When photographers can't do it all

​Written by guest blogger Angela Fortin.

Hi there! I am Angela, a professional photographer in Columbus going on 7 years now. Throughout my photo journey I have photographed 150+ weddings, senior portraits, family photos, event photography, and created studio and on-location shoots. I've worked with companies as well as private individuals.

One big thing I've learned is the client/photographer relationship MUST have open communication and planning - which is how it yields the best results. Photographers get to prepare to do our best job to capture the event for the client to get great images!

As much as we like to hope for this best case scenario - it doesn't always work out that way and that's what I want to talk about: when photographers have no or very little control over taking some "not so cute" images.

Whether its about location, hair & makeup, clothes, time of day, or backdrops - any one of these out of our control can diminish or greatly alter our typical style, which may cause issues if you hired us for a certain aesthetic from our portfolio...often times the inspiration images clients want to create and the lengths they are willing to go to get that look don't line up and here are some common examples. This is not meant to say anyone is "bad" for doing this, but the more we know, the better we can prepare.   

BACKDROPS
If an event or location chosen by the client has a backlit window or light up projector screen directly behind a subject (this often happens at weddings and conferences with tables in front of windows but the room isn't bright), even with flash arrangements, this can look not so hot. Consider cleaning unwanted clutter from behind any scene you are having in an image. In general, consider what's behind the subject being photographed at your event, is it helping the story or taking away from it? Is it busy or clean?

BOUNDARIES
If a church or arena or really any venue where the photographer is limited as to where to set up, this can alter your images greatly! There may be a good image in there if we were straight on, but not all things are possible with limited set up space. This can also be objects or people that stand in isles or columns blocking a certain view.

TIME
Consider that we cannot be two places at once and that to shift from one area to another or another part of a building or outdoor space means we have to change several settings as well as physically move around equipment and ourselves. Always allow for time to move from one scene to the next to ensure we can be there to capture what you need done. Time of day is also of great importance. Often times, clients will want to shoot at noon or 1 and if we are outside, without fill light or flash, or finding a shaded area, we can't always make this work...imagine those scary ghost stories around a campfire with the flash light under their face...see all the crazy shadows? That's what high noon light does but the other direction...not cool! Earlier in the morning or during golden hour in the evening are ideal for those soft golden-lit portraits. 

COLORS
This is a tricky one because this cannot always be helped, but consider this...the color your wearing will reflect onto your skin...red, green, yellow. Now consider the color of your backdrop: green trees, red brick, black auditorium, whatever it is, try wearing or decorating with a color that will stand out instead of clash or blend into a background. Contrast is key! I could have a whole post just on this topic, but we will cut it there.

CLIENT COMFORT
As much as I try, if you are not comfortable in your skin or the outfit/hair/makeup you decided on, you are most likely going to not like your images. This is probably the most overlooked key to great images. I recommend before getting photographed: record yourself in the environment or at least a 360 of your attire. (We don't pay much attention to things till it is too late and seeing yourself on video often will give you clues as to how you want to present yourself.) I must say, having a good and trusting relationship with your photographer always helps you feel and look your best, but there's other work to be done as well. I take this very seriously in my portraits and it always pays off. :)

STRAIGHT UP CONFUSION
This is a very common issue in photography. I can't say this enough, "We are not mind readers." Yes, we can guess what you want, but dang is it better when you get specific in order to ensure this! Whether that's a shot list of people grouped together, a certain crop you'll need for a website image, or if you want to look demure or wild, WE NEED TO KNOW, PEOPLE!! I think I speak for most photographers when I say that we want to make clients happy. Happy clients fuel my businesses and fill my heart up with satisfying work, but we can't do it alone because WE NEED YOUR HELP! So before you just say, "I trust you, just do whatever," think about these things:

1. Have I communicated about the lighting and timeline I need for the day/session?
2. Have I done everything I can to be comfortable for my session before the day comes?
3. Have I communicated to my photographer about the best scenery for my event/session and shared my needs and desired outcomes?

Knowledge is power, and even though photographers are quite magical, we can't do it all, ALL the time, so help us help you! Now let's make some gorgeous images together!!