Having Your Photo Taken? These Are The Main Steps of a Photoshoot
Are you planning to have your photo taken? Even though it’s the photographer who will be doing most of the work, it’s still useful to know what to expect.
From preparing before the shoot to all the work that takes place in post-production, there is more to a photoshoot than just poses and camera clicks. By knowing exactly what a photoshoot consists of, you can show up with appropriate expectations and make the process easier for both yourself and the photographer.
Let’s delve into the main steps of a photoshoot!
1. The Prep
This stage comes with multiple steps, in order to get everything together before the actual shoot. Among the most important aspects we can count:
The Initial Conversation
This is basically the first research step of the photoshoot. It’s important to clearly convey to your photographer what your vision is, what purpose the photos serve, and other aspects that might seem minute but can make or break your shoot. Here are some questions your photographer might ask you:
When will we shoot?
What is the theme?
Are these pictures for you or someone else?
What is the purpose of the shoot?
Is this a professional or personal photoshoot?
What is your deadline for the final pictures?
Be as communicative as possible and try to give as much information as possible from the get go!
The Styling
Clothes are a big part of any photoshoot. If you are having professional shots taken, then appropriate attire is imperative. If you’re going for a nostalgic theme, then some retro outfits could bring everything together.
If your photos are just centered around you, then try to choose an outfit that brings out your best features, and dress in colors that compliment your complexion. Same goes for make up and hair – make sure that everything comes together to tie in with the theme and purpose of your pics.
Hiring professionals for make up and hair is almost always a great idea. Even if you’re confident in how you do your daily make-up, a make-up artist with experience in photoshoots will know how to adapt your usual look for the cameras and lighting.
The Location
Last but not least in the prep stage, establish the location of the shoot. A studio photoshoot is easier to set up, and will most likely only require you to book a space. However, for outdoor shoots, more things come into play.
Location scouting will take some time, and even when you do settle on a place, you’ll have a lot of other elements to consider – time of day for the shoot depending on lighting, the possibility for bad weather, how public the place is, and so forth. As a pro tip, if you’re on a tight deadline and don’t have the flexibility to reschedule in case of bad weather, consider having a back-up indoors location.
2. The Photoshoot
Every shoot is different, because so are the subject and photographer. The photoshoot is perhaps the most straightforward part of the process – it’s where the client and photographer create what will later become some amazing pictures.
Photoshoots require some creative directions, which (unless you are having a big, commercial photoshoot) will more often than not come from the photographer themselves. Keep an open mind and try to follow their indications, because they know what it takes to get the best shots.
Photographers know that being in front of the camera can be uncomfortable, especially if it’s your first photoshoot, so they’ll do their best to help you relax and transform the shoot into a great experience. Try to enjoy yourself, and you’ll notice it reflects on the images too!
3. First Edits
How many photos will be taken on the day of the shoot is not how many photos you will receive. Most often, out of tens of images with each outfit or background, you will only receive one or two final ones.
The photographer will carefully select the best images, and do some minor touch ups at this stage such as color correction or exposure adjustments. For those who didn’t opt for heavy editing in the initial prep stage, this is the last step of the photoshoot. You can expect to receive this version of your pictures as soon as two days after the shoot.
4. Heavy Editing
As a general rule, this stage is not “included” in the photoshoot and will cost you extra. That is because heavy retouching takes a lot of time and effort, and the photographer deserves to be appropriately compensated for it.
This can include:
Skin retouching
Background cleanup
Cropping and framing
Object removal or addition
Selective edits
Special effects
Color grading
Cropping for different platforms
Detail enhancement
File exporting and optimization
This step will most likely add some time to the delivery deadline of your images, but it will be worth it when you’ll get your pictures!
Final Step: Get Your Final Images!
Once the editing is done, you’ll receive your final images. They are usually delivered online, but in some cases you can also get an USB-stick, CDs/DVDs or even prints (for an additional cost).
Properly preparing for a photoshoot and understanding everything that is about to take place makes the process smoother for both you and the photographer. Skipping over parts of the prep stage will most likely lead to lost time during the next phases, when you’ll inevitably have to clear some things up.
Have you ever had a photoshoot? If so, share your experience in the comments below!