Photographers: Don’t Over Shoot
August 31st, 2010When I am shooting a fashion assignment I am disciplined to the point where I only shoot the amount of images I feel I need to capture my vision or the client’s vision. There is absolutely no reason to shoot until you fill a card, which these days could mean 400 or more images per card. I’ve heard of some photographers who will shoot a thousand images for a portfolio shoot! That is pathetic! You know what that translates to? A VERY insecure photographer who has no idea what he or she is doing and has no vision. The photographer doesn’t have a plan, can’t see his vision unless he shoots it. Doesn’t know his technical skills or communication skills. It could be any of these or all of them that is causing this long drawn out shoot as a result from over shooting.
I used to work in the movie industry behind the camera. On episodes where we had an inexperienced director we knew the days were going to go in to overtime which was good in a way because more often than not we would go into triple over time……..big paychecks. But for the production company that meant over budget and the main reason was because the director would over shoot by thousands and thousands of feet of film, which also led to the obvious major over time for the crew ! It’s no different for a still photo shoot.
Many photographers are shocked when I tell them the size of my CF card I use most often is 2 GB. That’s because with my 5DMark 2 shooting at 100ISO I get about 72 – 76 frames which gives me two different clothing changes. When I was shooting 35mm film we got 36 frames per roll. At the end of that roll you had to reload. Now let me also say that if I am shooting an editorial or an ad campaign I use the same small cards and also have much larger ones on hand just in case the client wants to see more.
For this post I will use a portfolio shoot as the main example. So a model would come to me and back then we charged per roll. And one roll equaled one look. After the first look / 36 frames we moved to the second look and so on. If you as a photographer couldn’t capture that great one shot the model needed in 36 frames you had to use another roll at your own expense! You couldn’t tell the model she had to pay extra because she was paying per roll and it was just expected that you got the shot after one roll. Everyone worked that way. All photographers worked this way. If she bought a 3-roll shoot that meant we shot 3 looks and no more. If at the end she wanted an extra look she had to pay my fee for an extra roll. It was that simple! So someone please tell me why it should be any different now that we are shooting digital. Just because we have the technology to shoot a thousand frames for a portfolio shoot does not mean we should. Who wants to sit at the computer all day and night editing out the bad shots? I sure don’t. My place is behind the camera, NOT in front of a computer. Sure there are certain little things I need to do in the computer, however, I wanna be shooting more of the time than sitting at the computer.
I personally feel that many many many photographers of this new generation have not only lost discipline, they haven’t even learned it! If the shot doesn’t look right then don’t hit the shutter button! Simple! If the model isn’t giving you what you want, then you stop, pull her aside and have a short heart to heart just like a catcher does with his pitcher in a baseball game. The catcher doesn’t let his pitcher just keep throwing pitch after pitch with the same or worse results. Do you see the comparison? You don’t just keep shooting and hoping for the model to read your mind as she gets more tired and frustrated. You use your people skills that you are supposed to possess and constantly fine tune just as you are constantly fine-tuning your photography skills.
By the way this is also good practice for when you do shoot that ad campaign and HOPEFULLY the client, art director, creative director are not all sitting around getting bored, frustrated and wishing they hadn’t hired you because they’ve realized that each image they saw in your portfolio came about from shoots like this where you had to shoot thousands of images to get a few usable ones! Portfolio shoots and creative tests are great for training your eye and fine tuning your skills for that day when you do get that big ad campaign and you run your set like a five star general with confidence pouring out of your ears and you are directing your model or models and shooting efficiently, shooting only the amount of images you need because you KNOW when you have gotten that shot you need to satisfy your client.
I had a model friend who told me that for a large ad campaign he was shot by Horst P Horst. All the lighting was done, set dressing, make up etc. it was time to shoot. The model gets on his mark, strikes a pose, Horst shoots two frames and says “That’s a wrap!” And everyone started to wrap as usual thinking nothing more. That’s because Horst was confident, the client knew it and trusted him. If Horst says he got it, then he got it. In the end no one knows how many or how few shots it took to get that campaign shot. In the end what matters is if you kept your shoot on budget, didn’t stress the model, pleased the client and have a fun relaxed shoot. This can only happen when you are a disciplined photographer, who does not over shoot, spray and pray and lose control.
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Tags: ad campaign, communication skills, digital, directing, fashion, images, model, photo shoot, photographers, portfolio
September 1st, 2010 at 1:55 am
Everything about what you say rings true, here, Jason. And I believe that with 6×7 film (which many once regarded as the fashion photographer’s format of choice) there were only ten frames per roll of film.
