Some tips for a successful shoot!
Hi!! For some people the scariest thing is having your picture taken and even scarier is taking someone’s pictures, especially when you have no idea how to get that perfect shot. When first starting out in photography we very much gravitate towards inanimate objects that don’t expect much from us. We like taking pictures of flowers, buildings, or our lovely pets that have no idea what’s going on but are happy just to be involved. Here are some tips to help get that awesome picture without racking your brain and feeling completely lost when taking it.
- Settings matter!
~ Having your camera in the right settings right from the start will ensure you get that perfect picture. For portraits on a sunny day, I like a very wide aperture for that shallow depth of field and creamy bokeh. Keep your ISOlow to prevent any grainy pictures, and your shutter speed high to make sure the lighting is perfect.
Sunny days: f/1.8-2.8 1/1000- 1/4000 ISO 50~ 200
~For cloudy days, believe it or not, the settings will be very similar just because cloudy days have so much diffused light it makes everything well lit and bright.
Cloudy days: f/1.8-2.8 1/1000- 1/4000 ISO 100~ 400
- Have a theme, it really really helps
~ Themes give you and your model something to work with. It helps with finding an outfit, a location, and even the final editing style. It doesn’t have to be a big theme like a 90's dance party or the roaring 20’s. It could be subtle like a stroll on a spring afternoon. This gives a general idea of what to expect and how to pose your model. It even helps with makeup choice!!
- You are in charge, so act like it!!
~It doesn’t matter if you’re taking pictures of your friends or a paying client, you are the photographer so don’t be scared to tell your model exactly what you would like them to do. Knowing a couple poses off the top of your head will help ease the anxiety of feeling like an imposter behind the camera. My favorite go-to poses, especially for my ladies, is having them put their hands behind their back then giving me a little twirl, or have them put their arms over their head as they look away gazing into the distance. You find poses that are easy to remember and have a lot of variations.
- The first 20 pictures won’t look good
~ Okay, maybe an exaggeration, but I really mean that. Once you hit picture number 21 that they start to look a little better. And the reason is you and your subject are both awkward in the beginning use those first couple pictures as a warm-up. I use this time to make sure that the settings in my camera fit the location and that the pictures are not turning out dark or anything and any last-minute checks, such as battery level, storage capacity (This should all be done AT LEAST 2 hours prior.) The model will still be a bit tense in front of the camera so give them time to warm up to let their inner self shine.
- Don’t be silent!!
~ Talk, please talk to your model. Sometimes we get super caught up in composing the perfect picture that we forget that we are actually taking a picture of someone who probably has no idea what they are doing and needs all the guidance they can get. Talk to them, converse, saying things like “Omggg”, “Go girl”, “I canttt”, will greatly ease the tension of being in front of the camera and gives your model all the confidence they need to nail all their poses. Your words are just as important as your camera and lens.
As always, the best way to take better pictures is by taking pictures, so get out there grab a friend, a sibling, a parent, or even your neighbor's dog, and take those pictures!!!
You can always send them to me if you’d like me to critique and give tips on how to improve.
~Salma 🌼
