Last month, I was invited to shoot the Recycled Fashion Show at the Escondido Arts Center. Since, it was it was my first official fashion shoot; I wanted to do something big, “Haute Couture” or high fashion, as they say in France.
Since I already had space in the gallery, I thought I’d take advantage of it and decided to set up a mini shoot, for the models with a seamless background and a two light system. Unfortunately; the room size was only 10′ X 14′, so I decided that I would go with a white 8′ background, along with a two small umbrella system. Normally, I would use my own remotes, but for this occasion I had to purchase a remote, because I was sharing flashes with my partner, Ted Snoddy. Now the trick to photographing on the same channel is that you have to shot in sequence, as well as remember that the flash will require some time to recycle. Here are some additional tips:
Work with the fashion show coordinator and be nice.
Be prepared! This means clean all camera equipment as well as lenses. Charge all batteries and bring a battery charger. The Norm!
Bring model release forms.
Bring lots of business cards.
Bring numbers or a way to identify models to their release forms, if there are going to be multiple modes. We wrote numbers on his or her model release form and had him or her hold it up on the first shot. Postee’s also work.
Bring a laptop, so models can type his or her contact information. More than likely you will not be able to read their writing, so come prepared. Trust me on this one.
For this particular shoot, there were a lot of newbie’s on the scene. As a photographer, you have to work with him or her and make them feel comfortable and come out of their shell, in the quickest amount of time possible. For the models with previous experience, they already have an idea what his or her go to pose is, so cut them lose, but don’t be afraid to make suggestions. I have to say all in all, the shoot went well and everyone was happy with his or her pictures. I can’t wait till next year.
I hope I have not bored you too much. I had a lot of fun writing this one like all of my blogs. I trust I have given you some valuable tips to think about, before planning your next shoot. It’s not all bad, just be clear and informative, it will save you a lot of headaches. Remember nothing is set in stone and there is not a perfect formula, so go out and have some fun.
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