Photo shoot Insights
the basics to learn photography Every aspiring photographer will eventually experience a photo shoot, wherein a model poses for a photographer in various locations. It is in this activity that the photographer takes as many photographs as he can, and then carefully selecting the few, best ones for whatever purpose that the photo might serve: magazine covers, billboards, advertising campaign, and the like.
But before one starts shooting, there are five insights on photo shoots that will help (or for the seasoned, professional ones, remind) any aspiring photographer in coming up with a smooth, trouble-free photo shoot:
Insight #1: Preparation
The “mortal sin” of any photographer is coming to a photo shoot with incomplete materials needed for the shoot. This does not only create additional stress, but it also eats up a lot of necessary time (imagine running back to the studio or house to get a tripod). So, in order to prevent any mishap from happening, have everything prepared the day before. List down everything on paper that you think you might need and immediately pack your photography gear. Make sure all camera batteries are charged (don’t forget the spare batteries) and bring a camera charger just in case. Remember, it is better to bring a lot of equipment and not use all of them, rather than bring a few and realize that you need a certain material.
Insight #2: Weather check
This applied to outdoor photo shoots. In shooting outdoors, the weather plays a very important role because it affects the amount of available light that can be used by the photographer. Check the weather and if you think that it is going to rain, do not risk it. Either move the photo shoot date to a different one, or consider shooting in a studio (if possible).
Insight #3: Manipulative light
In shooting indoors, such as shooting in photography studios, all available manipulative light are there. Use each of them and maximize them: it never fails to try and try on different lights, you might actually find a light that will work on your model. Here’s a tip on lights: warm-hued lighting, such as yellow light, work great on food photography. It enhances the texture and makes the food more inviting. It also works best if you want to lessen shadows on a model’s face. Most models do not have the same type of face, some appear better on certain types of light. Experiment on these lights and use them to your advantage.
Insight #4: White Balance
In relation to insight #3, manipulating light can also be affected by a camera’s white balance. White Balance is the term used to determine the color temperature of the light used in the shot. There are different types of white balance that can affect your photograph in either a positive or negative way, as it depends on the treatment of the photographer. For black and white photography, there is a white balance setting in a DSLR camera that automatically removes the color components in the frame that allows the photographer to shoot in black and white. Pair this with a strong white light in the front and the back of the model, such as kinoflo, and you are most likely to come up with a nice black and white image. Other white balance settings are: daylight (best for outdoor photography in bright sun light), tungsten (for cool-themed photo shoots), shade and many more. These names usually vary, depending on the model of the camera but it is advised that you try out all types of white balancing in order to bring out the color in the image.
A tip on this: Never settle for the automatic white balance setting, because your photograph will not achieve its maximum color potential if it is limited by the automatic white balance setting of the camera. Using this setting all the time will produce a photograph that is too much of one color.
Insight #5: Props for use
Lastly, use props. In pre-nuptial photo shoots, couples are themed with samurai swords, angel wings, and more, depending on the theme that the clients asked for. These props not only add extra elements to your photographs: they also help provide a variety that prevents any photograph from looking similar to the other photographs. Remember, in a photo shoot, a lot of shots will be taken but only a few will be selected, so it is best to have different options.
Lastly, have fun! Shooting photo shoots is fun, whatever the task maybe: whether it is a wedding photo shoot, or a baby’s first photo shoot, it will always be fun-filled and at the same time, you get to practice your craft and hone your skills in photography.
