PHOTO SHOOT TECHNIQUES

      How to hold a DSLR correctly:

• Keep the strap over you shoulder, so that if you move and the camera falls, it doesn’t hit the floor.

• Balance the camera in your left hand as if serving food.

• Place your left elbow on your ribs to support the camera.

• By keeping your left hand underneath the camera and underneath the lens you can adjust the zoom from there.

• Use your right hand to grab the camera grip.

• If you’re shooting a landscape shot, place your left eye to the viewfinder. Your eyebrow should be touching the eye piece.

• For a portrait shot turn the camera counter clockwise. Keep your left hand underneath so it doesn’t interfere with the flash, and so it can support the lens and you can zoom with it.

   

Photo Shoot Techniques

1. Couple 

Shots Diagram:

Shot 1 - horizontal shot the way they are

Shot 2 - horizontal shot, but we want take it once we’ve asked them to sit right next to each other. That may mean you have to get somebody to move to the other side of the table.

Shot 3 - vertical shot. You can ask them to hug or just get a little closer

Shot 4- another horizontal shot. You can ask them to kiss or do cheers

Remember: check your shots as you go. Some people are very sensitive to the flash and will blink.

 

Printing Diagram:

Shot 1 – horizontal, let’s do that in color

Shot 2- horizontal, put that in black’n’white

Shot 3- vertical, put it in color

And a postcard

 

2. Family

Shot Diagram:

Shot 1- horizontal group shot the way they are

Shot 2 - another horizontal group shot

Shot 3 - horizontal or vertical shot of the parents

Shot 4 - horizontal or vertical shot of the kids

Basically you can do either side. Sometimes it’s parents on one side and kids on the other, and then sometimes it’s mixed.

Shot 5 – another horizontal group shot. Get them on one side.

If it’s a family with a small kid, take a picture of just the kid.

 

Printing Diagram:

Shot 1 - horizontal group shot, put that in color

Shot 2- another horizontal group shot, put that in black’n’white

Shot 3 - horizontal or vertical shot of the parents in color

Shot 4 - horizontal or vertical shot of kids in color

And a postcard

 

3. Party

A complex table is always comprised of couples, families and a group of individuals.

What pictures do we need to take of that complex table?

1. We need to take 3-4 horizontal group shots. The reason being is these parties have a lot of people who have a lot of eyeballs to blink, and people can move and not realize they are blocking someone else.

2. After that we work with the smaller groups inside the party such as couples, families, and groups of individuals. For each couple or family inside the complex table you need to take two shots.

3. If you can and you have room, try to get them all on one side. Take 3-4 shots.

 

Printing diagram:

Shot 1 – big group shot in color

Shot 2 – big group shot in black’n’white

You don’t need to print all the group shots, just pick out the best ones.

Then print couples, families and groups of individual’s pictures. You want to print 1-2 pictures for each couple and family in color.

And a postcard.

 

What to say if after you take a couple shots the guests say: “Thank you, that’s enough”.

Just show them an example of the postcard, explain that you need to take a couple more pictures in order to make a nice collage.

It is a good idea to ask the table what they are celebrating. This may give you some other ideas.

When you take the pictures, try to take the pictures in a way where you won’t spend too much time editing them;

So take them as you want them to turn out. All you should have to do is zoom in and crop the photos that way.