Newbie at Cover Shoot Assignment - what to look out for?

[azul123]

I've read and re-read Deadpoet's entries and I can say that he is providing everyone with a dash of reality, like it or not... I have to agree with his post and it makes a lot of sense for newbies to take note and fully understand the real situation take count of would could happen and are expected and the end results, if the final product is not according to expectation.

It is sad that some magazines in order to cut cost are also willing to cut corners which could really be stabbing themselves in the heart. I'd say these are all good points to ponder upon and if still going ahead be prepared for the shoot in all avenues and take all necessary preparation for the shoot to be successful.

../azul123

 

[fleek]

Hi Guys,

I am so sorry that a simple question like this would bring up such controversy. My intention was simply to ask for some pointers to taking cover shoots. And questions about abilities start to surface.

I agree with some of you that nobody would ever learn by just imagining it. People learn from mistakes and successes started from mistakes. Whether a picture is good or not, it lies in the beholder. If nobody would ever try and be cautious about everything, nobody would have succeeded.

A lot of famous painters were not even famous when they are alive, they were called lunatics and now after they are dead, the prices of their paintings have soared to millions?
So who are the crazy ones, the people paying the money for them or the painter who painted it? Maybe both.

To me professionalism is to do something to the best of your ability. It does not matter whether you are capable or not, but simply to put your heart into it and achieve it to your greatest potential. And your potential will develop the more you attempt it. Whether being paid or not is besides the question. A lawyer performing pro-bono service is not much less a professional than one that charges for it.

I am not a professional photographer and I have a day job as a IT professional. Just that a friend has seen my works and asked me to take some photos for them, which will probably be put in a magazine cover and I have agreed to do so, to give it a try. I am taking a day's leave for the purpose and I hope to do it right. Thus I am asking for pointers. There will not be a 11 player soccer team, but only 3 person will be attending the interview, so I believe I could handle that.

Thanks for all your pointers, I sure took note of some of them. Let this thread be another discussion topic rather than trying to bite at each other's neck.

Thanks.

 

[MDZ2]

Fleek, I really feel for you man. I have noticed on many occasions how a few bad apples tend to hijack a thread and turn it into their own crusade.
In any case, good luck on your first attempt. I would never have the guts to actually do something like that unless I was going to be a backup (nothing to loose situation, I guess), but that's just me.
For my 2 cents worth, you might like to clarify with your friend how the entire layout is going to be like in the mag, so you can roughly preplan your shots and perhaps imagine up some suitable backgrounds which you can try to search for later.
Then you might want to go there at least once to check for suitable angles as well as where the sun will be at that particular time of the day. (Nothing worse than finding somewhere nice to shoot only to have the sun shine right into your lens).
Also, since you will be photographing footballers, a football might be a good prop to bring along to put the pictures in perspective.
Anyway, good luck to you.

 

[heroneo99]

Good Luck for u Fleek !! (i newbie also)

 

[Deadpoet]

Fleek, I really feel for you man. I have noticed on many occasions how a few bad apples tend to hijack a thread and turn it into their own crusade.

MDZ@, here is one of the BAD apple!!! Actually, it's only I who questioned the wisdom for this arrangement Fleek got.

Thanks for upgrading my comments into a CRUSADE. My comments as a few others had also stated, were a reality check, and also a condemnation of how people view photography here in singapore - cheap over quality!

It is a noble crusade to promote quality over this relentless push to drive the cost of photography down. At some point, the only peoiple shooting for a living here will be newbies. The pricing now has got to a level that a photographer shooting professionally full time will not be able to make ends meet. There will be little incentives for people to invest the tme and money to achieve the levels necessary to make it as a professional. SAD.

 

[sORe-EyEz]

MDZ@, here is one of the BAD apple!!! Actually, it's only I who questioned the wisdom for this arrangement Fleek got.

Thanks for upgrading my comments into a CRUSADE. My comments as a few others had also stated, were a reality check, and also a condemnation of how people view photography here in singapore - cheap over quality!

It is a noble crusade to promote quality over this relentless push to drive the cost of photography down. At some point, the only peoiple shooting for a living here will be newbies. The pricing now has got to a level that a photographer shooting professionally full time will not be able to make ends meet. There will be little incentives for people to invest the tme and money to achieve the levels necessary to make it as a professional. SAD.

agree!! :cheers:

 

[heroneo99]

actually i agree, but if everyone goes for pro standards and works, then i am sure a lot of newbies won have chance to become pros right? I guess all pros dun start their career only when they can shoot professionally, they start as newbies and grab their chances to learn (from mistakes) whenever there is one.

plus i think it is always normal that some ppl are willing to pay for high standards, while others dun feel the need for that.

jus my thoughts, i am really inexperienced in this field also to make any constructive comments.

MDZ@, here is one of the BAD apple!!! Actually, it's only I who questioned the wisdom for this arrangement Fleek got.

Thanks for upgrading my comments into a CRUSADE. My comments as a few others had also stated, were a reality check, and also a condemnation of how people view photography here in singapore - cheap over quality!

