Starting Out
“How do you plan your shoots, how do you organise it all and how do you just know what to capture?”
These are a few of the most common questions I get hit with on the regular by people who follow my work and are wanting to get into the photography and videography industry, and to be honest, I used to have the same questions once upon a time! I used to wonder how photographers or videographers I looked up to or whose work I admired would pull together these amazing photoshoots or video productions so seamlessly and (well, what appeared to be) effortlessly. Even after studying my Bachelor of Film (yes, that is a thing) I would still ask myself questions or say things in my head like “whoa, I don’t know if I can ever whip something up that good like he/she can” and if you have ever felt this or are currently going through these same questions and thoughts, then let me help you right now with a (not so) mind blowing answer which is- PRACTICE!
My mum used to say to me when i’d ask her questions growing up like “how do you know to take people’s blood or make a bed that good?'“ (she was a nurse my whole childhood), and her response was always the same; years of practice! So with anything else in life and especially when we are just starting out in our career, new hobby or whatever it may be for you, it all takes practice. The trials and errors, the mistakes and the learnings, the fall down and get back up again kinda things ALL contribute to pushing you out of your comfort zone until you one day get to a point where you look back on the last five or so years like puzzle pieces and see that you are actually now doing the things you doubted you could back then (insert mind blown emoji).
So when people ask me similar questions as to what I did with my mum, my answer is the exact same! Whether it’s choosing the right camera gear, the setups, approaching or accepting work with clients, editing and work flow, juggling multiple jobs, knowing the what/how/when/why details of a shoot and video productions, having the vision, seeing the bigger picture etc, it all comes down to practicing and learning what works for you and your style, vibe and vision. This may mean that your style includes a detailed and structured shot list of every individual image you’d like to capture on the day, a specific time frame and a specific model and location, or a script that has to be interpreted verbatim. Or it may mean your style is a bit looser with an overall vision in mind and a goal of what you’d like to achieve from the production but you are still open to ideas and suggestions, and you prefer to see where the journey takes you.
Both are totally fine and whatever works for you is what works, so try not to overthink it too much. I’m definitely the latter of the two as I like to believe some of the best magic happens within the unplanned and in-between moments that you can’t force even if you tried- this applies for me both in work and in life! I like to go into a shoot with a game plan and a vision for the overall look and feel and story behind my work and I like to be very well organised, but I am also always ready for an adventure and I prefer not to try and micromanage or control things too tightly as I feel the energy can’t flow and my ideas will become rigid.
So I will leave you with this advice; “We are always learning and evolving and what works for me this week/month/year may not work for me next week/month/year and that’s okay. It is important to find your own groove and feel into your craft. You have the ability, you just need to apply the hard work and consistency to get you to where you want to be. Doubt kills dreams more than failure ever has, so take the leap, take risks and just go for it or you’ll never know!”
Leave me a comment below, i’d love to hear your thoughts and how you like to go into a photoshoot or video production and any tips you’d also like to share!
Chloe.
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