The photographs I took of St Paul’s Cathedral in the summer of 2019 were part of the first planned photo shoot I have put together. Planning this shoot was a new and novel experience to me and I am delighted with the results.
As this was my first planned shoot, here are some tips that I uncovered.
Research - Use the internet to help plan your shoot ahead of time. Google maps is very useful for getting a feel for a location and a simple internet search will provide you with many insights from tourist websites and other photographers.
Scouting - If possible, conduct a reconciliation visit to your shoot site. Map out the pictures you want to take and if possible, take a camera with you. This will help ensure you get the pictures you want on the day and will help you plan what to take.
Time of Year - Different times of year provide varying light conditions, consider your subject and what you are looking to achieve. Also the sun sets at different times through out the year, ensure you know what time you need to be at your subject site to get the photos you want. I made this mistake at St Paul’s and ended up being out until midnight as it didn’t get dark until 9:30pm!
Gear - Put serious consideration into what you need to take. Taking everything will slow you down (problematic if time is of the essence i.e. sunset) and could actually reduce your enjoyment of the shoot.
Permission - Investigate as to whether permission is required to take photos. This is common on private land and in public spaces (churches / cathedrals etc). You don’t want to get stopped halfway through your shoot.
Hopefully these tips might help you out and help you plan a photo shoot in the near future.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Cheers!
