How to translate your creative vision into your camera? - INTERVIEW for Jacobs University Bremen Photography Club
Last week I was invited to give a virtual workshop for Jacobs University Bremen Photography Club and this was one of the questions that I answered:
How do you make the subject of your photograph turn out the way you want it to on camera?
To get the subject of your picture turn out just the way you want it to has to do more about personal expectative and perspective, rather than anything else… I personally believe it’s nearly impossible, but that’s a good thing.
We´re not printers. We´re artists. We create out of our own vision, style, and possibilities. And when we work with other artists like models, beauty stylists, fashion stylists, etc. I believe we should not try to print out an idea out of our minds directly into the camera, but rather sail around that idea as a team and see what we can come out with.
But if I could give you a couple of tips to get close… these could work out for you:
1. Photography research
The internet is your friend. You can find a lot of “how-to” and “photography tricks and tips” there. Having enough research can really help you become a better photographer.
2. Clear knowledge of your equipment.
You have to know what you´re working with. Master your camera settings, lenses, lights, and accessories. Otherwise, it would be like driving a car you don´t know how to drive. You might get there but the road will be bumpy as fuck.
3. Vision boards
Make a mood board, shot list, or whatever you need to communicate your idea better.
4. Outstanding pre-production
This is often hard to achieve if you don’t have enough budget but let´s just say that you have to try to have the right place, right time, right model, beauty and fashion styling, art direction, and outstanding assistant.
If you happen to have talented friends, invite them along! Believe me, you´ll need them.
oh.. and good luck jajaja
5. Experience
Trial and error. Mistakes, awkward moments, these gals are your friends as well. Nothing will teach you like the experience itself. So don´t be afraid to make mistakes, they´re just lessons undercovered.
6. Analytic mindset and problem resolution skills
During your shooting, you´ll have to fix stuff around. Maybe the lights are a little off, maybe the model is not performing the way you want her to, maybe hair and makeup have to make certain changes. You´re the eyes behind the camera, you need to be ready to detect those minor details that could really make the final result better and try to spot them as soon as you can so you can fix them.
Additional helpful skills:
Stress management: breath, stay chill, be polite, be ready to improvise,
People’s skills: just be a nice human.
If you want to read the answer to the following questions that were also asked to me that day, leave a comment and let me know If you would rather read them all together or keep each of them as a separate blog post!
Do you think that expensive equipment is necessary to take a good portrait picture?
What is your strategy for consistently getting good photos?
How did you start this as your full-time career? Which steps did you take?
Have you ever thought that this is too late for you to start and be successful in this area/ producing content for brands etc.? I really would love to this as part-time or even full-time job but I really don't know where to start. What do you recommend?