It is a noble crusade to promote quality over this relentless push to drive the cost of photography down. At some point, the only peoiple shooting for a living here will be newbies. The pricing now has got to a level that a photographer shooting professionally full time will not be able to make ends meet. There will be little incentives for people to invest the tme and money to achieve the levels necessary to make it as a professional. SAD.

 

[fotoudavid]

er..................a it professional shooting a magazine cover for free???

My goodness............wat is happening now???

i read deadpoets comments, well, he's correct.

Mediacorps channel 8 also call me few months ago b4, i rejected. they only give credit, and i tell them, i rather get paid then credit.

So what i am not famous, i am a professional, so i do charge. Who cares abt credit nowadays, no budget TO HIRE PRO, not MY PROBLEM!

 

[Quiksilvers]

I can't believe this ... I always tot that forum was a place for old bird to help the new guy ... but what is this man...

Dead poet, who do u think u are? Some pro ... u think u know some shooting skill and u can talk big? U really think u know shooting since the day u born ... oh come on ... Well yr skill might be very good now ... but for yr character… sigh …

So hao lian for what … people need advice, just help them lah … unless u telling me u are afraid that new guy will outshine u …

Well I am not a good photographer. In fact I dun even have a SLR cam … however I will never look down on people who is new to a new hobby. Unless u are telling me u are Pro in all thing ….

Ps: come on I know u will reply me something like … I dun care or whatever stuff …. Ha … nvm watever… reply also nvm … cos I will not come in to here again …

To all old bird who is hao lian, pls lah … pp come here to learn new thing leh …. Not to see u pro guys hao lian here and there.

To all other old bird that. U all are the man! Good one … I love u all … continue with this good character

To all newbie … hope pp like Dead poet set a good example to U. As in u will not be like him when u turn pro next time . All the best

 

[fotoudavid]

I can't believe this ... I always tot that forum was a place for old bird to help the new guy ... but what is this man...

Dead poet, smurfman who do u think u are? Some pro ... u think u know some shooting skill and u can talk big? U really think u know shooting since the day u born ... oh come on ... Well yr skill might be very good now ... but for yr character… sigh …

So hao lian for what … people need advice, just help them lah … unless u telling me u are afraid that new guy will outshine u …

Well I am not a good photographer. In fact I dun even have a SLR cam … however I will never look down on people who is new to a new hobby. Unless u are telling me u are Pro in all thing ….

Ps: come on I know u will reply me something like … I dun care or whatever stuff …. Ha … nvm watever… reply also nvm … cos I will not come in to here again …

To all old bird who is hao lian, pls lah … pp come here to learn new thing leh …. Not to see u pro guys hao lian here and there.

To all other old bird that. U all are the man! Good one … I love u all … continue with this good character

To all newbie … hope pp like Dead poet and smurfman set a good example to U. As in u will not be like him when u turn pro next time . All the best

???

if you don't understand wat are we talking abt, don't comments.

 

[Quiksilvers]

if pp dun understand my comments pls dun reply to ask me dun reply

 

[wong1979]

Sounds like fun going on here But guys be cool

I believed this thread has gone to different direction. The thread starter merely was just asking advice as he has not done it b4. Then came along DeadPoet who ask "why are pple going for lower quality these days? because of budget? or a kind of singaporean mentality?"

Well even though his point is to say that a newbie might be asking for trouble without prior experience

But the definite wrong direction is when pple go on from DeadPoet's 1st question. Better start a new thread man :bsmilie:

At this point of time, I'm also blur now :bigeyes: I think the thread starter should just close this thread unless you think this is fun...which I certainly think so

 

[Feinwerkbau]

;p I equipment collector ;p



Ok, basically it is an interview with some famous japs and I am suppose to cover the photo part for the interview, the mag cover and centre spread. The location will be in little india in the morning and will be having food over there as well.

Suppose to do several individual posing shots + group shots + head shots + full body + expression shots.

Famous Jap ... businessmen? Performers? Artists? Engineers? ??? ??? ???

The very first rule you have to learn is that you 'Have to Know Your Subject', or as much as possible, including personality, likes, dislikes, previous ways in which this person has been portrayed, and since you're dealing with Japanese VVIPs, what to shoot and what you really can't shoot. It goes beyond the rules of thirds I'm afraid.

The second is to talk with your editor and art director, and find out exactly what they want ... talk openly and discuss possible layouts, approaches, moods, angles, backgrounds etc. Also find out from the art director what kind of 'space' he or she wants or whatever else he or she is going after for the cover. More often than not, they woud ask for many choices so that they have room to play with.

You're in the position where you make the art director look good, and in turn, he makes the editor look good. That's how they keep their jobs, and you, yours.

All the best! :thumbsup:

 

[fotoudavid]

http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=154907

maybe see this to cool you off

i never mock this guy, so why so anger???
i never help this guy, cos there is nothing i can do.

have you ever wonder why this magazine ask him to shoot?
have you ever think that this shoot may hurt him more?
have you ever think of wat will his friend think of him if the shoot produce nothing?

by the way, from wat i see, he is lugi, cos this job easily commands $500/-.

by the way, this job don't need to teach, cos see his equipment.

