{"id":9691,"date":"2022-05-18T06:52:24","date_gmt":"2022-05-18T06:52:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kdanmobile.com\/blog\/?p=9691"},"modified":"2023-04-11T03:35:54","modified_gmt":"2023-04-11T03:35:54","slug":"how-to-make-a-photography-mood-board","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kdan.com\/blog\/how-to-make-a-photography-mood-board","title":{"rendered":"How To Make A Photography Mood Board In 10 Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mood boards<\/a> are one of the most powerful creative tools an artist can use, especially when it comes to planning a visual project such as a photography shoot!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re working on your own, with a team of fellow creatives, or helping a client bring the concept of their dreams to life, a photography mood board is the perfect starting point for consolidating ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below, we\u2019ll tell you exactly why a photography mood board is useful and how you can easily create one as you plan your next creative project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How Is a Mood Board Useful for Photographers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When clients come to photographers like you for help on an upcoming shoot, they\u2019re trusting you to use your artistic eye and technical skills to execute their ideas. Sometimes, a client has a vision in their head that they find difficult to express with words. Other times, they may be able to articulate their ideas, but they might not have a clear visual concept in mind. In both of these instances, collaborating on a photography mood board can help form concise ideas and get clear on the creative details. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who work outside of an artistic field may struggle to \u201csay what they see,\u201d more or less, leaving you with a few different ways to bridge the communication gap. One option is to take a more verbal approach, asking what ideas appeal to them (\u201cpastels,\u201d \u201csoftness,\u201d \u201chard lines,\u201d and combining images that fit these descriptions until you\u2019ve constructed a board you agree upon. For those who are more visually oriented, scrolling through collections of popular photos<\/a> on sites such as Pinterest, Pexels, and even Google Images to collect your elements may be more fruitful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working as a creative team alongside your client to create a mood board will allow you both to stay on the same page and reduce the possibility of surprises and misunderstandings that make the project fall behind schedule. You can both show up to the shoot with the same end goal in mind, which allows you to streamline the process and prevent re-shoots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Keep Your Photography Ideas Organized<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Organization is key when it comes to creating an effective photography mood board with a clear visual direction. There are several ways to keep each project organized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may group images in folders, based on the time at which they were shot. This approach makes referencing a breeze as it is easy to look back on previous photoshoots for inspiration, the concept they revolve around, or any number of categories. Your decision all comes down to what will be most helpful for your creative process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to creating a mood board folder, you can also use tags to organize your photographs. You may tag photos based on their ideas that are relevant to each other, using several tags on each. An effective tagging system will allow you to group similar photographs, which can be helpful in driving your creative direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Create a Professional Mood Board for Photography Clients<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When building a mood board with clients, it\u2019s important to work together as a team of creatives. You can get a clear idea of the concepts your client has in mind by using a client questionnaire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your client can easily articulate what they want, placing their words directly on an inspiration board alongside relevant visual elements is a great way to show them how their ideas can come to life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may even choose to collaborate with your client directly on physical boards for a hands-on experience. However, there are also many online tools to create stunning digital mood boards. Many of these options even include a built-in image library for endless inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Crop Your Images In Different Ways<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When combining a collection of images to build a photography mood board, your creative composition is extremely important. Part of finding the perfect composition for your mood board comes down to how you crop images. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How you crop images will determine which elements of your photography mood board demand the most attention. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Consider cropping photos of your subject using the rule of thirds<\/a>, and when using a reference photo, experiment with croppings to find one that best emphasizes the most inspiring element. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Evaluate Different Color Swatches<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Color<\/a> is one of the most valuable elements to consider when building your photography mood board, from background colors to accents.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The right color scheme can evoke a desired reaction, such as sadness or joy, from your audience. As you work with your client, make sure to ask them what emotion they want to tap into with their project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From there, give them some insight into relevant color theory concepts, providing resources like color charts, schemes, and swatches. Discuss how different color relationships can play into the project as a whole and curate the desired result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Experiment With Different Lens Styles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The right lens, along with the camera body, can make all the difference in curating your client\u2019s ideal creative vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different lenses and camera bodies will garner different results. For example, some options work best for producing artistic, beautiful images, while others are meant for filming videos. If you\u2019re going for more of an Instagram mood, your client may even opt for an iPhone camera!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contexts like the amount of light you\u2019ll be using on the shoot will also help determine which lens and body will work best. Explain to your client that elements like apertures and depth of fields will also play a role in the final result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Help your client understand the effects of different lenses by presenting them with a group or collage of photos for several different options. You can also both look to resources like designer lookbooks for additional inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few different lens styles<\/a> to consider include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n