design by Holly Stalder

Hello everyone!

I was finally able to come up for air and post the continuation of the series. If you’ve been anxiously waiting, thank you so much for not giving up on me. I have this post and a couple of more planned to complete a total 5 posts giving you an introduction on how to produce a photo shoot. If you are new here, you will notice that the series are a little taste of my upcoming e-book “producing a photo shoot”. You can read Part 1 and Part 2 to get started. And if you are interested in staying current with the news on the blog and on the e-book, you can sign up for my newsletter right over {here}.

On with Part 3, shall we? ;-)

LIGHTING

Once the setting for the shoot is determined, it is time to start defining the lighting plan. The lighting assessment starts when you go location scouting, or in some situations, it can be the opposite, the mood/ lighting required by the concept will inform what type of setting you will need. In the example I am working with (my shoot for HS), a location was chosen first. So the next thing I did was to take a trip to the location to study the space. The study was done by taking snapshots of the angles where I would most likely shoot and assessing what kind of natural light x strobe light x equipment was going to be available and needed to achieve the best results. In this particular shoot, in most shots I opted to backlight my model using natural light. I also used white sheets and curtains to diffuse the harsh light throughout the day as needed, strobes for filling the light in the front and on the sides, as well as white cards and white walls for bounce.

In my upcoming e-book on “producing a photo shoot”, I will cover in more detail how to make this assessment and how to determine what equipment will be needed. If you are flying solo as a producer and photographer for your shoot, you will need to come up with the equipment list and the “lighting diagram” for your own use or to give direction to your assistant. In the e-book I will also cover how to keep your lighting consistent throughout the shoot, and how to work with your lighting assistant during the shoot (how to direct and what to expect).

PROPS

With the location picked and the lighting figured out, you can start having some fun (if you haven’t yet!) with Art Direction. Props are almost always essential to create interesting images and to give your shoot some personality. In my shoot for Holly for example, I used vintage accents such as antique mirrors, bed, chair, table, mattress, mannequin, etc. It is very important to pay attention to the concept, colors, and to stay true to the period and theme of the story you are trying to tell. In this process you can either work with an Art Director or a prop stylist (if you have one) or you can do the work yourself by researching, proposing ideas to your client, renting or purchasing what is needed, and styling on the shoot. Keep in mind that if you are working alone, on the day of your shoot you will have lots of extra work if you intend to shoot as well as adjust props around the set. For that reason, I highly recommend that you work with either a prop stylist or an assistant depending on the scale of your shoot and ideas.

In my upcoming e-book on “producing a photo shoot”, I will you give you some ideas of where to find props, I will share some of my favorite resources, and I will also give you an insight on how to research and present your ideas to your client before and during the shoot.

TALENT

If your project is funded (meaning that you’re working with a paying client), your best bet is to work with a talent/ modeling agency. If not, you may need to draw talent from some other resources, which a lot of times means that you will need to compromise in terms of model experience and look. My model for the HS shoot works with Look in San Francisco.

In my upcoming e-book on “producing a photo shoot”, I will give you some ideas of where and how to find talent when you cannot afford the model agency rates, and I will also give you some suggestions on selecting the right model for your project, casting and proposing looks to your client.

Coming up:

(mini series part 4) …

YOUR CREW, TRANSPORTATION, CATERING, MISCELANEOUS

(mini series part 5) …

PREP, SHOOT DAY, POST, DELIVERY, WRAP UP/ PAYMENTS

Lots and lots of things to do! Producers are busy bees! Not to mention that if you fly solo, you also have to shoot! Not for everyone, but a good knowledge to have regardless.

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And if I may ask, given the plan for the series, is there something you are missing and you’d like me to discuss? Have you tried to produce a shoot and ran into some issues? How can I help you? If everything is cool and you’re just super excited with what I am sharing just as is, go ahead and at least say hi. Makes me happy to know who is out there!