I've read a lot of articles lately about workflow. Most of the start out by saying something to the effect that no matter how many you read you just have to come up with your own. This is very true. Photography is itself a creative endeavor. You can break the workflow into three major parts. Pre-shoot, the shoot and post-shoot. In this entry I am going to discuss the workflow that I generically use at UKV Photos.
Pre-shoot
1 - Discuses clients want, needs and desires for shoot
This may sound like a simple one but it will surprise you how often it is over looked. Take the extra time to spend with your client and get in their head for the shoot, once you have their concept you can twist it or spin it to meet your style. Mostly at this point I am trying to figure out why they want me to take the pictures and what they expect to get back in the end. You can bang out some location ideas or clothing choices. Also give them the list of things you do and don't want on the day of the shoot. Remember ultimately you are selling your images to this client; it is their call which ones they use and don't use
2 - Case the location, when practical, for backgrounds and potential problems.
If I have enough time I go to the location and look for good places to shoot. With any luck I already know the venue and have some ideas to start with. For example for Carmie and Greg's wedding they were going to be shooting at a local park. I knew from my talk with Carmie that she wanted the falls int eh background as much as possible. A few days before the big day I went over to the park near the same time that they were planning to have the event. I learned a few things and found a few spots I wanted to shoot in. The problem I was faced with was that the entire part would be directly in the sun and facing the sun. For the images of the couple I moved them into the shade but used the river (such as it is) for a background.
3 - Contact the client to confirm location, date and time of shoot.
Two to three days before the shoot call the client and chat with them about the shoot, confirm all the vital info and make sure you remind them of things they need to bring. Partly this is to make sure that nothing has changed since the initial consult. Mostly this is so you can discuss any ideas you had when you visited the location.
4 - Check gear.
Time to rummage into your camera equipment and locate all the goodies you plan to use at the shoot. Once you have them all located you need to make sure each is working in top condition. Charge batteries, and all that other good stuff. Clients may understand if a piece of gear doesn't work or if it stops working at the shoot but not if you forgot it. Avoid the whole issue, make a check list of you needs and check each piece of equipment twice. Make sure they are all functioning properly and make notes of ones that are not and set them aside.
5 - Pack for shoot.
The night before the shoot, pack it all away, except the batteries that are still on the chargers and check it all one last time. I always leave my bag setting open when the batteries are not in it so I do not forget them the next day.
The Shoot
1 - Leave house 30-45 min early.
This one is key…I like to be early. I want time to look the site over, collect myself and be in the right frame of mind. Rushing in to the site at the last second is never a good plan. It makes you look unprofessional.
2 - Set-up gear.
If you have conducted the client meetings well you already have a shot list made up, set up for the first shot and wait for the client to arrive. By setup I mean have your assistant stand in and take a few test shots and get everything ready. You want to be able to make the first series of shots a part of the whole get them comfortable thing.
3 - Meet client and chat them up.
OK, now you are ready. Just wait on the clients and when they get there start schmoozing them. Your goal is to relax them thus giving you a better chance of catching them looking stunning. This is where you have to turn into the people person. Make casual conversation, offer them a drink talk about what you are going to do that day, get them in place explain what stuff is for, whatever it takes to get them to relax.
4 - Start shoot.
Take the shots, remember you are in charge but don't be all directorish, if something happens and you like it click it. Of course you have your shot list be enough of a director to get what you came after. During the shoot is another time you have to make them comfortable. Having a screen that they can see the images on is great. For location shooting a portable DVD player (thanks to Dave Tejeda for that tip.) is excellent. This lets the client see what the camera has captured. In a studio (I wish I had one) placing a similar monitor would not be a bad idea. Above all else remember to have fun, if you are having fun the client is most likely having fun or at the least seeing that you are. Clients need to see your enthusiasm for the work.
5 - Meet with client to set up a time to call them for materials review.
When all is said and done for the day, make sure you have set up a time for delivery of the proofs or a time to review the images with them. Send them on their way feeling good about the shoot, make absolutely certain that you are positive about what you took that day.
