# Anatomy of a Retail Shoot



## tirediron (Sep 20, 2016)

I seem to be doing more and more events, team photography, and other work where I’m shooting a lot of people in a short time, and often in less than ideal locations.  It occurred to me that my methodology might be of some use to others (most likely as the way not to do things, but anyway…), so here’s a (not very) brief run-down on how I approach such a job.

Potential client calls with enquiry.  The initial conversation is usually simply a cost estimate & availability check.  Assuming I’m available, I ask the client the nature of the event, the location, duration, and what they expect (for instance, at the last reunion I did, they wanted the usual candids of the event, a portrait booth and group photos).  I take a day or two, plan the shoot and get back to the client with a price.  Assuming they are happy with the price we then start the actual planning.

I have a number of questions that I go through, in no particular order, but I make sure I get them all.  First I ask for a sequence of events; in other words, what’s happening and when.  I make sure I ask if there are any key events, or attendees/speakers who are of special significance.  I ask them when they want me on-site and ready to start, and when I am finished.  I next ask when I can arrive (often they don’t know, more on this in a moment) and when I can start set-up.  I also ask for the name & contact number of their liaison at the venue, especially if it’s one I’ve not worked at before.  Lastly, I ask them how and when they prefer to be contacted if I have further questions.  At this point, depending on the client and the scope of the event, I may or may not draft and send a contract/agreement.  Most smaller events I do on a “handshake”; I’ve not had any issues.

Once I’ve got all the information I need from the client I contact the venue and arrange to meet with the client’s liaison.  If it’s one that I’ve worked before I may just call and ask if anything has changed, but generally, I try and do an advance recce, and if I’ve never been there, I always do (this is something to consider in your billing; it’s generally at least one, and usually about two hours and adds to the total price).  When I’m meeting with the venue staff, I try and get as much information as possible.  They know the place, they’ve seen other events, they have a lot of good information.  I ask them what other photographers do, where they set up, etc.  I don’t usually do the same thing, but often it’s a source of ideas.  When I do the recce, I always have a notebook, measuring tape and my cell phone.  Things I’m looking for are the location and direction of light, (both sunlight and interior), the room layout (where tables will be, where the bar will be, where speeches will made from, etc…) and where I can set up.  I’m also looking for electrical outlets; in modern buildings that’s fairly easy, but older ones don’t always have as much readily available access to electricity as we’d like.  I generally take a few cell phone snaps and diagram things along with key distances if necessary.

 Next on the list is to get the paperwork done.  This consists of printing signs with prices for the portrait booth (since this is the major revenue generator, it’s pretty damn important) as well as contact cards (I generally do a ‘4 up’ on 8 1/2x11 with my name, contact info, and an event-specific link & QR code).  I also produce a number of ‘Portrait Booth This Way” signs with arrows in various directions.  Lastly, I print off client information sheets.  This is a simple Excel table with BIG spaces for name, telephone #, mailing & e-mail addresses, and an empty space for a sequential number.

At that point, there’s not much to do until the evening before or the morning of when I check all my gear, charge batteries, clean sensors, format cards, etc,  load the gear into the truck, and get my clothes ready.  Always make sure that you know the dress for the event, and try and match it.  For instance, at the recent military reunion I did it was semi-formal.  I wore dress pants, shirt & dress shoes.  Shooting I&T for the high-school football team?  Jeans & t-shirt!

So, what gear?  Always way more than I need, but I can’t stand the thought of not being prepared.  For the reunion I had:  Two bodies, enough memory cards to shoot about three weddings, and lenses from 14-200.  Three speedlights and 30+ rechargeable AAs, portable studio set-up with background & lights (mine is a 5 light Speedotron Brownline kit), at least two more lightstands than I plan to use, and two sand-bags for each stand.  I have couple of extension cords, and most importantly, my ‘tickle trunk’.  This is a HUGE plastic Plano tool box which holds all the odds & ends.  Important things a bag of clamps & clips, rolls of gaff tape, umbrella bracksets, small ball heads several clamps & magic arms, LINT ROLLERS, lots of spare spigots, dry-erase markers, an 11x14 dry-erase board, etc.  I also have a medium-size Rubbermaid tub with my display stuff.  This has sample prints a portfolio book, extra business cards, etc.

My goal is to arrive at the event at least one hour before I’m supposed to start.  I rarely need more than 45 minutes, but sometimes when it’s a long walk from where you can park to where you have to set up (one venue I work a couple of times a year requires about a ten minute trip each way), the time can add up.  Once all my gear is inside, I set up the portrait station, my display table and double-check all the lighting.  My normal MO is leave one body set up for portraits with the 85 and one with the 24-70 & speedlight for general walk-around candid work.  I have the speedlight on a TTL cord and use a Rogue Flashbender for diffusion.  The candid aspect is pretty straight-forward.  I’ve determined in advance when key events will be happening and who (if any) the guests of importance are.  On this… stay flexible and learn to anticipate and expect changes.  Remember:  No battle plan survives first contact!

As far as the portraits go, depending on the nature of the event and size/location, I either have a sign telling people just to ‘flag me down’ if they want a portrait, or I list specific times when I will be there.  The procedure here is to take the customer’s information down, write their number on the white board, shoot them with the white board and then do the session.







