Quick summary: A commercial shoot day isn’t a black box. It’s a structured 3-to-8-hour process with pre-brief, on-site setup, shooting to a specific shot list, immediate review with you, then 5-10 days of professional editing before your private gallery arrives. This page walks through exactly what happens on your shoot day.
About the photographer: Riekert Cloete has photographed commercial work in Cape Town since 2004. 500+ weddings, 130+ five-star Google reviews, 22 years behind the lens across South Africa. Based in Durbanville.
Booking a commercial shoot can feel like a black box. You brief the photographer, something happens on the day, and a folder of edited images lands in your inbox a week later. For most clients — especially first-time buyers — that’s not quite enough information to relax into the process.
This page is a look behind the curtain. What a typical shoot day actually looks like, the gear and lighting we bring, how the team works, and what happens after the shutter stops. If you’re about to book your first commercial shoot in Cape Town, read this first.
What a Typical Shoot Day Looks Like
Every commercial shoot follows a rhythm. The day before, we confirm the shot list with you — usually a short Zoom or email exchange — and I pack gear based on what we’re photographing: headshots need one setup, architecture another, product shots a third. There’s no one-size-fits-all kit.
On the day, I arrive 30 to 60 minutes ahead of the call time, scout the space, set up lighting, and test frames. By the time your team is on set, everything technical is already handled. That’s the whole idea — you focus on being present, I handle the photography.
Most shoots run three to six hours depending on scope. Headshots for a team of twelve take a morning. Full architectural walkthroughs of an office or hotel can take a full day. Events run however long the event runs, with a second shooter where needed.
The Gear, Lighting and Setup
I shoot on pro-grade Canon bodies with a matched set of fast primes and zooms, a full off-camera lighting kit (strobes, softboxes, V-flats, reflectors), and backup bodies for every shoot. No critical frame has ever been missed to equipment failure in over twenty years of commercial work.
Lighting is where commercial photography is won or lost. Available light alone rarely gives brands the polish they need — so I bring controlled light to every shoot and adapt it to the space. Low-ceiling boardroom, cavernous wind farm workshop, or bright-white medical practice — the setup changes, the quality doesn’t.
For outdoor and site shoots (energy, industrial, architecture), I add weather-sealed bodies, spare batteries, and where permitted, drone photography for aerials.
The Team
Most commercial shoots are just me. I handle the camera, the lighting, the direction, and the on-set communication with you and your team. That keeps things quiet and efficient — no production army, no unnecessary people in your space.
For larger scopes — big team headshot days, multi-location corporate events, or anything with tight parallel deadlines — I bring a trusted second shooter and an assistant. Everyone I work with has been on my bench for years. No surprises.
Editing and Delivery
Editing happens in two passes. First, a technical pass: colour, exposure, sharpness, crop. Then a creative pass: the selects you’ll actually use go through deeper retouching — skin, backgrounds, distraction cleanup, brand alignment.
You receive a private online gallery within 5 to 10 working days, depending on volume. Downloads are full-resolution and licensed for your intended commercial use. Re-edits and format variations (cropped for social, sized for print, landscape vs portrait) are included where agreed upfront.
Selected Projects
[Riekert to add: 5-10 links to best commercial BTS blog posts — wind farm, financial firm headshots, hotel architecture, medical rebrand, conference coverage, product photography, office culture, launch event, event headshot pop-up, industrial site]
See Us in Action on Your Shoot
Planning a commercial shoot in Cape Town? Get in touch to talk logistics, timelines, and what the day will look like on your side of the brief.
Request a quote | Commercial rates
Common Questions
How early do you arrive before a commercial shoot?
30 to 60 minutes ahead of call time. That time is used to scout the space, set up lighting, test frames, and confirm the shot list with you before the team is on set.
What gear do you bring to a commercial shoot?
Pro-grade Canon bodies with matched primes and zooms, a full off-camera lighting kit (strobes, softboxes, V-flats, reflectors), and backup bodies. For outdoor or site shoots, weather-sealed bodies and drone equipment where permitted.
Do you shoot alone or with a team?
Most commercial shoots are just me. For larger scopes — team headshot days of 30+ people, multi-location events, or tight parallel deadlines — I bring a trusted second shooter and an assistant. Everyone on my bench has been there for years.
How long does editing take after the shoot?
Two passes: a technical pass (colour, exposure, crop, sharpness) and a creative pass (skin, background cleanup, distraction retouching, brand alignment). Private online gallery within 5-10 working days depending on volume. Same-day hero images available as a premium deliverable for urgent PR needs.
What format are the files delivered in?
Full-resolution JPEGs, colour-corrected, with web-optimised and print-ready variants. RAW files available on request for larger commercial briefs. All files named descriptively, not IMG_4523.jpg.
What if we need more shots than originally scoped?
I build realistic buffers into quotes. If scope genuinely expands on the day — extra people, additional locations — I’ll confirm the adjustment with you on-site before continuing. No surprises post-shoot.