6 - Pack it in.
Now they are gone, tear down you gear, stow it in the vehicle and take a break. Hey you need one at this point. Clients can be a handful sometimes. My favorite way to take a break after a shoot is to find a convince store and for a cold drink. Then if there is something of interest in the area that I want to shoot for my own personal reason I will go do that. Remember you are in this business because you like taking photographs, so make sure that you have fun too.
Post-shoot
1 - Return home.
Hopefully your brain remembers the way home. On some of the WV back roads I end up on a TOMTOM unit would come in handy, but I don't own one. Instead I settle for a simple state road map. Properly imbossed with the current Governors image. Don't want an old one...that squigle I am on might be a road or it might be lunch. Always use a new one!
2 - Breathe big sigh of relief.
Your home, kick off your shoes and relax, just not to much because the real work is just starting. YOu still have to look at all the images and run your post production workflow on it.
3 - Copy files from camera bodies to computer.
Transfer your files to your computer, I use Adobe Lightroom for this task. But there is any number of methods to do so.
4 - Process the images.
a - Quick and Dirty review.
This review is just what it sounds like, you quickly go throught the set of images and discard the ones that are true garbage. It happens, particulary at the reception, you miss a setting or someone turns their head at the last second. The back of a head is not very intersting. When I remove these from the list of shots I mark them as rejected in lightroom, they are not really deleted just hidden from view.
b - Crop to 8x10.
Once I have the first draft images I adjust the basic crop to an 8x10 aspect ratio. Again I use lightroom so all of my adjustments are non-destructive.
c - Make global color adjustments.
Its not a galomours process but I may need to make a series of global color adjustments. For example on of the facilities I shoot in frequently is very very warm. Even when I white balance the camera I still find it needs additioanl adjustments on the back side. These are not detailed adjustments just the get it in the ballpark. I can fine tune it when I am doing the individual review of the images.
d - Individual close review.
Now the rubber hits the road, I will have to evaluate each of the images I elected to keep earlier and see if they meet the requiremtns of the shoot. Some will some won't. More often that not you have more than you have less. As I go through I begin to look at the little details. Things like flash in the eyes, where the model is looking, highlights, and the other little things that make an image.
e - Re-crop.
Some of the images may work better if I refocus the view from what I orginaly intended. To do this I will use the crop tool and recrop the image to strengthen the composition.
f - Make additional color or other digital adjustments.
Now that I am looking at single images, I will make fine tuening adjustmet to color or any of the many other small adjustments it takes to make the image look the way I want it.
g - Add any special effects or post production options at clients request.
The client ma have requested a certain special effect or may have requested re-touching on certain images. At this point I will make these adjustments. This might be as simple as removing a few wrinkles or something far more complex. These types of adjustmest I usually make using Photoshop. I have been a long time user of the program and even for a short time taught its use at a local New Horizons.
h - Prep for web upload.
I'll export the images that are to go to my website and then upload the images to my website gallery – I use a service named SMUGMUG, these folks are the bomb in my opinion. They provide many featuers and a number of printing options. Plus I can set up web galleries easily. I use a number of other vendors as well.
i - Create contact sheets and other presentation material.
Now that you have completed the post processing, create your contact sheets or order your proofs, depending on your business model.
5 - Contact client to confirm review time.
Give the client a call and confirm the date, time and location to deliver the review material.
6 - Meet with client.
Meet up with your client, let them go over the material, point out some of your favorites, make some recommendations and let them know the ordering process.
7 - Process clients print order.
Process the client's orders as soon as they come in. I do a great deal of my work through the internet, so a lot of times I only have to approve the proofs online to complete the sale. Again this is where SMUGMUG comes in handy.
8 - Breath bigger sigh of relief.
That's it your done, time to get ready for the next client. Or if you are lucky(good) and doing well you will be meeting with them in a few hours for their shoot. If you are doing even better you probaly have another order to finish up.
