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Thinking about how to plan a portrait photoshoot can be a daunting task. Even if we’ve been crafting fine portraits for years, there is always the aspect of considering the human element of someone else being involved, the portrait subject.
For some of us, planning a portrait photoshoot may seem to be an unnecessary task. Perhaps we think that we can just go with the flow since we know how to take great portraits already. What often happens, though, is that we may forget a series of images that we should have included, or some other unexpected and thus unplanned for snag shows up.
Some of these snags that may or may not happen can be handled readily, provided we’ve thought about them ahead of time. Plus, planning our photoshoots can streamline our workflow in general.
Many of these portrait photography tips for planning a photoshoot will be usable for other types of photography, especially any genre that is done on location.
Ideas First
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The first tip in our portrait photography tutorial is to get a good idea of what we’re going to do in our portrait photoshoot.
We usually do this anyways, right? Because if we’re offering our services as a paid photoshoot, the client needs to know what to expect and we need to know how best to please our client. We have a discussion with the intended subject, they tell us what kind of imagery they like, we show them examples, everyone is on the same page.
Unless we’re shooting in our own studio, this is the step of how to plan a portrait photoshoot where we figure out where we’re going to be shooting. If we have our own studio, this step is also where we can consider backgrounds, including greenscreen options for post-processing afterwards.
Storyboard Your Shoot
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Storyboarding is a regular and vital step in many professional videography projects. It can also be used when planning a portrait photoshoot. When planning a portrait photoshoot, our storyboard doesn’t need to be nearly as detailed as a videography project storyboard.
Simple changes such as adjusting lighting styles, changing props, or using different lenses or techniques can be spelled out here so we don’t accidentally neglect anything during our photoshoot.
Any method you like to use can work. Some may want to write the storyboard on index cards or a notepad, others could find that one of the many free or low-cost smartphone apps will best suit their style.
Learn More:
- Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography
- 9 Can’t-Miss Portrait Photography Tips That Will Help You Create Better Portraits Today
Scout Locations
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Another step in how to plan a portrait photoshoot is to determine where you’re going to take the pictures and find out certain necessary things about that location. You really don’t want to find out that you can’t shoot there or that it’s the wrong time of year for that particular location on the day of or during the portrait session.
Renting a photographic studio is an option for photographers that don’t have one of their own in their home or office. Times of the photoshoot and any items provided will be spelled out clearly in a rental contract. So will payment arrangements, all of which you need to know before meeting the client there.
Options in your area may include picturesque parks or other locations. Interestingly, many of these types of areas will have regulations and maybe fees pertaining to paid photoshoots.
One that is near is very popular for engagement and bridal portraits, but has strict rules governing how long you can occupy the space and requires a temporary day license to be purchased prior to any photography. Violations can be costly, varying from monetary fines to being barred from future photoshoots, so do your research!
You need to know other things in addition to fees and legalities, you also need to know what times of day provide what lighting conditions. Check out the safety of the area as well, which can include steep terrain, sharp rocks, or being frequented by thieves or muggers.
Lighting and Lenses
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This will end up as part of your storyboard in a lot of cases. While one lens will be perfect for a headshot, a ¾ length or full body portrait will require a different lens. Environmental portraits will probably require yet another different focal length lens. Having your game plan already set out ahead of time will greatly simplify the portrait photoshoot workflow.
Similar ideas concerning the lighting equipment and choices. Knowing when the sun will be in what position and how the lighting conditions change as the day progresses is part of the scouting the location step.
Know the Results You Want
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When I’m shooting to create black and white images as an end result, I change how I approach exposure and lighting decisions. It’s similar for any of the end results of what I desire and having a goal ahead of time is a large part of how to plan a portrait photoshoot that successfully delivers the images that will please our clients and other viewers.
Low key, high key, selective focus, environmental, glamourous, romantic, powerful, soft… All of these different effects and methods should be planned out before the portrait photoshoot actually happens.
The storyboard becomes very useful when we are capturing exposures for a variety of these results. Then, we can shift to that part of our creative mode as the time for it comes up in our scheduled workflow.
Post-Processing is Part of the Photoshoot
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Time spent for post-processing any of these styles and also for portrait-specific processing should be factored in to the workflow we’re scheduling for the photoshoot.
Things like adding a custom background through green screen, converting to black and white, and other special techniques take extra time and processing, so does correcting for blemishes or subtly adjusting lighting levels and colors.
All of these considerations can be involved in how to plan a portrait photoshoot in order to achieve the best results that will please both you and your subject.