Calm Down

I went into the studio earlier this week hoping to photograph a pair of earrings dangling from a leaf. No matter what I tried it just didn't come out the way I envisioned it. I started to get all stressed out. Instead of taking a break and trying to calm down I went on trying new ways hoping that I could leave with something, a photograph that I could be proud of. Instead I ended up cutting my hand with some scissors and became even more stressed. To the point that I wanted to tare my hair out.

When you become this stressed it's a good idea to take a break, sit down and breathe. If this doesn't work then maybe you weren't meant to work in the studio today. I ended up leaving with a photograph I liked but I had to change from shooting earrings to a hair clip. Maybe if I wasn't so stressed I would have got the shot I was aiming for.

My advice, if you are stressed, take a break and come back to it later in the day. Maybe it would be a good idea to put it of till the next day. Give your chance to regroup and plan.

Second Pair of Eyes

Don't expect to get it all right in one go! As hard as you try to make a sparkling image it will always have a way it can be improved. Sometimes you'll catch a mistake other times someone else will catch it for you. It's nice to have a second pair of eyes to be your backup. I just got done shooting a necklace and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the chain right. Showing the image to someone else to get a suggestion I was given an idea on how to correct the problem. Just use the wire to my hard drive to help out the curve. Probably wouldn't have thought about that if it wasn't for a second pair of eyes.

Little Kids in the Studio

Today I learned how hard it is to work in the studio with a little kid running around. I had a shoot with a model and she has a son thats about 16 monts old. I was able to get every thing set up and get her going and then the little boy found out how to make the lights flash. So he kept pushing the button over and over again. Each time I would run after him trying to stop him before he blew a braker. Finally I got to the point where I decided to hold him in my left hand and shoot with my right hand. It was very stressful and I would not recomend bringing a young child unless you had someone there to watch the kid. I was able to get my shoot done but I kept feeling as though I had to hurry it along. At one point I turned my head and the child wondered into the next room.

The lesson I learned was to not bring little kids without a babysitter.

Amazing Odds

This last week I had a photoshoot of models to do. I originally had 3 models scheduled, one was going to meet me while the other 2 I was planning on picking up. Out of the 3 models I had, 2 of them cancelled on me. I really needed these models and they were cancelling on me. I mentioned this problem to my lil brother who is in high school and he decided to text his friends to see if I could find a replacement for me. Sure enough he was able to find 2 girls.

It turned out to be my lucky day, 2 of my models had to cancel on me but I was able to replace those 2 models. Just by calling around and asking my friends, and my brother's friends. The lesson is, don't give up until the last possible minute!

Model No Show

Working with models can be frustrating! You don't always know the person you will be working with and therefore you don't really know if they are relible. Sometimes they don't show up, there late, or lie about there apperance. You never know for sure what your going to get. Once you find a model it's nice to work with the same one as many times as you can and to always be prepared for the unexpected.

Cancellation

I had a model cancel on me the night before the shoot. This was one of the few times I didn't have a back up plan. Trying to find a replacement model can be difficult, which is why it's nice to have a backup model

Late

A late model is almost as bad as a cancellation, especially when the model shows up 30 minutes to an hour before your studio time ends. When a model is late you have to rush through your shoot or accept that you wont get what you wanted.

You want to try and have everything set up before your model gets to the shoot, that or have something they can do while you finish setting up like signing the model release form. Things don't always go the way you planned so it's nice to have a back up plan, maybe schedule and extra model just in case.

Things wont always go as you planned when it comes to models. So be prepared for the unexpected and have a back up plan

Lesson 1

What's better product or portrait photography? They both have there ups and downs, things that can frustrate the photographer. Over the next few weeks I will be working on both and decide to document the ups and downs that I go through, starting from earlier this week.

I had a photo shoot of a watch to do. This was the first time I photographed a watch, my lighting class neglected to teach me the trick. When something like this happens it's nice to know other photographers and get some advice. I stood there, trying to decided how to light the watch until finally I gave in and asked a fellow photographer who gave me tips on how to light a watch. And told me what I needed to look out for.  The shoot turned out great or so I think! Without some guidance I would never have been able to pull off the shoot.

The main point is that it's nice to have friends in your profession that are willing to give you advice and help you out.