Help! First "proper" shoot!

dizzledazzle

dizzledazzle

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David
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Hi all,
After volunteering my services for our company party, i have just been asked if i would like to take photos of our directors in one of the boardrooms, as a hobbyist, this will be my first proper paid shoot.

The gear im thinking of using is my D80 + 50mm 1.8 and will bring my SB600, im hoping this will be enough, can anyone give me any tips or hints on posing, lighting etc??

Ive been checking out the portrait section here for some ideas and this is an excellent opportunity for me so i really dont want to mess it up!

thanks!
 
Nice coup - great to be asked to do this, congratulations.

So... I'd ask if I could do a quick check of the room the Directors have asked to be photographed in, and ensure there is adequate 'background' available. Ask them what they would like in the background... maybe there's a plain wall, or a desk in front of a window etc. Find out what they would like then plan for that. If they give no pointers as to what they like and ask you as the tog for your opinion, you need to be aware of the surrounding and I'd still therefore do a quick check of the room to establish what's available.

Maybe consider taking a background sheet with you too...?

Looking forward to seeing the completed shots when they're sorted... good luck with this.
 
I am no expert at this but this is how I would approach it with the kit you have.

I would certainly suggest a narrow DoF e.g. f2.8 and bounce the flash off the ceiling.

Alternatively you could use your SB-600 as a wireless flash and use a "short lighting" technique to narrow the faces of the "fat cats" also using your O/B flash as a fill in making sure that you diffuse the O/B flash some how (strip of white paper I find is quite good), but watch out for specular highlights in glasses.
 
Thanks!

Luckily i work in the same building and were a pretty small company so scoping out the boardrooms wont be a problem, i was thinking about including the company logo behind them somehow and will be bringing a white sheet with me on the day.

is it natural to be shaking with fear at the thought of it!?

:bonk:
 
dizzledazzle said:
Thanks!

Luckily i work in the same building and were a pretty small company so scoping out the boardrooms wont be a problem, i was thinking about including the company logo behind them somehow and will be bringing a white sheet with me on the day.

is it natural to be shaking with fear at the thought of it!?

:bonk:
Click to expand...
Well, considering this is mixing your hobby with your professional work - I'd say is the reason for the hubbily jubbilies...:)

I am sure you will be cool. :thumbs:
 
Thanks for the advice so far guys, i think im going to bring my kit with me tommorow and set it up in there at lunch and get some practice shots to see what the light is like etc, ill try with the flash mounted and wireless and see what works best, should hopefully increase my confidence!

If i pull it off it will awesome CV material!

Thansk again!
 
As john says background will be all important .. Im thinking a typical board members shot, in my mind anyway, is the traditional members around the mantelpiece type shot... Or possibly grouped against the wall with high hung gilded portraits of some Chairmans, type thing.... maybe gathered around a large table looking in one direction, tricky dof with that one.

You'll want to avoid shadows, soft light, so bounce your flash off the ceiling if you have to use it at all. ... Id go for slower exposures to compensate (get them to be still) ... hopefully some light from windows illuminating the room, be sure to correct your white balance for any florescent tubes etc.
 
The 2 boardrooms we have are not that big, there is a big table in there, so them all looking at the camera could work very well, we are a computer games company and there are shelves with our products on there, id quite like to include that somehow, could maybe take the place of the mantelpiece!
 
The other aspect i need to sort out is payment, i was asked how much i would charge for it but having never done a paid shoot before i dont know what a reasonable amount is?

due to the fact this will be my first shoot, id be happy to do it for nowt but who am i to say no to payment, especially as theres plenty of other camera toys i want (need!)

Im not sure how long its going to take, id say no more than 90mins and know normally, the shoot is free but the the images are whars charged for..
 
Will they be paying you anyway...? i.e. in the time you are there and should be doing your own work but won't be because you will be taking their photographs...?

If you're going to charge for the photo's, perhaps consider doing a 'bundle' where they get nn number of prints at X" x Y" for a fixed price. Seems better than going into detail for specific shots.
 
I didn't see anybody mention a (D-I-Y) reflector, dizzle. That could come in handy. Both with flash light and with ambient light.
 
It will be classified as seperate from my work and i have been asked for a price to do it, tbh, its a real opportunity for me to do what ive always wanted to do which is full time photography and that will be payment enough for me!

W.Smith - I hadnt even thought of a reflector, im guessing some white fabric pulled tightly over a frame of somekind would be ok?

Cant thank you guys enough, im feeling more confident already! ill get the pics up once its all done..
 
Great that your confidence is high matey... go for it and remember one thing... you MUST enjoy it. You deserve it... go go go... :thumbs:
 
dizzledazzle said:
I hadnt even thought of a reflector, im guessing some white fabric pulled tightly over a frame of somekind would be ok?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that would be reflective enough, dizzle.

I'd get one or two large (5'x3') lightweight foam boards (from Home Depot or some such), crumple then stretch aluminium household foil carefully, spray-glue the foam board, attach the alu foil to the board with the dull side (shiny side outside), flatten/iron (without heat!), and your reflector is ready!
You could use tape to clean up the edge.

Have fun!
 
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