When I shoot my first fashion portfolio shoot in a few days time it will be on film. Apart from the quality, which of course I love, there is something profoundly liberating about the process compared to shooting digitally. This sounds completely counter-intuitive but the facts that there are ‘only’ 36 frames per roll and that you can’t check anything you’ve shot both focusses the mind and sharpens the photographic senses wonderfully. You develop a kind of heightened awareness. You think about everything more, especially exposure and composition, and hence, as you say, end up shooting a lot less.
Anyone who isn’t anxious about getting their film back from the labs is frankly lying but if you test your equipment and think deeply about what you’re doing it’s a needless worry and the delay is a price worth paying (if of course you have the luxury of being able to afford that delay).
I loathe looking at some photographers working and seeing them peer at their screen after every shot. Apart from what it says about their confidence that’s time that could be spent looking at or talking to the model instead and thinking about what they’re going to do next.
It’s not for nothing that my favourite motto, in life as in photography, is “less is more”. Your post chimes with this sentiment perfectly and I think it’s a subject that’s been long overdue for discussion in photographic circles.
Again, a great – and expertly-written – post, Jason – thank you!
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Jason Christopher Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Very true about 6×7 film Jonathan. I used to shoot with a Mamiya RZ 67. Heavy camera ! And you only got between 10-12 shots per roll unless you used 220 rolls. And the guys that look at their LCD after EVERY shot is sooooo counteractive to the shoot. There is no way to create any connection with the model and you look like a fool to the client. I am not making fun of anyone. Please don’t take it that way. I am simply pointing out what I have seen and am trying to teach us all to become better more efficient photographers so we can raise the bar and bring back the rates guys like me and some older photographers used to get for shoots.
Jonathan and everyone else out there please spread this post around. Tweet it, DIGG it, submit it to any social networking sites you know of to get this discussion in to the photographic circles. Thank you Jonathan. I really appreciate your contribution !
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Victor Cetina Reply:
August 10th, 2011 at 11:06 am
Hey there, Im a begginer, and after reading this post I felt like you just slapped the mess out of me….
But thank you ! I needed that, thank you for sharing your experience…
For a “senior portrait session” I usually shoot about 200-270 pictures and my photoshoots usually run about 1:30-2 hours long…
But after reading this, it makes so much sense, I need to go in with a vision/plan/theme and be quick to execute it.
I need to be more aware, and not just snap pictures until I get what I see, I need to COMMUNICATE effectively with my ‘model’…
thanks!
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Jason Christopher Reply:
September 6th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
You’re very welcome Victor. I don’t pull punches and that is the only way to learn.
Cheers !
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September 1st, 2010 at 8:09 am
Totally agree shooting 1000 images is bordering on the ridiculous. It is good to push yourself a little further once you have the shot you had designed. Sometimes, these “extras” turn out to be the best.
Cheers,
GuessTheLighting.com
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Jason Christopher Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Hi Ted, I agree with you about shooting some extras. Thank you for your comment !
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September 1st, 2010 at 9:19 am
I learned photography using film. I learned to take my time and frame and compose each shot through the view finder before pushing the shutter. I couldn’t rely on the LCD to see how my image would turn out.
Now with digital I have seen photographers just push the shutter down and click away taking hundreds of photos which all look alike. If they have a mishap in frame 1, like part of a breast showing by accident, they would end up with 100 frames that way because they weren’t paying attention thus wasting those 100 frames.
This may sound bad on my part, but one of the reasons I discipline myself not to overshoot is because I don’t want to have to look through 100s of shots of the same look in the same pose to find that one “perfect” image.
Thanks once again for another informative article Jason.
Jackie
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Jason Christopher Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Hi Jackie ! I totally agree with you on the not wanting to look through hundreds of images. I mention that in my post. I HATE sitting at the computer. I get so bored so easily. And I also hate having to buy more external hard drives and DVD’s to archive everything lol. If you like this blog hun please mention it on Tumbler and retweet etc. I really appreciate it. Thank you Jackie !
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September 1st, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Great article Jason. As always your choice of subject is always helpful and insightful. I agree with the article. I do tend to shoot a little bit more and spray shots periodically with the goal of catching a shot that I otherwise would not get shooting conservatively. But I agree, it’s what sets pro photographers from amateurs.
One area I’d love for you to cover if you can is how you go about choosing locations? What’s your thought process when a client approaches you with an idea. How do you decide where to shoot? And what are your general tips from choosing locations, both indoor and out?
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge Jason,
Jaymer
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Jason Christopher Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 2:47 pm
Thank you Jaymer ! I would love to cover this subject. I think it’s a great idea. Thank you for you input !
