Three Things to Consider Before You Shoot

A few important things to consider when planning your next shoot.

As a photographer preparing for a shoot may cause some stress. Where are we going to be shooting? What kind of background will there be? What will the lighting conditions be like? These are all some questions you may be facing before going out for your next shoot.

Don’t worry though, we’ve got you covered. Here are three things to consider before your next photo shoot. In this post we will cover location, lighting, and subject. Thinking about these topics will help you prepare for future photo shoots more quickly and clearly.

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1. Location

The first thing to consider before you go out to shoot is the location. Where do you plan on shooting for whatever it is that you want to shoot? Whether it is a subject, a model, or just a landscape photo, you need to know where you are going.

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Making a list or even just brainstorming your options will help. Whether you plan on going to the city, a mountain, beach, or river, your shoot will vary depending on where you go. In the city you are more likely to find candid, street style photography with eloquent buildings, excellent casting shadows, and a fast-paced, city atmosphere. Meanwhile, if you go to the mountains or the forest, you are going to find vast land, various green and brown tones depending on the season, and much slower, planned shots.

Thinking about location before you go out to shoot is key and will help you know what you want to do with your shoot instead of going with the flow. Planning and making sure you know exactly what you want with your shoot will help you to reach a goal or an endpoint and to help you get that perfect shot you were looking for.

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2. Lighting

Next, you’ll need to think of what the light will be like where you’re going to be shooting. Are you shooting with natural light or studio lighting? You’ll need to prepare for the shoot beforehand by knowing what type of light you will be using and how the conditions of the light will be.

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If you are going to be using natural light, you’ll need to think of the time of day, the weather, and other various factors. If you go out to shoot without considering the weather, you won’t know what the light will be like. You’ll need to know if it’s cloudy or bright, harsh or mild light, or whether or not it is the perfect shooting conditions you are looking for.

If you are shooting with studio lighting, you’ll need to prepare your camera for the appropriate settings and you’ll need to figure out what you will be shooting. Are you going to be shooting a model, an object, or something else?

A photo by Alexander Dummer. unsplash.com/photos/aS4Duj2j7r4

3. Subject

Lastly, before your shoot, consider your subject. This may come during weeks of planning for your shoot or within a few days, but whatever it may be, remember to plan who or what you will be shooting. Whether you are shooting a model, a landscape, or an object, you’ll need to consider these factors.

You’re preparing for your shoot and you decide you want to work with a model, now you have to find one? You can find a vast amount of models on Instagram, you can find models through agencies, or you can hire models to work with you.

When working with a model, you’ll need to consider posing. We have two great articles to help you with that:

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If you’ve decided you want to shoot a landscape, the next step is deciding whether you want a city, a rural area, a beach, or a different type of scenery.

When shooting objects, you’ll need to decide what you want as well. Whether it is fashion or clothing items, culinary creations, homemade pottery, or any other objects that you fancy, you’ll need to prepare in advance to ensure the perfect shoot.

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These are just a few things to consider before you go out to take pictures, but hopefully this will help you plan better as a photographer. What else would you consider before your next shoot? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.

 

2 Replies to “Three Things to Consider Before You Shoot”

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