Strong imagery underpins everything from social media and website banners to emails, ads and product launches and great content is the result of thoughtful planning.
Knowing when to shoot is just as important as what you’re shooting so here’s our seasonal, easy-to-follow breakdown of when you should be planning and executing your brand’s photoshoots throughout the year, including key dates, holidays and ideal moments for bulk content creation.
As a rule of thumb:
Campaign imagery needs to be shot 6–10 weeks before launch.
Bulk Social content can to be shot 4–6 weeks before publishing.
To stay ahead, work 1–2 seasons ahead.
That’s why big brands shoot:
• Christmas in summer
• Spring in winter
• Autumn in high summer
With this in mind here is your year-in-content, so you can see at a glance what to capture and when.
January content starts landing from Boxing Day onwards. To avoid scrambling after the holidays, your New Year visuals should be completed before Christmas.
Think: clean palettes, fresh starts, organisation motifs, wellness and “reset” energy.
Valentine’s content enters feeds by mid-January, so early January shoots are essential. Great for: gifting, beauty, fragrance, cosy winter tones and self-care narratives.
Social platforms start shifting into “spring mode” from late February.
Shooting now gives you time to edit and schedule fresh, bright visuals with lighter palettes, greenery and new-season product drops.
Depending on the date of Easter, audiences begin engaging with spring gifting 3–4 weeks ahead.
Capture: pastel tones, florals, tablescapes, baking, family-friendly themes.
Summer content starts earlier than many expect. Shooting in late March and April ensures your sunlit, warm-weather imagery is ready for bank holidays, early launches and seasonal social content.
By May, people are already searching for outdoor inspiration, bright palettes and warm lifestyle content.
Shoot now to lock in: garden and poolside scenes, terrace moments, bright kitchens, fresh food imagery, summer product shoots. Check out some of our locations with killer pools here.
June offers dependable light and milder temperatures, making it ideal for lifestyle shoots. Perfect for banks of relaxed, warm social-first content that feels effortless and lived-in.
This is one of the biggest misconceptions: autumn content must be shot in summer.
Consumers expect autumn energy from late August – think warm neutrals, cosy textures, seasonal food, reset routines and early autumn styling.
Christmas is the earliest shoot window of them all.
Gifting guides drop in October, Black Friday prep begins in September, and festive content lands early November.
Shoot now to capture: wrapping scenes, tablescapes, winter warmth, gifting, evergreen foliage and cosy textures.
Think slow living, comfort, candlelight, rich colours and cosy home routines.
By the time December arrives, all content should already be scheduled.
Plan ahead by capturing clean, minimal, fresh imagery that sets the tone for the year ahead — before the holiday rush.
Alongside seasonal campaigns, every business should plan a monthly content day for:
• Reels and TikToks
• Product top-ups
• Behind-the-scenes snippets
• B-roll
• Founder moments
• Seasonal micro-moments
Lifestyle studios and styled homes work beautifully here – multiple backdrops, consistent lighting, and a calm environment that keeps your brand aesthetic cohesive.
Planning and shooting early gives you:
• Time for editing, approvals and scheduling
• Space to build multi-channel campaigns
• The ability to respond creatively — not reactively
• Consistency across your feeds, newsletters and ads
• Confidence heading into busy seasons (especially Q4)
And most of all: no more last-minute panic shoots.
Styled homes help you work ahead because they offer:
• Multiple scenes in one place
• Consistent natural light
• Curated, design-led rooms
• Space to capture a month’s worth of content in a single day
• A backdrop that elevates your product, not competes with it
This is why creators, brands and small businesses increasingly treat styled locations as an essential part of their marketing toolkit.
Working ahead isn’t just about being organised – it’s about giving your brand the breathing room it needs to show up consistently and creatively. When you shoot early, you free yourself from last-minute scrambles and gain the confidence of knowing your campaigns are polished, intentional and ready to perform.
If you’d like support choosing a location or planning shoot timings, we’re always here to help. Just send us your brief and we’ll curate the perfect shortlist for your next campaign.
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