Today I am talking all about etiquette, well photo shoot etiquette that is. Now don’t get scared this isn’t nearly as involved as learning which spoon you start with when sitting down to a formal dinner this is just all about things that you can do to help us as photographers capture the best possible photos during your session.
- Show up 5-10 mins early. This one is a HUGE one and the reason I put it first! As a photographer I typically shoot more then just one session on any given weekend date. This means I could be traveling all over the city and might have only 30 mins between sessions. Showing up 10 mins late can really effect your session. If I do have another session booked after you I won’t be able to stay late, thus you will have less shooting time. The other reason it is really important to show up on time or early is for lighting. If we have planned a sunset session and you are running behind this could hugely impact the light for your shoot and you could miss the most amazing gold light. Best advise, show up a couple mins early that way you get the full time for your session and won’t feel rushed!
- We love that you have put some time and research into the poses, but please don’t come with a huge Pinterest list of poses you like. As a photographer we are very creative people. Nothing makes us happier then when our clients have booked us becasue they love our work and fully trust us to create beautiful photos for them. I don’t mind having you show me a photo you have seen and we can use it as inspiration for your shoot but to bring a 10-20 must have shot list kills us and it also kinda defeats the purpose of our job. Trust in your photographers eye and give them the room to create those lasting memories.
- Not everything can be Photoshopped. I don’t know how many times a month I hear “you can just photoshop that right?” Wrong! Not everything can be Photoshopped out. It takes a lot of work (like hours and hours) to remove, fix, change, things in Photoshop. Its not just a magical program you can upload the photo to and it does it itself. Yes Photoshop it a great tool, but thats it, it is a tool we can use as photographers. So please don’t ask me to make you 20 pounds thinner, or a foot taller, cause it just won’t happen.
- Dress appropriate for the location. If we are heading out to the mountains for your session come prepared. This means wearing footwear that matches the location i.e. not 4 inch heels on the side of a mountain, or a mini skirt in the middle of winter. By dressing for the shoot correctly, means you won’t be sore, and cold and your shoot will run more smoothly.
- Please don’t ask for all the photos or the Raw images. We aren’t trying to hurt your feelings by saying no or trying to rip you off. The reason we don’t give you every photo is because not every photo works out. You might be blinking, or we might not have got our setting correctly so you are under exposed. As photographers we work really hard to make sure you only look your best and the photos we give out match our brand. If we gave you every photo and you posted on social media a photo that is under exposed that wouldn’t be a good representation of our work. Also raw files are HUGE and a lot of the time, unless you are a photographer, your computer doesn’t have the program to read those files so you wouldn’t be able to open them. Trust your photographer that the photos they are giving you are the very best and the other photos you don’t see aren’t worth seeing anyways.
- When you receive your photos after the shoot and you post them on social media, please don’t add those terrible Instagram filters. We have worked for hours to edit your photos to meet our brand, quality, and look so by throwing on an awful sepia filter breaks our heart. Its kinda like deciding the Mona Lisa would look better in black and white so you repaint it. Leonardo da Vinci would be turning over in his grave if this happened! Also it is also a nice touch if when you do post your photos on social media if you do give us photo credit. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy but a quick “got my photos back from Paisley Photography and I love them” or even photo credit: Paisley Photography works 🙂
- Have payment ready. No one likes to ask for money or even talk about payment. It’s awkward and I hate doing it. By having the email transfer set up before the shoot or bringing a cheque or cash to the shoot makes everyone lives easier. The last thing I want to do is put off editing your photos until I have received payment. I like to have the photos edited and back to you right away, but without full payment I can’t do this. By coming prepared makes both our lives easier.
A photo session is a time for you to have fun, relax and for us to capture memories that you can cherish for a lifetime. By working together and knowing a few simple tips we can have the best session possible.
If your looking for a Engagement Photography and are in the Calgary, Cochrane, Canmore or Banff area get in touch with me at info@paisleyphotos.ca
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