Reflecting on 2024, we realized we have even more to share than in our previous article. Below are the "top 5" achievements, insights, challenges, and more.

Top 5 brands

We appreciate cooperating with big brands because we are growing, and the level of brands that come to us emphasizes this. We are especially happy to share the following partnerships as these are the ones we can talk about because all the others are under NDA:

1. Whoop returned to us this September with a request for a comprehensive shoot to consistently capture the entire product line. To do this, they conducted a test shoot that included all types of photos: flat lay, model, and close-up shots. Daily rates came in handy because we could combine different types of photos in the studio in a short time.
2. Wyn Beauty mixes product and creative photos and always opts for a studio presence, which is our main advantage for them. We always shoot with an in-studio presence and adapt to requests to achieve their unique creative vision.
3. Ubeauty comes to us for hero shots. They often submit requests close to a certain date so we meet their deadline requirements.
4. Sweetgreen was launching merchandise, so we photographed the products completely for the PDPs (product detail page).
5. Universal Music contacted us to photograph an extensive clothing line for Bravado that was designed to create customized merchandise.

Photos: Squareshot

Top 5 projects

We would like to share the top 5 projects that were challenging and creative. Through these projects, we identified areas for growth, tested the team's flexibility and adaptability, and ultimately delivered results on time.

1. Vervazi LLC was preparing to launch a fragrance brand on Shopify and required high-quality images for their online store. We did a detailed job of preparing props, coordinating the team, and holding a test call with production members. This allowed us to identify additional needs and order everything on time. As Anastasia (our producer) said:

I think the success of this project really shows in the fact that we didn’t get any edits for such non-standard pictures.

2. The main challenge of this project for Comme Si was organizing a 2-model project within a really tight deadline. The task was also to go beyond standard model e-commerce images (like front, back, and side) and be more creative with the poses. We lacked the chosen background, some clothing, and confirmation of details until the evening before, but backup plans covered potential issues. Ultimately, we gained valuable experience with a large team, a client on set, a freelance photographer, and tons of amazing photos.
3. This wasn’t our first collaboration with The House of LR&C, but communication was challenging due to specific creative requirements that needed detailed preparation. They provided their own stylist, props, and sets for this project while we supplied the studio, photographer, and equipment. Post-production of this project took several months. During this time, we went through multiple stages of revisions and retouched the photos to deliver exactly the result the client was expecting.
   While the process was complex, we’re grateful for the experience, which helped us refine our approach and develop our current daily rate system to better serve clients with custom creative requests.
4. This was a modeling project with a client, Contessa Mills, who was referred through our affiliate program. Their experienced in-house producer made the collaboration smooth and productive. Initially, we calculated a per-image rate but shifted to a daily rate, reducing the cost by 30%. We conducted multiple castings and fittings to meet their precise model requirements and shot 26 outfits in one day. The result was 350 images with basic retouching, making it our biggest model project yet.
5. This was our largest studio project for Bella Canvas, a brand by our regular client, Alo Yoga. The brand requested that we photograph a wide range of apparel units. The shoot lasted 30 days, sometimes across two sets simultaneously, and involved three photographers. In the end, we got 950 images.

Photos: Squareshot

Top 5 achievements

In the 2024 Squareshot Recap, we shared our big moments with you. Here are the main points from the list.

1. 400 clients discovered and partnered with Squareshot this year — from new, emerging, and mature brands to agencies. 66% of those clients returned to us for additional projects within the same year.
2. 50 brands became Squareshot members this year.
3. We delivered 99% of projects on time, thanks to our incredible Production team.
4. Our brilliant Customer Support team achieved an impressive 20-minute average response time.
5. Launched our Model Photography service, offering various options such as full-body, foot, or hand model shoots.

Top 5 challenges

Our team has faced many challenges over the past year. It was an intense journey that gave us many new development ideas. Here are the top 5 problems we recognized and how we dealt with them.

1. Per-image pricing is not a 'one-size-fits-all' solution. We learned that per-image doesn't work well for clients with unclear scope or those who want to participate during the shoot. That’s why we introduced daily rates. Now, we have a clear separation of services: per image for clear projects and daily rates for those who want to experiment. Here, you can learn more about it.
2. Some clients wanted to participate in per-image shoots, so we introduced remote and in-studio approvals, which only created more problems. The response time during remote approvals was longer than we expected, the scope of work dynamically changed during the shoot, and some clients were not happy with the “raw/unretouched” images because they were unaware of how images may change after post-production. So, considering the insight from Challenge 1 and Challenge 2 - we decided to combine Remote/In-studio approvals with Daily rates.
3. Clients are unfamiliar with much of what we provide. We create many new offers and features but don’t share this information on our platforms. To solve that, we rebuilt the content department from the ground up to strengthen our communications and improve our social media presence.
4. The pre-production timeline is extended due to project refinements. To address this, we are adding more tools so clients can provide us with the information they need faster. We are also reducing the total number of steps required to implement a project with us. The new flow is to be out soon.
5. Finding reliable models was a major challenge throughout the year. Agencies were inconsistent, with unclear and fluctuating pricing, making it hard to offer fixed rates to clients. To resolve this, we took charge of hunting, casting, and signing contracts ourselves, building a dependable model base.

Photo: Squareshot

Top 5 things we appreciate

We asked our Production Team what they most appreciate in Squareshot. Based on their answers, we can define these points:

1. The efficiency of production and post-production crews
2. Client’s trust
3. Execution-first team (We launched daily rates on the website just two days after the idea, and  now the version with Half-day and Quarter-day options is out)
   *As a side note, new options were accidentally added to the live website version. Instead of removing them, the development team quickly adjusted the data transfer structure, allowing the services to go live ahead of schedule.‍
4. The team's commitment to deliver a great result
5. Ability to innovate

We’d like to share some words of gratitude from our team members.

Kate Kutuzova, Photo Producer:

I appreciate a lot our production and post-production crews and how they are knowledgeable and detail-oriented. They always make sure that they understand the guidelines and get the job done cohesively and consistently:)
I value clients who trust us and those brave ones who bring us their products to co-create something unique.

Alina Sverdelko, Account Manager:

I’m grateful for everyone’s dedication and support as our team grows and the workload balances out, allowing us to focus and achieve the best results. I love seeing new ideas and technical upgrades quickly adopted, making our process smoother and clearer.

Anna Chorna, Operations Manager:

I appreciate our team’s commitment. We may have different visions, but everyone has one goal — to get a great result. This atmosphere helps build and improve things a lot.

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Top 5 trends we see

1. Emphasis on simplicity and natural visuals — similar to the shift away from over-retouched models in magazines, the product industry is now following this trend.

Photo: Squareshot

2. Refined floating look for flat-lay images, creating the impression of clothes ‘in the air.’
3. Enhanced content variety, including editorial/lifestyle photos, videos, and custom setups for unique productions. Integration of diverse content types within a single project.

Photo: Squareshot

4. Requests for video content remain the trend in the content production industry, especially when it comes to short product videos and UGC content.
5. AI-enhanced content creation as AI tools streamline post-production with plugins, improve file management through image tagging, and support creativity by generating ideas, building mood boards, and creating scenes. They save time and enhance workflows.

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