Planning your shoots

You've reflected on your research and you kind of know what you need to do, what you're taking from the research and what type of photography (Genre) you're looking to produce. Now you're ready for the next stage... Writing a plan for your first shoot. 

The list below is comprehensive with lots of prompts suited to doing a big organised final shoot in the studio with models, assistants and others. Aim to use the ones that are coloured blue as a minimum.

 Plans use an image of a checklist that's been ticked off and written on

Every piece of practical work needs to be preceded by a robust and detailed plan. Your plans offer opportunities to problem solve (AC2) and are another of the sections in your work that should be produced in detail. Furthermore, the more detailed the plan, the more it evidences professional practice (AC4) and more advanced knowledge.  The plan should include the following components.

• Your shoot/activity: Where, when, who with. With regards where; you can use maps, diagrams and weather reports for instance if you’re shooting on location, where might also include a picture of your shooting venue empty before placing the model or subject in it. The weather report also ties in with when as you might have to work around rain etc and failing light. When also might include showing your studio booking from the technicians room?  With who this gives you the opportunity to use evidence of professional practice by using ‘Go-see’ type images of your model/s.

• Camera: What camera and why… why is the camera fit for purpose? *You might be able to copy some basic details from your “Equipment stand-alone page” Where you should have a lot of details about your camera. You can also add an image of the camera.

• Media: Digital/Film/Paper? Identify the media your using and whether when you shoot digital your set up (File type/size). If your shooting film what film and why – what makes it right for this purpose? 

• Lens: What lens and why, you might discuss the lenses properties and what it gives you in terms of DoF, focal length and field of view. Will you change the focal length – what might be the consequences of doing so? 

• Light: What light will you be using and why? What impact will the light have on the subject and how will it communicate your meaning/mood/narrative. Make sure you discuss the light in terms of the problems/benefits it might create and its qualities/characteristics… Point, diffuse, colour, intensity.

• Non-Student model permission forms: Screen grab and include the permission form allowing outsiders to visit the college and explain the rules relating to this scenario. 

• Pose references: If you’re shooting people – gather together a collection of images of a range of poses that both you and the model can look at and try. This can be a couple of sheets of A3 with lots of images of posing ideas that you print off and use in your shoot. Screen grab this and add to your planning and explain the purpose. 

• Reference Image: If your starting the shoot with one specific image in mind, consider including the image in the plan at this point with a little analysis saying what it is about the image you’re going to ‘Borrow’ and are influenced by specifically.

• Goals: Testing, trying, experimenting, improving, developing and refining. Explain what you’re aims are in this shoot. Most of your shoots with the exception of the final one should be about all of these goals. 

• Check list: Type up a checklist of equipment and things you’ll need on your shoots (Studio and location), print this off and use again and again. Before each shoot – use it, tick off and check all the things you might need using a *pen/pencil, from charged batteries all the way through to woolly hats and sun-tan cream for shooting on location (AC4 professional practice). *Shows you actually use it.

• Floor plans/Lighting diagrams: Always have a lighting diagram, showing where your lights and reflectors are going to be in relation to your subject and camera. This applies on location as much as it does with studio work. On location use Google maps and show the direction of the light when you’re shooting and analyse where the light will be in relation to what you’ll be shooting. Will be an issue – will you be shooting with the light or into the light – how will this affect your images visually and technically. 

• Props: List or use images of any props you’re using, detail any clothing styling changes that you plan, maybe have an inventory of the clothes you hope to shoot during any organised fashion shoot.

• Equipment: If you’re using additional equipment such as reflectors, baffle boards, tripods, explain why you’re opting to do so. 

• Assistants & others: Who will your assistant be and are you using other people to perform roles associated with the type of work you’re producing? (Technician, make-up artist, set builder, first assistant, 2nd assistant, runner, hair-stylist, stylist, food economist etc. Explain their roles and why you’re using them – make sure you get a shot of them in action and add it to your work following the plan stage (This evidences professional practice AC4).

Go-see images (Model reference images) Try and get images of your models outside of the studio in their normal day to day clothes - 1 x full length and a head and shoulders shot as if you've previously had the model sent from the agency (See Jurgen Teller "Go sees" here) 

Jurgen Teller 'Go-sees' click image for details

• Travel details: If you’re travelling detail your travel arrangements explain what they involve.

• Contingency plan: Be realistic – look at the potential for your shoot to go wrong – explain scenario's that might arise and what you’ll do to mitigate such a situation. Typical scenarios… Model doesn’t show up, Weather changes, Studio is booked/double booked, camera dies. 

• Written up by plan:  Plan to have the images shot; off your camera and up-loaded to your design sheet with a detailed reflection within 3 days. Commit to this in your plan, if possible try and shoot at least once a week. 

• Health & Safety (H&S) considerations: pre-empt any H&S issues that might arise and explain what you’re going to do in order to mitigate any accidents or any potential H&S issues.

If shooting in the studio is your main mode of working, many of the points above will be repeated and may be a part of some of your knowledge design sheets If this is the case, you can copy the work from there and bring up to-date and contextualise with each of your shoot plans if appropriate.