PRE SHOOT

1. Reference your emails for: Style, creative direction, location, point of contact (P.O.C), schedule, details etc. See below calendar notes.

2. Always arrive on time or early. If you are running late, inform the client via email or text that you are running late.

SHOOT

1. Keep to the schedule to the best of your ability, ensure that you recieve a break if the shoot is 5 hours or more.

2. Try a variety of shots, feel free to add something outside the direction as long as the main direction is met.

3. Review images on the camera through the session to ensure client/subject is happy. This also helps keep everyone aligned and in case of subjects, it encourages them when they see something they like. They are more likely to come out of their shell.
Each person is different though, so use your best judgement in the situation.

4. Be professional and friendly, dress business casual.

5. Make a note of the aprox distance from the subject to backdrop, camera to subject & Light to subject and direction and modifier on the light.

6. Please ensure that you are shooting in RAW format. Once you are back home, transfer the files & create a backup.

POST

1. Complete shoot notes document HERE within 24 hours.

2. Send a copy of any schedule details (names, order of subjects etc) to Tanvi via email

3. For Headshots: Deliver proofs to Tanvi (via wetransfer or google drive) within 4 days.
For Event photography: Deliver final images to tanvi via wetransfer or google drive within 4 days.

4. Proofs are edited (not retouched) and should be presentable to clients.
Following edits applied:
a. Image culling, remove testing, things that didn’t work, blinks, light didn’t fire etc.
b. Ensure exposures are accurate and consistent across images (not over or under exposed)
c. Balance colours and white balance
d. Light contrast added where necessary- max 1-10, use your discretion
e. Light clarity (3 for portraits, 5-7 for scenes/interiors)
f. Output sharpening for screen standard

Proofs should fit the following specs:
a. Size 800 x 1200 pixels @100dpi
b. Colour sRGB
c. File name: Job name and file number (eg. Job-7649.jpg)

High res, Jpegs (edited, not retouched) should fit the following specs:
a. Size 8×12″ @300DPI
b. Colour sRGB
c. File name: Job name and file number and “Print” (eg. Job-7649Print.jpg)

Best practices for different types of photography

PORTRAITS/ FAMILY PORTRAITS

-Aperture: f/4.5-5.6 for 1-2 people & f/8 + for larger groups

-Shutter speed of 1/160

– Adjust ISO according to the aperture & shutter speed but preferably do not go too high as the image will get grainy.

-With larger groups invariably someone blinks, so in order to ensure that everyone’s looking good and not blinking, take a lot of rapid shots and check.

– IMPORTANT: Keep your focus point of your camera on the eye of the person who is closest the centre so that everyone is in focus. No out of focus photos, please.

– Zoom in on the eyes on the back screen of your camera after every few photos to ensure that your photos are in focus. This can sometimes be a bit tricky with larger groups, so please be mindful.

– Help the subjects with posing. Be kind and friendly with them and encourage them when they’re in front of the camera. A lot of people are quite shy, so if you are friendly and encouraging, it will show in their photos. If it helps, Show the subjects what the photos look like so they’re motivated to smile confidently.
These are memories that they want to cherish, so we should try to make it special for them 🙂

 

HEADSHOTS

Same as above- Posing guides and composition options.

  • All headshots to be vertical, unless you are asked to specifically shoot horizontal.
  • If shooting head and shoulders- ensure that the top of the head is not cut off and either of the shoulders are not cut off.
  • If shooting wider-i.e. upto the waist or knees, compose such that the entire arm, including hands and fingers are in the shot. Cut off limbs don’t look good in photos. Same for legs, do not cut off at the knees, mid thigh is acceptable or at the hips is acceptable.
  • Direct your subject to do a variety of expressions-
    Neutral Expression, small smile, big smile as well as different body positions- hands crossed in front of the chest, one/both hands in pockets, if there’s a desk or something to rest their elbow on near by, then use that. etc.
    Feel free to try out different options based on the level of professionalism required for the shot.
    For eg, headshots for a hairstylist will be a lot more casual than headshots for a corporate person. Use your best judgement.
    If you have any doubts, ask me! 🙂

LOCATION PHOTOGRAPHY

EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY