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WORKSHOP SURVIVAL

Developing ‘Group Mind’
It is difficult for photographers, who are often loners and/or strong individuals who work at their art and craft in a solitary manner to come together and develop ‘group mind.’ Please try to develop sensitivity to the group energy and consciousness while holding on to your individuality and personal preferences. Practice your skills of sensitivity and developing trust in your intuition. It is also a great opportunity to practice awareness of your surroundings, not just physically but energetically, and tuning into that energy.

If there is a personality in the group that you find difficult, look deeper to see how that person may mirror an aspect of yourself or your background that you are troubled by. I find that often what bothers me most in others are traits I also see in myself. You can use that understanding to apply patience and loving compassion towards them (and yourself) liberally.

Ground Rules:
– Respect the vision of the other photographers
– Respect others’ shooting styles, no matter how awkward their process seems to you, as    long as not disrespectful or harmful
– Be aware and try and stay out of other photographers’ backgrounds
– If others are in your frame of view ask them politely to stay clear for a moment (they don’t know how wide your shot is)
– Try to help each other go further and deeper rather than being in competition with each other for the ‘best’ shots
– Let’s lovingly and gently push each other forward artistically

For people/model shoots:
– Respect your subject physically, verbally and emotionally at all times
– No touching without permission
– Only one person giving direction to the subject at a time. Too many people giving directions at once is very confusing for the subject
– No ‘spy shots’ while close enough to address the subject or model directly. Further away is ok when appropriate and with permission.
– No ‘stealing’ photos while someone else is engaged with or directing their subject

 Pitfalls of digital:
There are many benefits to working with digital capture but there are also some strong pitfalls, which include:
– Not being fully aware because it is easier to over shoot now and edit later
– Constantly checking the preview screen on the back of the camera (breaking your stream of awareness)
– Excessive or premature editing (deleting too impulsively)
– Making impulsive compositional or exposure decisions based on feedback from the small camera LCD 
– Not developing trust in your intuition to guide you 
– Not developing patience in your process
– Depending upon instant feedback rather than developing trust in your instincts
– Editing in the vehicle or on the go instead of experiencing life in the present moment!

Dangers of sharing work:
Critiques are very important but there is also a danger of critiques or sharing work in progress. It can put emphasis on ‘success’ rather than visual risk taking. It can encourage you to repeat what you already know to be successful to prove your competence or worth to the group. It can put pressure for you to impress others or me rather than pushing your own limits, pushing a concept further or letting yourself be ‘in process’ longer without finding a visual solution. Being lost or feeling groundless can be a valuable way to deepen your artistic vision and find or forge a new path…

What you learn and how the exercises and assignments affect and influence you in the long run is more important to me than whether or not the pictures are successful. A failure you learn from may be much more valuable than a good photo. Let’s take a long-term approach together in your process of growth.

My emphasis will be on creating a safe space to share in a deeper more meaningful way. Please help support that endeavor and hold that ideal as we begin to open up to each other.

 

©Douglas Beasley 2017

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PHOTO EDITING TIPS

1) Editing is a virtue. Practice being decisive.

2) Less is more! Showing fewer images is usually better than showing more.

3) More is often too much. Leave your audience wanting more rather than wearing them out with too many. If in doubt refer to rule #2.

4) Think in terms of series with an overall consistent viewpoint to a given body of work rather than finding single stellar images.

5) A good single image may not fit in with a particular series of images.

6) Start strong and end strong.

7) The first photo is very important and sets the tone and anticipation for the rest.

8) The last photo is very important and is the visual impression you will leave them with.

9) If you have to make a choice between several similar images, remove the weakest ones first.

10) If you have to make a choice between three or more images just compare two at a time and pick the best of those two. Then compare it against the next image.

11) If there are two similar images in your portfolio, keep them next to each other to highlight the difference between them. Separating them will make it seem like you are trying to hide the fact that you have similar images in there.

12) Refresh yourself often. Get up and walk away, take a break. Stretch.

13) The best computer or editing accessory is a good chair, (like an ‘Aeron Chair’ by Herman Miller). In the long run they are worth every penny.

14) If an Aeron chair is too expensive, try using a balance ball (about $30 from yoga supply shops). A standing desktop may also be helpful.

15) Seek the opinion of others, but only those you trust and respect visually.

16) Your spouse or mother isn’t usually the best judge of photo quality, despite their overwhelmingly positive or negative opinions, so weigh their opinions accordingly.

17) Don’t make decisions by a vote. Your photography is not a democratic process nor is it a popularity contest.

18) Just because someone likes it doesn’t mean a photo is good and just because someone doesn’t like it doesn’t make it bad.

19) Weigh opinions of others but learn to trust your own instincts.

20) Learn to listen for your own inner voice to guide you. Weigh opinions of others but learn to develop trust in your own instincts.

©Douglas Beasley 2018

 

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EXPOSE YOURSELF: PHOTO MATH

Aperture, shutter speed, ISO are all interrelated!
Changing one affects the other!

