DISCLAIMER: All opinions expressed here are strictly my own and have also been known to change over time. I am a work-in-progress. I am not always right. I do not consider myself an expert at anything or necessarily uniquely qualified to provide advice (if given) that may be helpful to you. But advice, when given, is intended only for a positive purpose. All readers are encouraged to always inform themselves in greater detail and make up their own minds with regards to anything I might write. To get a better idea of who I am, my experience, and where I'm coming from, see my "about me" blog entry.
Hey Folks -
Ok, I admit it. I've been a little stumped about what to write in my blog lately. While I've got some ideas for eventual blog posts, I can't force myself to write about them until the "timing's right" and I feel like it. It's just one of those things.
Most of the time things just come to me and I think "hey, that'd make a good blog entry" and I write about 'em. But lately, the "ideas pipeline" has been a little dry.
So this morning I was sitting here with my laptop and banging my head against the wall (not really) trying to come up with something to write about. Something that would likely be of interest to my audience.
And just when I thought the "ideas fairy" was going to delivery, she got sucked into a black hole and hasn't been seen or heard from since.
So I'm on my own here.
The best I could come up with was to ask you folks (my "readers") if there was anything about me (not that I'm terribly interesting), my services and whatnot that you'd be interested in asking? I mean, is there anything from a photographer's point of view that you'd be interested in getting some information about?
Got a question? Lemme here it. Even if you think it's silly. I'm all ears.
If you're not too shy, just hit the "comment" button below to ask your question (or simply comment). Otherwise, you can email me directly, though it may take me a little while to get back to ya.
I hope everyone is having a great week!
Zero Dean
[I'll post the answer to the first question I get below and then handle any additional question in follow-up blog entries]
Q: What can the Actor do to achieve the best shoot?
Good question. Thanks.
There's a document I've written that I send out to all of my client prior to a shoot. One of the first things written in that document is a quote that says:
"Good fortune is when preparedness meets opportunity".
And there's another on page 2:
"Your chances of success in any undertaking can always be measured by your belief in yourself."
– Robert Collier
I obviously put both of those quotes in because I feel they're important.
I think when it comes to preparing for a shoot, one of the best things you can do is find a photographer you can "connect" with. To me, this means finding someone that you feel comfortable and be "yourself" around. Often, this is much easier said, than done.
I think being comfortable during a shoot is a major key to getting great and natural looking photographs. But it's not as simple as it sounds. There are a lot of things that go into picking a photographer you can be comfortable with. It's much more than just finding someone who is technically good at what they do. It means finding someone that you can relax with.
I've seen some very technically good photographers bark orders at their subjects or cop an attitude with the person they are shooting and still get some good shots (or at least I presume they do, from looking at decent work in their portfolio), but I believe this potentially kills something in the photo and if they could find some way to make their subjects comfortable while working with them, their work would be that much better than it already is.
Another aspect of being comfortable involves being prepared for the actual shoot itself. This means anticipating some of the things you want to capture. If it means practicing in a mirror before a shoot (although that sounds silly to most people), do it. If it means trying on 12 different outfits to find the one that matches your skin tone or the look you want to convey, then do it. If it means whitening your teeth so you're not self-conscious about them, do it. All of these things will only make you feel more confident about yourself when you go to do a shoot. And confidence is another key to getting great photos.
When you feel good about yourself and project confidence, everything about you in a photograph is accentuated in a positive way.
And speaking of confidence... picking a photographer you have confidence in is also important. You don't want to be working with someone you have doubts about. Your doubt during a shoot will inevitably show up in your photos.
You've got to be able to have some degree of trust that the photographer you're working with knows what they're doing and, despite wherever you may be shooting, that you're going to get some great shots. The more you're worried about what's going on during a shoot, the more likely your photos are going to suffer.
As a way to help put some people at ease (or to ease my own insecurities), I've sometimes felt it necessary to explain to clients that although we were shooting in "X" location with such-and-such in the background, not to worry, because I am aware of how things will appear in the resulting photographs and that "all is good".
How do you get this confidence? Honestly, I don't know, but I'm not suggesting you simply trust or blindly follow any photographer you work with. With headshots, you're generally pretty safe, but there are lots of other types of photography where doing so can be a dangerous path. And based on my own experience with photographers, I'm not one to put my trust forth quickly or blindly to anyone.
So in this case, I think you often just have to go with your gut. But this is after doing such things as talking to photographers beforehand when you're shopping around and look at their work, picturing yourself in it, etc.
Zero Dean
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