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September 1st, 2010 at 6:25 pm
I definitely agree…..for two reasons. It’s a waste of time and equipment, as well as model resources. There’s really nothing to gain. You can shoot 50-100 and get the same thing as with 400 LOL!!! And also I would hate having to go through umpteen bazillion images when there shouldn’t be that many! Anyone worth their salt shouldn’t make a career out of one shoot.
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Jason Christopher Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Amen to your comment Jay ! Thank you. I also want to add that I have shot models who give me a different look for every frame and that connection is so strong it’s electrifying ! It’s very tempting to just shoot your ass off because when you are “in” the moment it’s like a high that you never wanna quit. BUT …. you still need to limit your exposures.
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September 2nd, 2010 at 1:08 pm
I almost agree.
I will admit that I take the lazy route in the studio. Rather than use the light meter and messing with ratios formally, I simply rely on the modeling lights for ratios, and chimp a shot or two to get my exposure right. However, after that I’m shooting as if the LCD didn’t exist on the back of my camera. I engage the model, wait for just the right expressions on their face through the viewfinder, and get some great shots. I shoot about 100-150 frames in an hour photo shoot, with a “success” rate (photos of quality I’d be willing to publish or show to the model) of 5-10%. That leaves me with 5-20 photos that I really like.
If you think about it in terms of film, my 5-10% would get you 2-4 images from a 36-exposure roll of film, so I suppose I’m doing pretty good! Oh, and I shoot with three 4GB SDHC cards. I always have one card in the camera, ready for the shoot. The other card is in my workstation from the last import. The third card is in my camera bag as a spare. I try to rotate them out evenly.
As an exercise, I set up the school studio lights and pocket wizards, and had myself and two of my fellow students all on the same channel so we could all pop the lights. We all engaged the model, shot images nearly at the same time, and could move ourselves but not the model/lights. We came up with entirely different images, and I’m pretty sure that’s because they missed some great expressions when they were looking at the camera’s screen.
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Jason Christopher Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Hi Kerrick,
Those are impressive results. Ya and looking at your LCD after every shot is just really a BAD habit. Turn off the LCD or cover it with a piece of black paper.
Wow you sure are the mathematician
Thank you for your comment Kerrick ! And I would like to remind you and everyone to fill in your email in the subscribe box on the right. You will be notified when I post something new. And I DO NOT sell or give away email lists.
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Kerrick Long Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Whoops, did I forget my email? Sorry ’bout that!
We actually talked about this last week in my Commercial Studio Photography class, which is why I did the math.
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Jason Christopher Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Oh no you didn’t forget your email but when you fill in the subscribe box it builds the list automatically and send out the notifications.
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Kerrick Long Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Ah, okay. That’s what I use RSS for, but I know a lot of people who love getting emails instead!
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September 3rd, 2010 at 6:05 am
This is really valid Jas…always thought about it when I see someone shooting a large number of photos…I think it all boils down if you’re insecure about the final outcome. Well done!
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Jason Christopher Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Hey Gilly ! Thank you. It’s a very simple concept to grasp. Trying to get other shooters to think the same way. It will only help them.
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September 3rd, 2010 at 4:13 pm
Thanks for answering my question. Now i see the connection with film, i was wondering where you got the number 36.
It does come down to knowing what you want before you press the shutter. It saves a lot of time and forces you to stop and think about what you are doing. I used to stay up late sifting through hundreds of my photos side by side trying to figure out which one is better because i didn’t know when i had it or not.
Thank you for sharing Jason
A lot of it is in the pre-visualization and preparation. We often hear about the creative team behind the photographer in most fashion photoshoots and how they help make a photoshoot successful.
Can you tell us about your team and the role they play in your shoots? Do you always hire the same people or do you hire local talent when you go on location? Sometimes do you need to take on other roles yourself on set?
Thanks again
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Jason Christopher Reply:
September 15th, 2010 at 11:30 am
Hi Mark,
You’re very welcome. The number 36 is the number of frames you get in a 35mm roll of film. There are also rolls of 24 but the majority used 36 frame rolls.
And yes pre visualization is so important. There are many shoots where we will have a pre light day with a stand in.
My team is very important to me. I don’t always hire the same people because depending on the dates of the shoot some are available and some are not. I do however make every effort to work with the same people as often as possible.
When I go on location yes I hire local talent. And no I don’t take on any other role on set. I’m the photographer. I do have a say as to how something should look or I will tell the client that idea isn’t working let’s try this. It’s a collaborative effort between the client and photographer but NEVER between your beauty team as well. I hear stories of make up artists trying to tell the photographer what to do or she tries to direct the model. NO NO NO NO ! There is only one person on set that directs the model and that is the photographer. Too many cooks spoil the broth.