Exposure is like filling a bucket of water. Assume one gallon represents ‘proper’ exposure. You can get one gallon in the bucket very fast with a large hose (a large aperture like f2.8) turned on for a short time (a fast shutter speed). Or you can get a gallon of water with a very small hose (small aperture like f16) turned on for a longer time (slow shutter speed). Either way you end up with one gallon of water (proper exposure).

To maintain the same exposure:
– Changing to a larger aperture (lets in more light) needs a faster shutter speed (that lets in less light)
– Changing to a smaller aperture (lets in less light) needs a slower shutter speed (that lets in more light)

– Changing to a slower shutter speed (lets in more light) needs a smaller aperture (that lets in less light)
– Changing to a faster shutter speed (lets in less light) needs a larger aperture (that lets in more light)

It is very important to realize:
When camera is set to Auto or Program mode: when you change aperture or shutter speed the camera automatically compensates by changing the other a corresponding amount the opposite direction (to keep the exposure the same).

To make your photo darker or lighter you must increase or decrease exposure!
Increasing exposure causes the photo to be lighter (moves histogram towards the right)
Decreasing exposure causes the photo to be darker (moves histogram towards the left)
This can be accomplished in manual mode or by exposure compensation.

Using your camera in Manual mode: when you change aperture or shutter speed the other does not automatically change to compensate, therefore the image gets more or less exposure (making it darker or lighter).

You can also use exposure compensation. + gives more exposure, making the image lighter. Setting to – gives less exposure, making the image darker.

 

PHOTO MATH

Aperture/f Stops
In 1 stop increments: f1.4, f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16, f22, f32, f45, f64, f128
In 1/3 stop increments: f5.6, f6.3, f7.1,f 8.0, f9, f10, f11, f13 etc.

Shutter Speeds
In 1 stop increments: I second, ½, ¼, 1/8th, 1/15th, 1/30th, 1/60th, 125th, 1/250th, etc.
One stop is always lets in twice as much light or half as much light.
In 1/3 stop increments: 1/30th, 1/40th, 1/50th, 1/60th, 1/80th, 1/100th, 1/125 etc.

ISO (film or digital sensor’s sensitivity to light)
In 1 stop increments: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400.etc.
One stop always lets in twice as much light (lower ISO) or half as much light (higher ISO)
The higher the number the more sensitive to light the camera sensor becomes (but increases digital noise).

 

©Douglas Beasley 2014

 

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A GUIDE TO CRITIQUING THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF OTHERS

• What is your first, intuitive or visceral reaction? Do you like the photo?
• Does it show artistic vision or is it just a lucky shot?
• Are you drawn into the image? Is it compelling?
• Do your eyes linger or is it a quick read and you’re ready to move on to the next image?
• What is the photo about?
• What is the subject of the photo? Is it too obvious or too subtle?
• Do you sense the photographer’s connection to, or caring for, the subject matter?
• Do you sense the photographer’s presence in the image?
• Are the technical aspects (exposure, contrast, color balance, etc.) of sufficient quality?
• Do any technical deficiencies get in the way of experiencing the photo or its intent?
• Have you seen similar images? How is it the same or different than those?
• Does it fit into a particular photographic genre? (like nature, landscape, documentary…)
• Is it a good example of that genre or a copycat or generic example?
• Are you shown anything new? Is there a unique perspective or point of view shared?
• Is there a mood or feeling portrayed? What is it?
• Does that mood add to your understanding or enjoyment of the image?
• Are the photos well ‘seen’? Is the whole frame utilized, corner-to-corner, edge-to-edge?
• Could the photograph be framed or cropped more effectively? How?
•  Where does your eye enter the frame?
• Where is your eye drawn? How does it more through the frame? Where does it land?
• Is your eye led out of the frame? Where?
•  Is there a metaphor present, intended or not? What is it? Is it too obvious or cliche?
• Does the metaphor deepen your understanding of the photographers intent? Or your enjoyment of the photo?
• Are there any additional layers of meaning intended or implied?
• How could the photo be made stronger? Or clearer? Or more subtle? Or simpler?
• What would you have done differently?

©Douglas Beasley 2017

 

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JUDGING PHOTO EXHIBITS: A CONFESSIONAL

Recently I judged the photography competition for the Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibit. As the sole judge in the photo category this was an overwhelming task with over 1,100 entries that needed to be narrowed down to just 107. That’s less than nine percent of the entries making the cut! Although honored to have been chosen to be the judge this year, it is made even more difficult because I was suffering jet lag after returning from Italy late the night before. Walking through the room with the photos laid out on the floor along the walls told me there was going to be a lot of very enticing images to have to choose from but also that many will be easy to eliminate.

