When were you ready to jump in?

[sketch_tbhotmail.com]

Hey All,

 

Firstly I want to say that yes this is probably an often asked question but I

prefer discussion to research any day of the week. I've been asked to do a

couple of shoots, one for a highschool grad (grad portrait type thing) and one

for a friend who's producing an album for an independant raggae artist. I'm

not sure if I'm comfortable doing this even though my wife is

pressuring/encouraging me. I'm sure I could create acceptable results with the

gear I have (sharpest lens is a sturdy tripod and no artificial lighting) but

my nerves are getting the best of me. What happens if I don't come up with

anything I like enough to give to them? I guess my big question is "when did

you decide to jump in?" Any advice would be appreciated, you can check my

portfolio for some of my portraits.

 

Ryan

[john_macpherson]

"What happens if I don't come up with anything I like enough to give to them?"

 

It might have nothing to do with what you like - they might disagree with your judgment!

[john_macpherson]

If you've "been asked" to do these jobs - is this because your work has attracted the clients? If yes, than put the worries to one side and figure out where these jobs will be done and then sort out the lighting - assume a sunny day - what will you do? Assume a dull day - what will you do? Lighting may be fundamentally different in each case. Plan, prepare, pose, press, post-process, perfect pics = payment.

[john_macpherson]

ps (sorry for multiple posts) looked at your 'folio - I like your more considered portraits very much, and the careful use of natural lighting is very good. Rapport with subjects is key to good images - you've got that. Only further advice I can offer is go talk to your subjects a day or two before the shoot to get a feel for their needs/wants, and sleep well the night before knowing you've done the prep. Good luck!

[Jochen_S]

Your portfolio looks better than what I could put up. And yes I do the odd job once in a while.

 

Plan sketch and discuss. - As long as you know your subjects and get along with them, nothing can go really wrong. Just make clear that you'll need them somewhere while there is still light.

[randy_kurtz]

Ryan your work is better than mine. Give it a go man! In the end make your self happey and all will be right!

randy

[sketch_tbhotmail.com]

Thanks everyone, so do you think I'm ready to make the plunge? My biggest fear is that I'm going to do the shoot but not come away with anything I'm happy about. If I'm not happy with the final images, I'll be hesitant to give them to the client.

[john_macpherson]

You were not listening Ryan! :-)

 

I'll repeat - who cares if you're happy.

 

The job of a professional is to ensure the client is happy. You could be hacked off by the resultant images, but the client might adore them. You will only know this by

 

1) Establishing beforehand exactly what they want

 

2) Nailing the circumstances that will get you those images

 

3) Screwing down the technical details

 

4) Post-processing to a high standard and delivering

 

5) Doing all this with a friendly attitude, and on time.

[mrossi]

I'm not working as a pro but recently I did 3 shoots for a client I do other non-photo work for. To plan, I collected sample shots from the web along the lines of what I thought they were interested in, and we reviewed them together. This got the ideas going.

<br><br>

Next, knowing what the client was hoping to get, I planned my lighting configurations (even creating diagrams for myself) and thought through how I was going to get these shots (ie. lighting, background, outfits for the model, etc).

<br><br>

Next I planned the order of the shoot to make life easier for me and the models, ie. which backgrounds first, which outfits, etc.... To back me up, I had this gameplan in a PDF on my handheld to refer to while shooting. The shoots each took ~4-6 hours and I got all I was hoping for, with lots of out-takes and bad shots in the mix of course.

<br><br>

In hindsight, my planning was an important part of the process. I don't have piles and piles of experience doing the kind of shooting I was doing (the client was aware of this and happy to work with me), and thinking through the process in detail definitely helped me succeed in the shoot.

<br><br>

Not being a pro but aspiring towards it, all I can say is treat the job like a job, do your homework, and the results will follow.

<br><br>

P.S., the shots I liked were not the same ones the client liked, but we both got what we were hoping for in the end.

[fullmetalphotograper]

I can tell you from experience, that I am never completely satisfied with my work. There is

nothing wrong with that feeling and desire. Always being a little hungry for perfection is one

of the best ways to improve. If your clients have faith in you, then you need to have a little

faith in yourself. The more confident, and in control you are, the more confident clients will

be in you, and the more they will like your work.<div></div>

[sketch_tbhotmail.com]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts, I've decided to go for it and not worry so much about the results. John, you've made your point, twice I think. I'll talk with the client this weekend to nail down the details. Thanks again and I'll post the results.

 

Ryan

[john_macpherson]

Ryan - I remember these feelings, worries and anxieties myself only too well. But better that and acting to put your fears at rest than doing nowt and smugly falling into a hole!

 

Best of luck and please do post some feedback, even if only to say how it went for you.

[lee_ricks]

Ryan. Here is what to do. Read John's comments three times. All of them. Print his list of things to do and tape it to the refrigerator. Read it every day. Do those five things and you will be head and shoulders above most people deciding to go "pro". I could add a few things to the list but I think those 5 are good enough for now.

 

One more thing. John also said, in essence, forget about yourself. It isn't about you it is about the customer. Don't let your ego kill you. Customers are mirrors. They reflect what they experience. If they start off liking you they will be far more inclined to like your work.

 

Good luck. We stare at people for a living and they pay us to make girl's eyes light up. Its a good gig.

[sketch_tbhotmail.com]

Thanks for the support guys, I'll let you know.