This January, Squareshot celebrated its 7-year anniversary. Throughout our operational years, we’ve been focused on disrupting the product photography business through increased predictability, a quick booking process, and pricing that makes planning ahead attainable. 

Across our time on the market, we’ve been tempted to expand into other services, potentially jeopardizing our journey towards building a truly convenient way to get product shots. So, we’ve made an internal commitment that we won’t layer additional visual content production services until we have the confidence that our operational and software structure can support it without compromises.

Today, for the first time since Squareshot launched in 2017, we have that confidence and, with great pleasure, announce the addition of Model Photography to our portfolio.

“Our vision is clear – to be the final destination for contemporary visual content typically used by growing fashion and lifestyle brands, such as model, creative, and catalog product photography”, says Alex Davidovich, Squareshot’s CEO.

With the launch of our fully productized model photography service this week, we are one step closer to our goal. Squareshot can handle two crucial types of content for your brand: catalog and model photography. Both services are powered by an excellent user experience, responsive customer support, and are priced per image.

WHAT SQUARESHOT BRINGS TO MODEL PHOTOGRAPHY

When working on the launch of model photography, we encountered a great deal of operational uncertainty. The process is complicated itself: a multitude of talents, hour rates, challenges in scheduling, rights negotiations, and more. All of this comes with risk. What is the chance that something goes wrong?

“While putting together the service, we’ve noticed just how many moving parts model shoots have. I thought to myself, if, at times, even we can feel overwhelmed, how do smaller brands feel when trying to handle this on their own? I knew that we had to make the service as brand-friendly as possible,” commented Pylyp Sukhenko, Squareshot’s Growth Manager.

Let’s see what the change itself is and how brands can benefit from it.

SIMPLICITY OF BOOKING

The beauty of the booking process is that its step-by-step nature streamlines how brands think about their shoots. If you can go through these relatively simple 6 steps, the rest of layers on top of it organically. In terms of time spent, building a full-on model shoot is now comparable to making yourself a cup of coffee, not growing the beans that it's made of. Let's take a look at them in detail.

1. Provide your models or request Squareshot to cast them for you: delegate the headaches of model casting, contracting, and scheduling to us.
2. Choose the most fitting to your product image type: (un) recognizable or hand model, so your product is presented in the best possible way. 
3. Customize usage rights for recognizable shots according to your campaign needs.
4. Add model preferences (for Squareshot castings): state model characteristics that best match with your brand.
5. Specify the quantity of models you plan to see in the shoot, and select preferences if there are so.
6. Decide if you prefer Squareshot to help with the outfits creation or you will be providing them on your own.

Finally, choose the number of images required and whether your products will require fitting. And that’s it! Model photography has never been that simple before.

PREDICTABILITY OF PROCESS & PRICING

Historically, on model photography has been perceived as an unpredictable service due to a number of creative and operational variables. We've identified these variables and provided brands with levers to control them, leaving no space for unaddressed questions that may derail the production process.

Additionally, the traditional approach of pricing model shoots by hour made it a nightmare to budget ahead. So, we've priced the service per image giving brands the flexibility to control their spending.

HOW THE MODEL SERVICE WILL EVOLVE

The launch of model photography service is just one of many steps we will be taking this year to expand our service portfolio. In the near future, brands can look forward to an expanded model directory and more digital tools to build their shoots. Additionally, you can expect improvements in minimum order policies and more favorable usage rights terms. Looking to improve your existing model photography process or try it out for the first time? Why not start today.