The other week, I was bored and needed to get out. So, I decided to check out a Meetup for photographers, on the beach, in La Jolla, CA. I try to attend these at least once a month, for practice, as well as staying current in the photography industry.
One of the neat things about Meetups is that you get the opportunity to meet new people, share ideas, and network, with other people, in the photography world. I would have to say the most challenging part of attending a Meetup is A, finding parking. If you are going to Balboa Park, forget it. Parking there is insane; especially during the holidays. B, locating your group. If you are attending a Meetup in Balboa Park, there are probably going to be 100+ people running around the park with cameras. So identifying your group is going to be difficult. Thus my disclaimer. Here are few things to remember when going:
Read the details of the Meetup. Make sure it is suited for you.
Dress appropriately, remember your environment, aka. shirt, pants, and shoes.
Give yourself ample time to find the Meetup. Parking can be cumbersome.
Program the location in your GPS or print a map. If this is your first time, it may be difficult to find your group.
Clean and inventory your equipment the day before. You don’t want to arrive on location, just to find out that your lenses have seen better days or your forgot to bring extra batteries. Remember my slogan Be Prepared, because you never know what will go wrong.
Bring flashes, umbrellas, and/or light stands if you got them. If you are shooting outside, you might want to bring a sandbag or two, in case of wind. I recommend building a light bar to mount your flashes. Since you will be shooting at the beach, chances are there is going to be wind and we know how umbrellas react in wind.
When shooting your subject, keep in mind what is in the background. You don’t want to spend hours doing touchup.
Bring drinks or snacks. Let’s face it, it is summertime and one of the hottest days of the year, so keep hydrated.
Bring extra model release forms. The moderator of the Meetup may have some, but I always keep some in my camera bag, just in case.
For the most part, it was a good Meetup. I got to meet some interesting photographers, as well as nice young women however; I should have read the fine print, to find out that it was more of a juvenile bikini shoot, but that was my mistake. I got some great shots in, after a few Photobombers here and there, thank you Photoshop. The lighting was perfect and the background was awesome.
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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