The Job of a Unit Stills Photographer

A collection of quotes that best describe what a unit stills photographer is and what goes into this very specialized on-set job within the film and tv industry.

“Unit stills photography is photography that provides the images used in the PR campaigns of feature films, TV show and commercials. The images that you see when trying to decide what to watch on Netflix, Disney+, HBO ? A still photographer took those. The photos accompanying articles in Entertainment Weekly, Dead Line and Total Film about the latest movies? You aren’t seeing screen grabs, a still photographer took those too.” Aimee Spinks

“There’s been a still photographer on film sets since 1915.”

“The irony of being a film stills photographer, is that your images can be some of the most widely published on the planet, but hardly anyone even knows that your job even exists. The most common response to the question of what I do when I explain it to people, is “I thought those pictures just came from the film?”  Nooo! They come from a photographer on set, taking photographs of the action both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. The images are used to market the film, tv show, documentary, short film. They are used in articles and reviews, as a streaming thumbnail, on posters and billboards, and increasingly on social media campaigns. In other words, around the world on multiple platforms.

The key thing about a film stills photographer though, is that you can’t interfere with the filming process. The priority on set is for the cast and crew to get their shots made, ideally on time, so while your images are important to the marketing process further down the line,  they don’t take precedence on the day. So that means as a photographer on set, you must work around the crew as harmoniously as you can, cooperating with the crew, sharing often limited space, and creating an understanding with the actors. ” Nicole Dove’s words

“Duties: The unit stills photographer has no direct supervisor on set, but is responsible to the unit publicist for delivering several hundred photos for each full day of shooting. The photographer works closely with the director and cinematographer to ensure that each take can be photographed without interference to filming and often depends on the cooperation of the grips, boom operators, camera assistant, and camera operator to allow her space to work. It is preferable to capture scene stills during the take, but when necessary, the unit stills photographer can arrange for scenes to be posed with the cast. Most often photographers on set must shoot with whatever lighting (natural or artificial) is determined by the director of photography and gaffer; rarely will the photographer be afforded the luxury of setting her own lighting.” Bruce Bisbey on LinkedIn

“Unit Stills Photographers take the vitally important photographs of film sets or studio shoots that are used to create the press and publicity for feature films. These arresting images, if they are used well, can genuinely contribute to a film’s box office and international sales success. Unit Stills Photographers usually work on set, recording scenes from the film; alternatively, they may be required to set up photographs in the style of the film in a studio environment.

On-Set Photographers are employed on a freelance basis, by producers, film PR companies (Publicists) or distributors, and usually combine unit stills work with a variety of other professional stills photography (portraiture, travel, editorial, film festivals and special events).” Media Match