 I make sure that I give them one of the contact cards I mentioned earlier and tell them when they can expect their images to be available.  I generally tell people 2-3 weeks and try and turn around in 1-2; under promise and over-deliver!

Once I get home, no matter what time, the very first thing I ALWAYS do is to copy the cards to my computer and to my back-up drive.  I never go to bed, or do anything else before I do that!  With that all done, it’s now simply a matter of processing the images and delivering them in the manner agreed to with the client.  Often this is simply uploading them to the client side of my website for download.  With the portrait images, I process for proofing and e-mail each client (as the majority are generally out of town) a gallery of their images from which they can choose the one(s) they want printed.  They e-mail or telephone me, and I have the prints made and sent.  Payment is made by cash, cheque or credit-card.

Since I didn’t get a shot of the set-up of the reunion mentioned above, here’s one from a football team session I did the other day.  The process is identical for the player photos and for the portrait booth.  In this set-up, I decided to do two looks for each player; one a typical portrait (key, fill and hair lights) and one a more dramatic look using a tightly gridded light on each side.  To do this, I used to power supplies (an 800 w/s unit for the portrait look, and a 200 w/s unit for the “dramatic” look) each with a PW on a different channel, and simply switched channels on the transmitter.





(Note:  Don't pay attention to the messy cables - I'd already started to pack up when I realized I wanted to take the picture)

I hope this long, rambling blurb has been of some use or interest….    If you actually managed to get this far, thanks!  If you  have a question, ask away!


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## Hunter Rob (Sep 22, 2016)

"No battle survives first contact", so very true in more ways than one. I shot a wedding back in April this year. I scouted the venue. No garden, drab building on the outside, even more lifeless inside. I had met the couple and discussed their expectations, wants, and desires. But upon seeing the venue the plan evaporated like mist before the morning sun. On the day of the wedding shooting was on the fly, no plan. The bridegrooms brother who was supposed to herd all the important people together for the group photos was drunk and on his own mission. Somehow the group photos came together. The bride and grooms photo session took place near a mine dump, but there were lush trees and grass, cropped the dump out here and there. Later the evening I set up a picnic basket and candles out side. I got them to sit on the blanket and embrace and kiss and just be in love. Those photos were taken only with candle light. I converted them to black and white. Those shots were the shots they liked the most. 
Never again (is a long time) will I agree to shoot with out seeing the venue first.


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## PersistentNomad (Sep 22, 2016)

Hunter Rob said:


> Never again (is a long time) will I agree to shoot with out seeing the venue first.


Must be nice to have that many clients banging down your door. 
But I wont' turn down a gig because of the venue, but I will be realistic with the clients about what can go wrong because of the setting.


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## tirediron (Sep 23, 2016)

Hunter Rob said:


> "No battle survives first contact", so very true in more ways than one. I shot a wedding back in April this year. I scouted the venue. No garden, drab building on the outside, even more lifeless inside. I had met the couple and discussed their expectations, wants, and desires. But upon seeing the venue the plan evaporated like mist before the morning sun. On the day of the wedding shooting was on the fly, no plan. The bridegrooms brother who was supposed to herd all the important people together for the group photos was drunk and on his own mission. Somehow the group photos came together. The bride and grooms photo session took place near a mine dump, but there were lush trees and grass, cropped the dump out here and there. Later the evening I set up a picnic basket and candles out side. I got them to sit on the blanket and embrace and kiss and just be in love. Those photos were taken only with candle light. I converted them to black and white. Those shots were the shots they liked the most.
> Never again (is a long time) will I agree to shoot with out seeing the venue first.


Nice recovery; if you can't adapt, you're not going to make it!



PersistentNomad said:


> Must be nice to have that many clients banging down your door.
> But I wont' turn down a gig because of the venue, but I will be realistic with the clients about what can go wrong because of the setting.


  And that's key.  As long as people know and understand what they're getting, they're usually happy.


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## terri (Sep 23, 2016)

Hey, what's up with the messy cables in that last shot?


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## corporate photographer (Oct 7, 2016)

Good working structure to your business.


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## tirediron (Oct 7, 2016)

terri said:


> Hey, what's up with the messy cables in that last shot?





corporate photographer said:


> Good working structure to your business.


Thanks!


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## otherprof (Oct 7, 2016)

tirediron said:


> I seem to be doing more and more events, team photography, and other work where I’m shooting a lot of people in a short time, and often in less than ideal locations.  It occurred to me that my methodology might be of some use to others (most likely as the way not to do things, but anyway…), so here’s a (not very) brief run-down on how I approach such a job.
> 
> Potential client calls with enquiry.  The initial conversation is usually simply a cost estimate & availability check.  Assuming I’m available, I ask the client the nature of the event, the location, duration, and what they expect (for instance, at the last reunion I did, they wanted the usual candids of the event, a portrait booth and group photos).  I take a day or two, plan the shoot and get back to the client with a price.  Assuming they are happy with the price we then start the actual planning.
> 
> ...


I'm exhausted just reading this. So it's not just an expensive camera . . .


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## tirediron (Oct 7, 2016)

otherprof said:


> I'm exhausted just reading this. So it's not just an expensive camera . . .


  It's not?????


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