On Location with Monty Milburn: Apparel and Product Photography
Five locations, Five days, a production crew, and one photographer.
Our recent shoot for Cintas’ general marketing materials was a great example of experienced professionals putting their best foot forward on location. Shooting in everything from industrial facilities to retirement communities over five days while maintaining consistency of look and feel is a challenge. It always came down to having a well-organized production.
Leading the shoot was Monty Milburn, who has been working alongside Cintas’ marketing team for more than 20 years. His energetic attention to detail and willingness to dive in headfirst turn shoots like this into an enjoyable experience with every location. Willing to wedge himself into tough spaces, such as between two industrial work tables, to get the right shot is one characteristic that makes him ideal for this work.
His seasoned ability to quickly figure out the perfect lighting and composition allows a brisk pace to be kept on set. No shots were missed and no delays happened over the five days.
His team included a producer, wardrobe stylist, make-up stylist, production assistant, digital tech, photography assistant, models, craft services, a marketing team from Cintas in front and behind the scenes of every photo. Teams like this allowed everyone to collaborate and enhance the photos being taken.
For example, see the interesting before and after style photos of this model. This kind of imagery can go far in marketing materials to help connect with their customers who have different needs but similar facilities.
Keeping the team moving smoothly always comes down to having an organized Production Document and crew. The document mapped each person’s schedule, models, props, and locations. This creates a process or system which Monty uses to lead a shoot. Off-set the wardrobe stylist, make-up stylists, and production team can be prepping every item on the list and the models for the next session. Once one scene was completed it was easy then to move onto the next location and swap out models, wardrobes, and products.
After the production was completed and files delivered, Cintas was ready for its upcoming marketing campaigns. The wide variety of environments provided a backdrop that clearly shows the versatility of their products and services.
