Technocrat Tuesday: Preping for a shoot

Technocrat Tuesday: Preping for a shoot

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail"

Ok. enough of the cobblers about that sorta stuff.

Planning a shoot to me is important, but also working out what i need, how I'm transporting it, and what else i need is also key.


Normally, all i get from someone who wants a shoot doing is something like this

"I've got 3 models, who i need in various different outfits, in different poses and such for a catalogue shoot - can you help"

So lets break this down:
3 models - time planning needed.
Outfits 3 models by x about of changes - more time planning

Poses - done on the fly ... and a lot more natural ones can occur during the shoot.

Catalogue shoot - This would suggest high key (white background) to me in the first instance. Sometimes, I'd get a bit more information, but not a lot to be honest.

Can you help? - Normally yes...

So, from that I've got my times and a time sheet planned of what's hopefully going to happen and when.

From this, its a plan of what lenses and equipment I'll need to complete this shoot technically.

Indoors:

In camera terms, the 300D and 20D are packed as standard. Before they enter service on a shoot, they are given a quick clean internally to make sure the larger dust particals are removed.

I tend to use my Plastic Fantastic 50mm lenses. These make for excellent portrait lenses due to the crop factor of DSLRs. Nowadays, I'm shifting to my 20mm lens, which gives a wonderfully large working area, and more room to make mistakes with.

If I'm feeling very lazy, I'll have the 28-105 lens mounted. Although it is a bit optically inferior, at f8 and above, it performs very well (f8 is and above is a sweet spot for most lenses)

Outdoors:

20mm and the 28-105 are used by default - one for wider scenes, and one to cover the rest. More recently, I'm starting to use a 135mm lens for very long, but soft shots. Its an interesting learning experience.

On the subject of Flashes

I tend to AVOID using flashes like the plague, unless i REALLY have to start using them (i find flashlight very harsh, even when diffused). If i have to use flash, I tend mount a cheap TTL flash on the hot shoe, then meter it. For indoors use, the dreaded studio flashes come into play. this is when a lot of metering is done.

So in pictures...

Image 1: my dreaded planning sheet. Notice its crossed out mainly and screwed up. Planning is helpful, but sometimes can go to pop.
Image 2: My build list - this is typed a few days before the shoot to make sure the kit mentioned is in serviceable condition.
Image 3: Bagged and ready to go - I normally carry my stuff in a rucksack as opposed to a camera bag - it looks a lot more discreet.

Well... that's it for Technocrat Tuesday till the New Year (like Its rather British Olde Chap - its on hold till new year). I'll be putting some new content up before Friday - probably (I've got some Manchester and Chicago content still to go online.

The advent calendar is almost set to go, so look out for it on the 1st December. If i get time, a second, much darker advent calendar will appear and be published at the same time.