Your arena, your photoshoot, must be in your complete control. And for that, you need to be well-prepared. Learning how to prepare for a photo shoot is an important part of ensuring that everything goes smoothly on the big day.

It’s your responsibility as a photographer to collaborate with your clients and models to create an enjoyable environment. You want your subjects to feel at ease with you and trust that you know what you’re doing in order to get the greatest shots. It’s critical that you’re properly prepared to make that happen! So here is a guide to help you with all that you must keep in mind before your photoshoot!

It’s All About The Location

Counting, finalizing, and planning in accordance with the location for the shoot is the necessary first step to streamlining your workflow. Understand what you want the photo shoot to bring out, choose a range of locations, and go check them out to see which will suit you best. 

When choosing the location. You must keep in mind a checklist it must fulfil in order to be apt. If I’m too busy, if it has too much or too little light that you can’t work with if it will be available if it’s safe and what will the weather be like in the area? Asking yourself some questions on these lines will go a long way in helping you choose just the right location. Also, keep in mind a backup location if things were to go sideways on the shoot day for any reason.

Based on the location, you will need to prepare yourself, your team, and the models so that there are no surprises. The types of flashes and lenses you’ll require, the amount of equipment you can feasibly carry, and even how you dress will be determined largely by the location. 

Keep Your Client and The Models in The Loop

Discuss with your client what they expect and what are their tastes and preferences. This would entail being flexible with the mood of the photos while keeping your style intact. Be sure to share your ideas and photo inspiration too so that they know what to expect and can suggest changes or modifications if they want. 

The discussions with the models should revolve around what you are expecting and what they should be prepared with (such as specific styles and poses, location specifics, etc.). This is important for the pictures to turn out to your liking and to your clients.

Your Equipment Must Be In Order

You don’t always need every lens, filter, and camera accessory you own. Consider what you truly require based on the specific photoshoot to reduce the amount of clutter and weight in your luggage on the day of the event. Unless you’re shooting in a studio, you’ll almost certainly be lugging your camera gear around with you so it is smarter to trim it down rather than lugging around all of your gear.

Your lenses are likely to take up most of the space so be sure to pick and choose wisely. Rather than packing several, an angle zoom lens could probably get you the best results while saving you space and weight. Your lens filters too might be a source of the problem if you carry them around unnecessarily. So leave those filters you never use behind and only stick to the polarizing and UV filters because that’s most likely all you’ll need. 

Lastly, when it comes to packing equipment, know exactly where everything is to avoid any hassles and panic in the moment of need. 

The Day Before Your Photoshoot

  • Clean your lenses and filters.
  • Charge your batteries and carry backups. 
  • Check the time it will take to reach the location and possible delays.
  • Pack everything you need a day before and make a list of the things you’ll take right before you leave. On The Day of The Photoshoot
    • Get a headstart and reach the location early.
    • Check for every corner of the location to make up a few shots you’ll like to get.
    • Exchange pleasantries as well as a constant connection with the entire team of models, assistants, stylists etc. 
    • Have fun!
      Don’t be overwhelmed and keep it light. Especially if it’s one of your first photoshoots, make sure to go with these helpful tips to prepare yourself physically and mentally. Sleep well the night before, and pack snacks to keep you fresh and upbeat for the job. Good luck!