5 Things You Can Consider To Elevate Your Next Portrait Shoot
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Loading... - Costance Kelly
- 14 Jun 2022
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1. PLAN YOUR SHOOT
Plan your shoot as much as you can before you work with the sitter. This may include doing some research for references on the type of poses, lighting, styling, framing or final edit you wanted to use. Planning helps you to feel more confident in your approach and direction to the sitter— even when the sitter is you. Organise a few image ideas onto a mood board or shot list that you can access easily on the shoot day to refer to as you shoot. A shortlist and mood board is helpful to have on set if you run out of posing ideas. A mood board can also help you stick to the original shoot concept.
2. SET UP YOUR SHOT IN ADVANCE
Set up your shot in advance to work with your sister both when you are working on set or for an impromptu shoot. For a planned shoot, prepare the set as much as possible before the sitter’s arrival and perhaps do a test shot to make sure you are happy with the light and what you have included in the frame. When your sitter arrives, you will then only need to make minor adjustments to lighting and the set.
If you are doing a shoot impromptu shoot, take a quick look around for an excellent backdrop to photograph your sitter. Then, do a quick light test to know how you are going to frame your sitter and what exposure you are planning to use. Call the sitter into the scene you have scouted and carry on shooting.
Preparing the set allows you to take control of the core variables in the shoot before the sitter arrives and gives you a great platform to start directing your sitter from if you already know where you want them to be positioned. Starting a shoot with confidence makes the whole shoot process go much smoother.
3. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR SITTER
Communicate with your sitter. Be professional in the way you address your sitter. Even if the shoot is light and fun, you must always be respectful to the sitter. If you are approaching the sitter to adjust their hair or a clothing item, ask if they are comfortable with you doing that or allow them to do it themselves. Direct your sitter when they need some prompts and throw in some words of positive reinforcement to boost the sitter’s confidence. Strong communication can help ease the sitter into the shoot and also show them that you have a vision for the shoot. It can be helpful to preview some of the images with your sitter during the shoot, as it can help them adjust their pose if needed and ensure they are happy with the results.
4. EDIT WHILE YOU SHOOT
Every now and again, do a quick critical review of some of the images you have made and make sure you are happy with what is being presented in the image. There is nothing worse than finding that there was something that you could have easily moved or neatened up while shooting when you are reviewing your photographs later. If something on the set is too overpowering or not adding to the shot, remove it. If there is hair that falls strangely onto your sitter’s face or on their head, neaten it up in between shots. You can always take image options, including and then excluding a certain element in your image, then try to edit something out of your photograph later. Read More…