 

[sORe-EyEz]

I can't believe this ... I always tot that forum was a place for old bird to help the new guy ... but what is this man...

Dead poet, who do u think u are? Some pro ... u think u know some shooting skill and u can talk big? U really think u know shooting since the day u born ... oh come on ... Well yr skill might be very good now ... but for yr character… sigh …

So hao lian for what … people need advice, just help them lah … unless u telling me u are afraid that new guy will outshine u …

Well I am not a good photographer. In fact I dun even have a SLR cam … however I will never look down on people who is new to a new hobby. Unless u are telling me u are Pro in all thing ….

Ps: come on I know u will reply me something like … I dun care or whatever stuff …. Ha … nvm watever… reply also nvm … cos I will not come in to here again …

To all old bird who is hao lian, pls lah … pp come here to learn new thing leh …. Not to see u pro guys hao lian here and there.

To all other old bird that. U all are the man! Good one … I love u all … continue with this good character

To all newbie … hope pp like Dead poet set a good example to U. As in u will not be like him when u turn pro next time . All the best

how would u like a newbie or newbies 2 learn d tricks of ur trade & shrink ur RiceBowl??:devil:

 

[fotoudavid]

ppl have forgotten that this kinda of shoot needs experience. This is not just simple model portrait that the subject stand there, smile you shoot.

We are talking abt magazine cover, where by a lousy pics how to sell the magazine.

I have done alot corporate shoot, whereby i need to portrait the big boss determination, drive, the eyes that speaks years of hardwork, set up lightings to give the mood thing, so guys, you tell me, how to teach here?

:dunno:

 

[Deadpoet]

I can't believe this ... I always tot that forum was a place for old bird to help the new guy ... but what is this man...

Dead poet, who do u think u are? Some pro ... u think u know some shooting skill and u can talk big? U really think u know shooting since the day u born ... oh come on ... Well yr skill might be very good now ... but for yr character… sigh …

So hao lian for what … people need advice, just help them lah … unless u telling me u are afraid that new guy will outshine u …

Well I am not a good photographer. In fact I dun even have a SLR cam … however I will never look down on people who is new to a new hobby. Unless u are telling me u are Pro in all thing ….

Ps: come on I know u will reply me something like … I dun care or whatever stuff …. Ha … nvm watever… reply also nvm … cos I will not come in to here again …

To all old bird who is hao lian, pls lah … pp come here to learn new thing leh …. Not to see u pro guys hao lian here and there.

To all other old bird that. U all are the man! Good one … I love u all … continue with this good character

To all newbie … hope pp like Dead poet set a good example to U. As in u will not be like him when u turn pro next time . All the best

Quiksilvers, you shouldn't have. You honored me by registering a new nick just to slam me. thank you! Now, I felt that I have achieved something on this board.

Who am I? I am a straight talking photographer, who speak the truth, and will not mince words just to make it sound better.

My character, it's not for you to judge. You do not know me, nor do you have the mental capability to differentiate between a mosquito and a flea.

As far as you saying not coming back again, well, I am sure you will. You will come back under your regular nick, and pretend everything is fine. What you are, Quiksilver, is a coward first cleass.

I have no time for cowards!

 

[sORe-EyEz]

ppl have forgotten that this kinda of shoot needs experience. This is not just simple model portrait that the subject stand there, smile you shoot.

We are talking abt magazine cover, where by a lousy pics how to sell the magazine.

I have done alot corporate shoot, whereby i need to portrait the big boss determination, drive, the eyes that speaks years of hardwork, set up lightings to give the mood thing, so guys, you tell me, how to teach here?

:dunno:

that'z how u identify a newbie??:sweat:

 

[fotoudavid]

that'z how u identify a newbie??:sweat:

if not tell me how to identify?

he is not experience in this field, newbie to me.

if client wants macro from me, i siao liao, cos i newbie in this area, you know wat i mean?

 

[MDZ2]

MDZ@, here is one of the BAD apple!!! Actually, it's only I who questioned the wisdom for this arrangement Fleek got.

Thanks for upgrading my comments into a CRUSADE. My comments as a few others had also stated, were a reality check, and also a condemnation of how people view photography here in singapore - cheap over quality!

It is a noble crusade to promote quality over this relentless push to drive the cost of photography down. At some point, the only peoiple shooting for a living here will be newbies. The pricing now has got to a level that a photographer shooting professionally full time will not be able to make ends meet. There will be little incentives for people to invest the tme and money to achieve the levels necessary to make it as a professional. SAD.

Deadpoet, I respect your point of view and might, to a certain degree, agree with it. But it is still irrelevant to this thread. Afterall, OT is still OT regardless of the validity of your statement. If you do feel strongly about this, perhaps you could start a new thread about it. And if you do, I am sure you wouldn't want others to start a new discussion about what equipment professional photographers use, or even worse start a poll on people's favourite colour.