Editorial photography is typically found in publications, such as fashion or journalism. These images captivate a mood, theme, and often align with a story being told. These shoots often take time, as there is significant creative direction involving the fashion, setting and poses. Everything, from hair, makeup, to clothing, is carefully chosen for the model.

The iPhone 16 Pro is exceptional at capturing photography, but utilizing gear will take your photos to the next level.

The creator grip is perfect for capturing more stabilized shots and provides an ergonomic grip for long shoots, especially if you want the freedom to move around for unique angles.

A tripod is perfect for attaching the creator grip and maintaining consistent angles. It also ensures the highest level of stability. Most editorial shoots involve portraits, and using a tripod helps avoid blur or unnecessary movement.

Attachable filters can elevate shots by providing various colored tints or an airbrush effect. The retro filter we used in this shoot gives a warm, golden tint for a vintage, filmic vibe, while merging diffusion and polarization qualities.

Filters provide on-site editing, while a lens can improve overall image quality, provide optical zoom or ultra-wide shots.

One aspect of editorial photography that sets it apart from other areas of photography is its reliance on natural lighting. It creates an authentic look, which added lighting often diminishes.

When choosing a location, pay attention to the time of day, as golden hour or even blue hour can create certain moods. Lighting fixtures in public spaces can also be a great way to enhance natural lighting.

Prepping for an editorial shoot is fun because it allows you to get creative with what you want to capture. This is the most important part of the shoot, as you're deciding on many factors that would be difficult to change on the day of the shoot.

As we walk through the process, we'll use our latest SANDMARC shoot as an example:

1. Choose a concept: The first step for an editorial shoot is to create a concept. Ask yourself: What is the overall mood? What is the theme of the photoshoot?

Example: For our photoshoot, we wanted to capture a vintage aesthetic.

2. Create a mood board: A mood board helps you brainstorm location preferences, wardrobe, and overall lighting for the shoot.

Example: For our photoshoot, since we chose a vintage theme, we focused on the 1950s. This led us to think of locations with a 1950s aesthetic, like diners. For the wardrobe, we opted for a preppy style, similar to the movie Grease. We used the SANDMARC Retro Filter to create a warm tint with a slight glow, complementing the vintage aesthetic.

The use of natural lighting is evident in the images, as the diner in the hotel features warmer lighting fixtures, while In-N-Out has cooler lighting. If you want to tweak the natural lighting, the iPhone 16 Pro offers a whole array of new photographic styles you can apply to your photos.

3. Scout for locations: Finding a location can be hard if you aren't familiar with your shoots location. The best thing to do is to go through Yelp, or Google search the aesthetic you are looking for.

Example: We needed to find locations with a diner aesthetic in our area. We chose the classic In-N-Out and a local boutique hotel that has a diner.We would have searched '50s diners', 'classic diners near me', or 'retro diners'.

Editorial photography can open up many opportunities in the world of photography. Like any form of photography, it takes time to get into a good flow, from brainstorming to directing on the day of the shoot. We hope this guide serves as a great jump-start on your journey into editorial photography.

Happy shooting!