Are you a photographer looking to create the perfect mood board for your next project? Mood boards are an essential part of any photography shoot, as they help give your project a clear vision and aesthetic. Creating an eye-catching mood board can be challenging, but with the right approach and resources, it can be easy to make something that looks great.
In this blog post, we’ll provide you with an in-depth guide to creating the perfect photography mood board. We’ll discuss what goes into making one, tips for creating the best designs, and resources for finding inspiring imagery and ideas.
Creating a Mood Board Photography
Determine an aesthetic
Creating a photoshoot mood board can be an extremely beneficial exercise for any aspiring photographer. A good mood board should not only provide you with a visual representation of your aesthetic, but also a source of inspiration and motivation.
Aesthetic in photography refers to the visual representation of a photographer's style and subject matter. It includes elements such as color, texture, composition, lighting, shape, and other artistic elements.
Portrait Photography by Platon
Achieving an aesthetically pleasing photograph requires careful consideration of each element and how they interact with one another. In essence, aesthetics is about creating harmony between all the components that make up a photo.
An example of an aesthetic in photography would be a black and white imagery with high contrast lighting and stark shadows. In this style, the focus is less on color and more on composition, texture, and shape – creating a unique look that conveys emotion and depth. This type of aesthetic could be used to create a timeless photographic piece that stands out from the crowd.
Alan Schaller Black and White Photography
To start creating an effective mood board, it's important to determine the type of aesthetic you're looking to establish. Consider asking yourself questions such as: What kind of emotion do I want to evoke? What colors or tones do I prefer? What textures or patterns am I attracted to? Once these questions are answered, it's time to start gathering images and other design elements.
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Mood Board Photography Tutorial
Research & Inspiration
Research trends in other photographic projects similar to yours to gain insight into color schemes, compositions, and other elements that may be relevant to your project. Make a list of keywords related to your desired aesthetic so you can refer back to them when selecting images for your mood board.
This can be feelings like “warmth” or “melancholy.” It can also be specific to genres such as black and white photography or conceptual photography.
Annie Leibovitz Photography
Researching different photography aesthetics can be done in a variety of places. Online resources such as blogs, YouTube tutorials and social media accounts dedicated to photography can provide useful insight into what makes an aesthetically pleasing photograph.
Utilize materials like color sachets, textures, and even fashion if working with models to give a better conceptual idea of the vision of the shoot.
How to create mood board for photoshoot • Colors
Additionally, books and magazines devoted to the topic are also great sources of information. Finally, looking at the work of established photographers who specialize in certain aesthetics is a great way to understand the fundamentals of that style.
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Mood Board Photography Assembly
Assemble the mood board
Once you’ve gathered all of your materials for your mood board, it’s time to assemble. While assembling a photoshoot mood board can be done physically, there are major advantages to a digital mood board. They can easily be edited, shared, and customized.
We utilized StudioBinder’s mood board app to create our very own photography mood board example. Check it out below.
Mood Board Photography Example
While there are no hard rules to assembling a mood board for photoshoot projects there are some tips. Mood board composition is important especially when the mood board is to be used as a means of communicating or pitching a creative project. Consider grouping certain examples together into topics — patterns, color schemes, and compositions for example.
While creating a mood board for photoshoot projects may seem like a daunting task, with the help of the steps covered in this blog post, you’ll be able to assemble one that captures the desired aesthetic for your project.
Through careful selection and arrangement of visuals, you can create a photoshoot mood board that will keep your ideas aligned and serve as a reference point when taking photographs. With practice and patience, you’ll eventually develop an eye for art and be able to quickly find visuals that suit your creative needs.
Create mood boards with a template
If you’re looking for more free mood board templates look no further.
No matter what creative project you're working on, we have mood board templates for photography, film, branded content, and more. See the entire collection in our template library where you'll also find templates for shot lists, storyboards, and AV scripts.
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Up Next
Creating an Aesthetic Mood Board
Creating a photography mood board is all about finding the right imagery and composing them in an aesthetic way in your board. For more tips on creating an aesthetic mood board, check out our next article.
Up Next: Aesthetic Mood Board →
Showcase your vision with elegant shot lists and storyboards.
Create robust and customizable shot lists. Upload images to make storyboards and slideshows.
