Three Factors for a Successful Photoshoot
When prepping for an upcoming photoshoot, there are three things you are going to want to keep in mind. They are lighting, styling of your family, and connection. The combination of these three things is what is going to elevate the end results of your shoot.
Lighting
Let’s start with lighting, as in my opinion, it is definitely the most important! Lighting plays a major role in the look and feel of your session. For the best results, you are going to want to select a location and time of day that will lend itself to a soft/diffused light source.
You might be asking yourself, what does that mean?
Well, on a sunny day, that would mean one of two things. The most optimal time to shoot, on a sunny day, is at golden hour, the hour before sunset. At this time, the sun is low in the sky, and creates a softer light to work with. The higher the sun is in the sky, for example, around noon, the harsher the sun is, and the harsher the shadows are in the image. When the sun is high in the sky and harsh, you have to have the light land on the subjects face a very specific way in order to have shadows that are attractive. Imagine how difficult that can be to achieve with little ones. Certain moments may happen to work out, but at the same time, there are probably an equal amount of moments, if not more, that could have been amazing, but the little one just happened to look in a direction that caused shadows that weren’t flattering on their face. Had it been the same situation, in a soft light scenario, that same moment could have been captured beautifully. So soft light makes it easier to capture everything. If golden hour just isn’t possible, because it’s too late in the day, then I highly recommend choosing a location that has good shade coverage. For example, a wooded location would work well, or a location that has shade from a building.
On an overcast day, we have free reign to shoot anywhere. Overcast days are my favorite! Clouds are a great natural difusser of the sun. The only problem with catching a cloudy day, is that the weather prediction changes non-stop. You really don’t know until the morning of the shoot what the weather is really going to be that day, and even then, it sometimes still changes. It’s such a challenge to predict, but when an overcast scenario occurs, it’s such a gift, and makes everything so much easier.
For more information on lighting, check out the blog post I did on this specific subject.
https://www.brigidhechtphotography.com/blog-1/2018/7/8/how-lighting-affects-a-session
It’s definitely an important piece of the puzzle to understand so that you can intentionally select the best location for the time of day you are able to start your session. When shooting outdoors, I would recommend scheduling your session as early or late in the day as possible.
Styling
Once you’ve selected the time and location of your session, you’ll want to start thinking about how you will style your family. There are a few things to keep in mind here.
First, it’s good to know that texture, layering, and a little pattern here and there, create visual interest in a photo. Whenever possible, try and weave those three things across your families’ wardrobe.
Second, when selecting the color palette for your session, pick three or four colors, and bring those colors into each family members outfit in different ways. If you want a lighter, airy vibe to your images, select lighter colors for your color palette. If you want a warmer vibe, I would recommend choosing earth tones.
Third, there are a couple things I would recommend avoiding. First, avoid anything with big logos on it. Second, stay away from neon or really bright colors. If you choose to incorporate pinks, reds, oranges or greens, be careful as to what shade you choose, and how much of it is in your outfit. Those colors can cast their color onto people’s skin when everyone is close together. It’s not something you probably notice on a day to day basis, but it shows up in photographs.
Connection
Once the factors above have all been considered and decided upon, then you can turn your attention to being aware of how your family connects with one another. Throughout the session, I will guide your family to interact. I will throw out suggestions of things to do based on what has worked for either my family or other families in the past. Having said that, your session is an opportunity for me to capture the way you love on your family. There have been so many times that I’ve been home, and holding my girls, and so wished someone was there with a camera to grab it. I would love for them to remember how it looked to be little enough to fit in my arms. Prior to your session, pay attention to the things you do to show your family that you love them or the things that you do to make them laugh. Do you hug your baby a certain way? Do you stroke their hair? Do you cradle them? Make a mental note of what those things are, and then try and bring them into your session. If you have really little ones, we may be running after them to get them to laugh and have a good time. If the moment we are capturing is fast paced like that, bring in those fast paced things you do to get a smile on your baby’s face. If the moment is quieter, take that opportunity to throw in the ways you cuddle or hold your little one to show them your love. By being aware of how you interact with your family on a daily basis, and then incorporating that into your session, I will be able to authentically capture you.
So with all of that said, following is a maternity session that I recently shot at Silver Sands in Milford, CT. The shoot started an hour and a half before sunset, so the light was soft. The family chose a pallet of very light colors for their wardrobe. Those lighter tones, along with the beach setting, created a lighter vibe to the overall tone of their images. Finally, they brought their love to the session, and they were present in the moment. It was a beautiful night, and there is just nothing better than being down by the water, taking in that tranquility, as the sun is setting on the day. Congratulations to this beautiful family who I am SO excited to see grow into a family of four!!!!
