A Studioless Photoshoot Guide

The Studioless Photoshoot Guide.

We are not all experienced models or actors that know what to do at a photo shoot, we turn up, and hope for the best.  Maybe we get lucky and the photographer is experienced and is good at directing their clients in their first photoshoot.

And let us be honest, having your photo taken is a personal thing, a lot of us don’t like it, it makes us nervous or anxious and can make us act out of character.

But what if you had a guide to help you along?

To put you at ease, to make you more confident.  

I’m not saying this guide is a magic pill that makes you the most confident, photogenic person in the world, but if it’s something that can help you and the photographer produce better results, better photographs, then that can only be a good thing for both of them.

That is what this guide will hopefully do. 

Before we begin with this guide.  I have a disclaimer.   I do not have a photography studio, so all my portraits are outdoors and potentially in places where the weather, changing rooms and transport will vary.  This Guide is for this.  

So let us begin.

1. Pre Photoshoot.  Personal VS Professional.

This is the most important part of the whole process, what happened way before you even book the photoshoot and turn up. 

The initial conversations you have with the photographer, they’ll ask you questions, what type of style, location or need do the photos require for you to be happy with them?

Are they for your website, linkedin page?  So they need a professional vibe.

Are they for your actor portfolio?  To show your versatility and look. 

Or are the photos for something more personal, maybe a dating profile, for a personal brand rather than for business or work. These photoshoots will show off you as a person, your personality and own style and not necessarily your professional persona. 

These then will guide you into how to dress, how to style your hair, add makeup, location type and so on. 

So, even before you begin to look for a photographer, have a think about what type of photoshoot it is.  

But if you don’t know just yet and need some assistance in figuring out exactly what you need, get in contact with the photographer anyway, and any self respecting photographer will help you figure this out and put your mind at ease. 

2. Location, Location, Location. 

So, the type of photoshoot helps you define what style you have, ie, your hair, makeup and outfit, but location is a bit different.  

You may have some ideas of where to do your photoshoot, they may be great ideas and the photoshoot will be done there. 

But what if there are better locations, locations that the photographer has done photoshoots at already or seen on their photowalks. They’ll hopefully be able to tell you a lot about the location and why it is good and any potential bad points too.  

Even a scouting trip is a good idea either on your own or with the photographer to see if the location works or not.  This would be a great experience as you’ll know how to get there, what to expect and when it comes time to do the photoshoot, you’ll know what is going on, how long it takes, what facilities are there, and have less stress and anxiety as a result.

It is almost the same as going for a job interview, there is advice that tells us to do some recon and head to the where the interview is the day before to know what to expect and reduce the stress of the actual day of the interview. Same here for the photoshoot. 

Something else to consider here is public versus private land.  We’ll need to make sure it is public and whether we need to ask permission to use the location, this can slow things down, but it is important to not break laws and keep people happy. 

3. Safety.

This is a big one for me and for many others. 

I’ll always advise, depending on the type of photoshoot, time and location, to make sure you are safe and to let people know where you are at all times, maybe even bring a trusted friend with you.  And the photographer should do the same when appropriate.  

Being in a secluded location with someone you don’t really know can be disconcerting and your safety should always come before the photoshoot.  

While it can be difficult to bring it up and have conversations about this, make sure you are honest and upfront about any concerns you may have with the photographer and the photographer should be able to do the same.

They should be understanding and be adaptable to your needs here and suggest ways to overcome this.   

4. Posing.

This is totally defined by the type of photoshoot you are having.  You probably won’t be in a provocative pose for a business photoshoot, right?  That is obvious, but there are still so many nuances that can be considered.  

Posed portrait outside cardiff castle

A suggestion would be to do some research online, find some portraits and headshots you like and that fits the type of photoshoot.  Share them with the photographer and they’ll add them to the shot list for when the photoshoot takes place, so they can fit it into the schedule.

If all these 4 steps are done, the photoshoot will seem less daunting and nerve racking, making it go more smoothly and in the end produce the results that everyone wants, a great bunch of photos.

Got any questions on this guide or want to discuss a photoshoot?  Get in contact.

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