newbie attending photoshoot
- Thread starter redwine
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Depends. You're implying on the modelshoots? Some coordinate the poses/lightings, most doesn't, so choose carefully. Tips, etc depending on the organiser as well. If you joined one without guidance and coordination, the lightings will be terrible, etc then you're in for a hard time.
yes, the model shoot.
Any particular organizer worth mentioning ?
what is the basic equipment to bring for such shoot ?
i have a D40 + sigma 17-70mm,... tripod, flash etc ?
i dont think tripod is needed, unless you are mounting your strobes on it. Its better you do some reading on portraits and poses before attending those shoots 
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Don't need to worry so much. You learn as you shoot.
Just bring your D40+17-70mm+flash+fully charged batt+memory card will do.
... Its better you do some reading on portraits and poses before attending those shoots
I agree with CK here.
I suggest the following approach for any newbie who wants to go into model photography:
- Master the camera (ie. settings, features, limitations, etc.) -- read the manual entirely
- Learn photography concepts
- Aperture and DOF (Depth Of Field)
- Shutter speed and Exposure
- Lighting (ie. indoor, outdoor, fill-flash)
- Composition (Framing, Two-Thirds Rule, etc.)
- Learn model photography concepts
- Working with a model
- Basic poses
- Practice (either with a dummy/mannequin or prop up a stuff toy on a stool, or ask a friend to pose)
I have more or less managed #1 & #2.
#3 is the daunting part for me,
will try to read up on this area first.
1 more question regarding the model shoot,
do you have to squeeze among the rest of the shooter to get your shoot ?
or very gentleman type...everyone rotate with each pose.
Thanks
So, any known shoot organisers who will provide some form of guidance? Or perhaps, any helpful experienced guys willing to show the ropes during the shoot itself? I'm having the same kinda problems (doubts) as redwine too. No amount of reading can beat actually practice, so we should just take the plunge as monktian had suggested?
doubt so. just give it a shot. learn from your mistakes is the best way. :thumbsup:
I say take the plunge... u can always ask those ard you how they shoot and what settings they are using.. That's what i did for my very first photo shoot..
After that post your photos for critic, then learn from there..
I agree. Reading gives you the theoretical experience. Going out there is where you "apply what you have learnt". No offense meant to other photographers, but there already are a lot of those who go "learn by experience" without necessarily taking care of the basics. It works for some, but for others it may not.
That is why if you noticed, point #3 in my previous post mentioned:
phyrewall said:
Basically, I'm just trying to save you a few dollar$, and also trying to inspire you to approach it in a better way. Either approach we choose, we'll definitely learn from it.
But what if you plunge in and end up with a group of first timers? Who will be the guide then? Who does one ask tips from? To me, it feels like a "blind leading another blind" kind of thing.
Here's an example scenario from one of the outdoor shoots I joined:
It was around 10am, so the sun was bright and high up. The guys in my group were all first timers, except for me and another guy. The question now is, where would you position the model in an open-space outdoor shoot?
a.) sun behind the photographer, hence model is facing the direction of the sun
b.) sun on one side of both photographer and model, hence the sunlight is illuminating half of the model's face
c.) sun in front of the photographer and behind the model, causing the model's face to be shadowed
The first timers wanted to do option A, while myself and the other guy wanted to do option C instead. We did both, to avoid any dispute. But which choice do you think was the better one and why?b.) sun on one side of both photographer and model, hence the sunlight is illuminating half of the model's face
c.) sun in front of the photographer and behind the model, causing the model's face to be shadowed
Choice C is better than A or B. Why?
- Option A logically seems to be the best choice because we think that with the sun at our backs, our model will be better illuminated (plus it's an age-old wisdom not to shoot against bright light), thus:
- Option C logically sounds like a bad choice, because of the dark shadowed face and we're shooting against the sun, right? WRONG. And wrong for several reasons:
- avoid the half-lit effect on the face by option B
- avoid the dark shadowed face by option C
- Option C logically sounds like a bad choice, because of the dark shadowed face and we're shooting against the sun, right? WRONG. And wrong for several reasons:
- If you wanted to do a silhouette effect/look, that exactly how you'd shoot it.
- Keeping the sun at the model's back vs. the sun in her face (in option A), will keep your model smiling. It will be pretty hard for her to smile with the sun in her eyes. Your model will also definitely be more thankful (vs. cursing you in her mind for making her face the bright sun in option A). But how do you eliminate the dark shadow? Very simple, but I'll leave it up to reader to learn the basic concepts to figure out how. (Hint: two words, both words starts with an F)
- Option B can also be bad, unless it's the effect you wanted because the sun on the side of the model's face tends to reveal texture. Why is it bad? Again, I'll leave it as an exercise to learn the basics. (Hint: what goes up but never comes down?)
Bottomline, you can learn by doing, but knowing the concepts helps you learn faster and better.
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Good work! The sunlight on the side of a models face will show more texture than the other half. Flaws can either be natural (skin blemishes, pimples, wrinkles, sag lines, etc.) or aesthetic (bad make-up such as too thick foundation, mismatched shade, etc.) also becomes more evident. All of these become suggestive of age.
Others will argue that these textures/flaws can easily be reduced using software (during the post-processing), it will however add to the workflow. Spending additional minutes retouching via software might be acceptable to some, but what if you're shooting with film? Extra work in developing won't be just a "few minutes".
Better to shoot it properly than to spend more time at post-processing.
Filters have it's benefits/uses but not for the scenario I mentioned previously.
Ans.
1. fill-in flash
2. age
tjhan and redwine figured out the answers.
@redwine, it seems that you're already familiar with most concepts. it will be entirely up to you whether you try to learn more and practice first before joining the shoots, or to brave it and see if you're up to it by just "plunging in".
as for equipment to bring, as others have mentioned:
1. camera + lens -- you don't have to bring a lot, just find one that you might want to use. (for example, I'm pretty fond of using my 40-150mm because I can get nice half-body shots, and I can zoom in for close-ups without necessarily being too close to the model, and if I wanted to take full body shots, i just take a few steps back until I get the frame I want.)
2. external flash -- even if it's an outdoor shoot (remember fill-flash); you can also use the built-in flash in some cases but it's very restrictive and harsh (try to use a diffuser). if it's a studio shoot, you normally won't be needing it unless for triggering slave flash -- but most of the studios will let you use a wireless trigger instead. personally, i just bring my external flash all the time (never can tell when you'll need it).
3. filters -- might come in handy, but entirely optional
4. extra battery -- entirely optional, but it does help to be prepared (you don't want your camera dying on you -- especially if you join those 4-hour shoots) although I haven't had the chance to swap batteries in any of the shoots I've attended. If you don't have a spare battery, just make sure you leave home with a fully charged unit
5. extra memory cards -- depends on how big your cards are (for example, I only have 2GB cards and I shoot in RAW which gives me about 115 photos per card -- I joined a 5-hour shoot with 3 models and used up 4 cards = 8GB)
6. tripod -- only if you expect to shoot at slow shutter speeds.
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It depends on which session you went to. Lucky my newbie model shoot, I was attached to the newbie group with a old time photographer. He will setup the pose and location, can bring your own props as well as gif you some tips on angle and such, but still you still have to do your own homework as well. Flash to me is a must on portraits shoot unless the situation changes.
Ever since I still stuck with the same group coz it was quite fun.
Ever since I still stuck with the same group coz it was quite fun.
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