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September 13th, 2010 at 6:01 am
Wow this was an awesome article! Thanks so much for posting. I’ve never even thought of that before. I’m a relatively new photographer (been photographing for about 2 years) and I agree, I never even learned that to begin with! I am starting to realize it more and more now though. But this article definitely puts in perspective for me! Thanks again for posting!
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Jason Christopher Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Thank you Jaimie Dee ! Cheers and best wishes to you.
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September 17th, 2010 at 2:43 am
Great article and I totally agree, I’m by no mean a pro but have been doing the here and there shoot for a while now and I just switched to digital about 6 months ago but I still use it as a film camera, I don’t see the point in shooting 1000 images, if you cant get it in 20 frames, you should just give up because it aint happening.
I will be doing a series of portraiture soon, on a Yashica MAT 124G, I will have 12 subjects and 3 rolls of 120 films that is 3 frames per subject, and I’m hoping to get a decent portrait for each one of them. But you are right unfortunately Today’s photography is mainly digital waste.
Good read Jason, thank you.
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Jason Christopher Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 11:26 am
Kardo thank you so much. All the best on your upcoming project. Please let me know how it comes out. And I LOVE your last line about today’s photography being mainly digital waste. LOL Soooo true !
Thank you Kardo !
“Get my new updates weekly by signing up for my email newsletter to the right in the box that says “subscribe”
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September 29th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Hi Jason I enjoyed reading this,
Even though Im more of a digital guy (dont hit me, I did film before)…I started practicing the “If the shot doesn’t look right then don’t hit the shutter button” with my digital camera a while back. Im not at a pro level just yet, but I really like doing this because (1) I dont have to go thru a billion images and (2) it DOES make me think before I shoot. I also agree just because we have digital cameras today, it doesnt mean take a jillion photos…
hope what i said makes sense, thanks for this post Jason
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Jason Christopher Reply:
October 4th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
LOL Bryce your post makes perfect sense and I would never hit you for being more of a digital guy. Digital does have many positives, but it has also brought about some heavy negatives to us shooters who have been around since before digital. I like the fact that you practice patience and discipline when you shoot. Thank you for your comments brotha !
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September 30th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Cool post!… The pre-visual/meditation to attain this discipline you talk about takes focus & concentration on the still image & the process of it… Like a painter or any other person trying to refine a craft!!….
So what do you think about the HDSLR video integration market for photographers??… Looks good for extra income but do you think its worth takeing the time/money to buy final cut/continuos lighting package/panning tripod, etc…. Then the photographer has to manage all that extra equipment to shoot his local commercials with maybe an assistant to help…. The big photogs that market all this are higher established so they have better budgets so they wont have to learn to edit/buy lighting package..crews/editors handle it for them so its less stressful,, that doesn’t seem to be the reality for the lower end as it would be more on your plate to execute/// MORE TIME> More time taken away from focusing on the still image that the still photographer has had on his mind to execute since the beginning!! what do you think??.. Its another CHOICE we have like the choice to shoot a 1000 images!!….
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Jason Christopher Reply:
October 4th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Thank you Greg ! I like your analogy of a painter who also pre-visualizes his image before he puts paint to canvas.
I think if a photographer wants to shoot video then he should but only if the photographer wants to make the switch all the way. You’re right, it is a totally different avenue which means starting over with buying the different lighting, software, camera supports etc. Then the time involved learning a whole new field is something to consider. It will obviously take your attention away from your still photo business which is fine if your intention is to not shoot stills as much or at all. Eventually as you learn and master the motion picture side of things then I guess you could also get back to shooting stills and incorporate both in your business. Thank you for your comment and question Greg !
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August 24th, 2011 at 9:05 pm
[...] I read this interesting blog by Jason Christopher about over shooting. He is rather opinionated, but I do agree with some of his assertions. If you like to read what he wrote you can find it here. [...]
November 11th, 2011 at 10:13 am
Have you ever had the feeling of reading something and agree with every single word?
People really get shoked when I tell them that my SD card for photoshoot its about 2-4 gb depending on how many people im going to shoot. & for Video its only 8GB for a shot clip up to 4 minutes full HD
If you are sure of what you are doing, you dont need to over do, because it will only confuse you in the selection time and post production for DI and as well as in Video productions.
Keep this posts going on! xD kinda enjoy them.
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Jason Christopher Reply:
December 1st, 2011 at 2:11 pm
Thank you Rene!
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