I Had My First Photoshoot & Here’s What I Learned (Part 2 of 2)

Welcome to the second half of my first photoshoot! What a fun ride. In my last post, we touched on a 5 key elements I learned on my first ever shoot for my blog. As previously mentioned, maintaining my blog hasn’t been the hard part. My creative mind is always moving and the wheels are constantly turning but being able to capture theses moments have been increasingly difficult. Especially this summer. With Fall around the corner and the light fading fast in the morning and night, well, I wanted to come up with another solution since I love my blogging hobby so much.

I also don’t want to let you guy down! So, without much more introduction, here are 5 additional key discoveries I made on my first ever photoshoot.

6) Walking is also hard…:

Everything you think you know about walking is the opposite in the world of photography. You will never walk straight ahead of you. Especially if your photographer is to your side. Instead, you have to awkwardly turn your body to face the camera while walking. It helps to look back or look directly in the lens. This give you have a chance to look more natural while walking crooked. It’s more like criss crossing your way up the side walk than just walking like a normal person. My photographer was super experienced and knew exactly how to make this happen. Some of my favorite shots are from just walking.

7) Location:

For our shoot we choose a spot that didn’t have a lot of foot traffic. A few people jogging past or walking the dog was perfectly normal and we were considerate. Choosing a location is fun! However, being mindful of everyone else caused a bit of panic. Especially when my original location spots were to go to Pike Place Market or my beloved Kerry Park. Not during the weekend, that’s for sure. However, staying residential was a benefit for both of us because of the lack of people. It was also  my first shoot and I was suddenly hyper aware of everyone and everything. The less people the better. Once I got out of my head and let myself just laugh and have fun, it was easy.

8) Listen:

I would consider this one of the most important lessons and learned during this experience. Listening to your photographer when she says “okay, places your right hand on your hip” or “okay, now walk toward that pole on you left” and definitely listen when they say “ah! okay, stop! Too far.” Story of my life! I’m always walking too far and too fast. However, what comes with listening also comes respect. If you don’t listen, you might be wasting your own time. Your visions need to match and she’s the one with the bird’s eye view. If you’re getting lost in the actual vision, ask your photographer to see what she’s looking at in the camera so you can get a better sense and a better opportunity to sync up.

9) Outfit Styling:

One of the perks of working with a photographer is being able to take a step back and see your outfits like you haven’t seen them before. Less, can be more in photography. It also give you the rare opportunity to get an opinion before shooting. Monday, we got done shooting a few upcoming outfits for my posts and I brought along two pairs of shoes. We were able to discuss what would photograph better for product shots and what worked and didn’t work with the location/terrain we were on. You can also be very strategic with styling and plan outfits well in advance. Which has not only helped in my posts but also getting ready in the morning for work!

10) Scheduling:

After my first session, I didn’t know what to do next. All I knew is that I loved working with my photographer. She was easy going, completely relaxed and professional. Something you should be looking for in anyone you connect with on a business level. Once I got the photos back, it was a sealed deal, I had to work with her again. Don’t wait too long before booking your next session. Like me, this was a big mistake because I ran into the classic case of: I have so much too say, a lot of content but no pictures to go with it. Don’t be like me, best case scenario is to either book when the appt is over or after you get your shots back. Always always always communicate with your photographer. The business goes two ways!

Thanks so much for reading this post. I hope you picked up a few important lessons from my first shoot!