As per the previous post, here is how I organize a shoot. I am not claiming this is the only way to do it :) Some steps may be missing or in the wrong place depending who you ask to. Also, the list below does not imply that I do everything by myself! It's a team effort, remember? :)
And most of the steps would warrant a story on their own...
At a high level, the process to set up and execute a photoshoot (at least the way I do it) is:
- Someone has a need / an idea that needs to be translated into photos
- The idea owner (could be a paying client or someone with a personal project, such as me) meets with the photographer and stylist and / or designer to flesh out the details: general styling direction, mood, purpose of the photos, etc.
- Agree on styling (clothes and accessories) and model selection - create mood board (pretty much a bunch of photos from the web that explain the general idea and styling of the shoot)
- Agree on the type of studio or location for the shoot
- Agree on the rest of the team (e.g. make-up artists and hair stylists)
- Book the models and the studio / location (you may need to acquire a permission for the location) and whatever rental equipment is needed - you may want spares for some critical piece of equipment
- Procure clothes and accessories
- Keep fingers crossed
- A few days before, confirm with everyone that they are all „go“
- On the day, do get to the location in time
- Have drinks and munchies for everyone
- Pray that all the people involved do arrive (in time being a nice surprise)
- Assess the model body/skin/hair (unless it’s a model we’ve worked with already… it has happened to me that some models are not totally honest about their measures, or that they arrive to the shoot after a night of debauchery)
- Leave the model with make-up / hair (after having agreed with the stylist the look that needs to be achieved). In the meantime set up lights and backgrounds and props as needed
- Model gets dressed and accessorized. Second model (if any) gets under make-up / hair. Light tests
- Shoot the first model in the first look while the second model gets ready
- Get in a pattern: shoot one model while the other changes make-up / hair / style
- Pack up everything, exchange contact details as needed - you may need model release forms signed depending on the type of shoot and the fate of the photos
- Clean up the studio / location as needed
- Copy and back up all photos from the camera to the computer
- Select the photos for post processing – this may be only you deciding or team consensus, depending on your inclinations about dictatorship vs. democracy :) I do maintain that the photographer should have the last word unless there is a paying client that has commissioned the work
- Send the selected photos to the retoucher with instructions
- Share the final versions with the team (unless there is a paying client that doesn’t want that) and possibly try to get them published (again depending on the presence of a client or not)
- Archive the photos
- Plan for the next shoot
I'm not one for behind the scenes shots... and the few I did take are not online :) So here are some end results :)
