more than one window of shooting. The first window will be to shoot a wide variety of shots, experiment, and create rapport with our subject.

We’ll have music on, playing a Spotify station based on the music taste of our subject. This first pass is a time to experiment and have fun 💃.

After the first window of shooting, we’ll review the images while our subject takes a break.

We’ll already have some great images at this stage, but it’s also an opportunity to creatively discuss what we want to do on the second round. It’s also a chance to share the imagery shot so far with anyone who will be joining the shoot only remotely.

Perhaps we see a scenario that was wonderful, but that could benefit from a little bit of extra love from our lighting team. Or we’ll see a great scene that we want to shoot with attention towards a particular comp or layout.

The second round of shooting is a chance to go in and polish and refine what we shot earlier, as well as to shoot new imagery that comes to mind during our brainstorm.

We’ll be casting subjects because we’re excited to shoot the most authentic version of who they are. But we’ll still have a full team on hand to make refinements and tweaks on the shoot day.

Our wardrobe stylist will coordinate with them before the shoot to pull clothes from the subjects wardrobe… Yet we’ll still have additional options of their own. Our hair and makeup team will refine and polish our subjects look, based on how they naturally style themselves. And we’ll have a lighting team who will be able to re-create natural, authentic light for the shots and angles where it’s necessary.

This shoot is particularly exciting to me considering my background in photography.

I got my start as a photojournalist, shooting for publications like the Denver Post, The Albuquerque Journal and The Village Voice. Today I still shoot editorial assignments for publications like The New York Times.

What I loved about being a photojournalist is the license it gives you to be curious, explore the world, and tell other people’s stories. That is of course, a huge component of this shoot for and something that I am particularly excited about.

One of my favorite things about photography is its collaborative nature. I love working with a brand and creative team to discover how their message can be translated through my lens.

For me American Express has always been a brand that made a special point of serving and promoting the small business community, and has done so in a way that really sets them apart from their competitors.

I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to shoot one smaller project for American Express. As the conversation about this shoot continues, I’ll be excited to dive even deeper into the DNA of the American Express brand, the goals and direction you have for the future of the brand, and the way these images can be another chapter in a long history of brand equity that has been developed with the small business community.