Saturday, December 5, 2009

Top 10 things for a great shoot

10. Build rapport with the model quickly. Gain trust and and make a connection. Hell, go ahead and flirt with your model a little. Chemistry between photographer and model is important!

9. Establish a rhythm and tempo when shooting. Your model will be able to hit her poses with better when the timing of your exposures are predictable.

8. Show the model how she looks every once in a while so she can adjust her poses. If she's worth her weight in salt, she'll know how to change her poses according to how she appears in the frame.

7. Give the model time to adjust and to get in her own groove. Too much feedback is not good. Conversely too little feedback is not good either.

6. Come prepared. Know the obstacles with both the lighting setup as well as the model before shooting. Know the models facial/bone structure and akin condition and what kind of lighting will be suitable for her (or him). The more you know the better your shots will be.

5. Don't be afraid to experiment. Always leave room to try something different/new.

4. Some of the best captures are the ones that you didn't plan for. While rhythm and tempo are important for the bread and butter stuff it's also important to get the "in-between moments" shots. Those can be magical (or sometimes just tragic when the model is blinking or adjusting inappropriately).

3. Music. Music. Music. Sets a mood and a tempo and a "tuneable" feel. I prefer Taylor Swift but that's just me. Then again, I have Country, Pop, Rock, Hip-Hop, Oldies in my iPhone/iPod.

2. Caffeine. I can't be on top of my game if I'm not floating on another level. And that is just what caffeine does for me. For added kick try a vitamin with lots of b complex for an uber high. I did that during Kendall's shoot and I can't remember the last 1 hour of our shoot.

1. What is the number 1 thing for a great shoot? I dunno really... I came up with 9 so it's your turn to come up with 1 :)

1 comment:

  1. 1) a vision -- something the model can buy into

    or

    1) a stuffed bear

    ReplyDelete