Shooting on Location
Studios are Great
They really are, I thoroughly enjoy using a studio to create my images. Being in total control allows me to be very precise about how something is created. It also allows me to do my job and be very, VERY consistent with what I output (something that is quite often the enemy of art).
But there comes a time in every photogs life when they must give up this control and venture out into, what I believe is called, the real world. It is usually when it has been decided that images either require context within a surrounding and or a sense of belonging (or not) to a place.
But there are many dangers to this new adventure, not least of which is -
THE ADMIN
Easily my weakest area. Ask anyone who knows me and they will point out that my admin (or Badmin) is shocking. To be honest this aspect will ruin anything from a shoot to a holiday but it is so important to the success of nearly everything that I cover it.
- Packing, Overpack and you will be carrying around tons of gear you won’t need and are more likely to leave something behind. *WARNING - Army quote* ‘Pack light and live like sh**e’. Too little and you might as well have not bothered coming.
-Lighting, see packing. You also lose control in location shoots so be prepared to adapt.
Awesome combination of natural and studio lighting here…both were playing up at the time.
-The weather, oddly an issue both indoor and out. The obvious one is how the weather will affect you outside but not that many people remember that even inside the weather can cause problems. For example, if your shooting in a warehouse be prepared for it to be as cold (if not colder) than it is outside.
-Travel, Think tickets, times, parking, fuel and MANY more things that can easily screw a shoot to the wall! No point even starting if everyone can’t get there!
The worst thing about travel is that it is really really good for! Seriously, I would even say it is an important part of my mental health. Its real downside is how much time can be lost in the moving from A to B and not actually doing what you want/need to do. It is also tiring so even a couple of hours on a train can leave people drained. Account for the human factor in travel if you want to succeed.
-The little things….
You know what I mean. Food, shelter(accommodation), electricity, sleeping arrangements, backing up, shooting permits, location authorization. That sorta thing. It can be tricky to sort all these details (and many more like it) out but it is well worth spending time on this simply to save you time later on when you should be shooting.
Doesn’t have to be far away to be a ‘location shoot’
Do you get better results on location?
No. Just different ones. It very much depends on what you need for your image. If it is a clothing line, for example, it is fairly vital to give your potential buyer an understanding of where this outfit would look good (OR not, think ball gown on the underground). Going on location is just another option. Another tool for you to utilize to get what you need.
Now, go outside and shoot something daring.
Be polite.
Be efficient.
Have a plan to shoot everyone you meet.