How to take a good shoot and make it GREAT.

Let’s talk about the differences a decent budget can make.

Somethings I see pretty often are people wanting great imagery but not wanting to put their all into the shoot itself. Now I don’t mean their attitudes but I do mean the pre-shoot details and logistics. Fact is that the things I am referring to also cost money and will certainly raise the cost of most shoots but the very same things will have a very profound impact on the shoot and final imagery. Let’s go over a few shall we?

-Time of day: If your shoot is happening outside you will strongly want to consider the start time. The Sun can be your best friend or your worst enemy depending on what time it is. Some people that like to sleep in can’t imagine arriving on set at 5am to pre-shoot prep but when you catch that sunrise you know you did the right thing! This option doesn’t usually cost you anything but a little sleep and not going out the night before but as with all things photographic… the light makes all the difference. Simply put, when the Sun is lower in the sky it will create a more flattering light as opposed to mid-day when the Sun is high. ‘So can’t we just get the same light at dusk?’… that’s a good point my friends but with it you just threw out your ‘plan B’ should the morning shoot not be as successful as you wanted it to be. Don’t be lazy. Get up. Attack the day. Make the most of the morning light and plan on using the evening light if the morning shoot doesn’t go well.

-Crew: Most people want a 5K shot on a $500 budget. Only a few lucky ones actually get it. Budget in the crew you will need to make it all worth and leave nothing to chance. Pay for that Makeup Artist, Hairstylist and Wardrobe Stylist. If your photographer says he or she needs an assistant for the day there is a reason. All of these people need to be paid as well but really you are the one that will be benefiting from having them on set. To have someone looking over your details, jumping in and fixing things that could ruin a great shot is priceless. It will also ease your mind and let you focus on being the subject instead of worrying about other details.

Recap: ‘Anything worth doing is worth doing right’…. read it again if you need to. Think about photo shoots that you had that were not great. Shoots that were not productive or even fun. Now think about what could have been done differently…. and move forward to the next one with those changes in mind. It may cost more money but the odds are you will have a better result in the end. Make sure you have read the blog post titled “Professional Portraits for your Office. The “Do’s & Don'ts”. Even though it may not apply to the type of shoot you are working on the section “Choosing the Right Photographer” will also be relevant to what we are discussing here. It all starts with the right team.

My friends call me “Seven” and I hope this helps you to have a successful shoot.

Cheers!