With the help of several volunteer assistants, my first undertaking is to remove as quickly as possible all entries that are visually or technically poorly executed. This is to avoid further visual overload and to save energy for the hard choices I know lay ahead. Poorly executed unfortunately often means very bad digital printing. With good Epson photo printers starting under $200 it is probably more due to lack of experience and judgment discerning print quality than a technical issue. I also try and look closely at the small prints that seem well executed so they don’t get lost among the giant oversized works that scream out at you. Small intimate works can easily get overlooked and I really try and see the intent and value in each piece. Almost half the photos have now been sent away!

Usually I also take into account presentation but have been asked to overlook matting and framing choices, since not everyone can afford that and to base my choices purely on the photograph itself. This is the only guideline I have been given by the State Fair. I try, but much of the wildly ‘creative’ framing and colorful mats, carefully chosen to match the colors in the photo and often double or triple matted really get in way of the photograph. I wish people realized how distracting this is and how much it detracts from, rather than enhances, their image. If only they could visit a few museums or galleries that are not in malls and that don’t start with “Thomas” or end with “Kinkade” or that don’t feature duck art, I think it might really help. Access to real galleries is where people who live in the metro area have a distinct advantage over the rural population. A mediocre photograph is not made any better by a colorful mat and ornate frame. It is in fact, much worse, sometimes even offensive.

My next task was to eliminate typical or trite responses to cliched subjects. Way too many cute kittens, cute kids and old barns. I have nothing against kids, kittens or nostalgia but cute gets old quickly when looking at over 1,100 framed images and nostalgia doesn’t replace vision, craft, soulfulness or insightfulness. Cute or nostalgic simply aren’t enough to carry a photo under this level of competition. Use that as a starting point in going deeper and maybe we are getting somewhere. And if you are going to choose subjects, including flowers, that many others are going to submit nearly identical versions of, please try and find a more unique or personal way of interpreting your subject. I suggest to my very helpful assistants that they should consider having a whole separate exhibit, hopefully in a building far away, for the hopelessly cute including any photo where your first reaction is “awwww”. It would probably be a very popular State Fair destination but you won’t find me there unless there is something very tasty on a stick on the other side and no other way to get there.

Another category with a lot of entries is travel. These span the globe from nice vacation snapshots to some very insightful beautiful photographs. I feel bad eliminating anyone’s favorite travel shot or the amazing sunrise or sunset because I love that they stopped and noticed. I know their friends or relatives told them it was a great shot and I’m sure the experience of being there was great but it is usually the place or moment that is significant, not their photographic record of it. The choices of what to eliminate so far have been fairly easy and instinctual and I am confident in my choices. From previous experience, I know that now the real work begins…

My criteria for selection includes concept, execution, creativity and exemplary implementations of a wide range of styles or genres. The most important criteria for me is emotional impact: what makes the viewer think, or even better, feel. That quality of ‘emotional impact’ is, of course, completely subjective and up to me to interpret. I try to be as objective as possible while also fully realizing that true objectivity is impossible. I recognize many of the photographers by style, content or because they have signed their name on the front. Many of these people are my friends, my colleagues, my students. How can I be objective about someone’s photo when I know their strengths and weakness, their vulnerabilities, their struggles, their growth and compare that to the photo of somebody I don’t know? I try to be objective but I simply don’t think it’s possible, at least for me. It was much easier when I judged shows in Alaska and Hawaii where I didn’t know hardly any of the photographers. I think maybe the State Fair should bring in judges from outside Minnesota to avoid this dilemma.

Jurying is mostly selection by elimination. I need to take into account balancing how many images in a given genre (i.e. nature, wildlife, documentary or digital composite) are accepted so the exhibit shows a balance and range of different methods of working with the medium and ways of seeing. In the end it is more about trusting my instincts, but there still is a lot of second-guessing myself. In the final selection there are a few that didn’t make it that now, in retrospect, I think should have. If your photo was rejected please know that it was definitely one of these. There are also a couple I think now, in retrospect, shouldn’t have made it in and I agonize over these decisions. Another day or another time there might be different choices but that is always the case. Today I stand by these choices. I also feel for all those that chose to honor moments in their lives by making a photograph. Who am I to now diminish that moment by saying it’s not good enough to stand with these other moments submitted by those more accomplished, more experienced or more sophisticated photographers or alongside the hundreds of professional and commercial photographers who also chose to enter the fair?

Now we are down to at least 250 or 300 photographs, all strong and all very deserving of a place in the show. And I have to still eliminate two thirds of these! If you have made it this far you should know that your work is good but there simply isn’t room to include all of these in the show. To narrow it down to 107 it is no longer about what is better than something else but what appeals to me at this time, this day, this point in my life, my career. But are these really the ‘best’? No, there is no such thing in art. These are my favorites and I leave it at that. It also becomes about having a well-rounded show with many styles and genres represented.

Picking the first through fourth place and merit awards is by far the hardest part of the day for me. With jet-lag swirling through my body and the sensation of my blood turning to cement I am temporarily unable to continue. I ask that all possible candidates for awards be lined up against the back wall but I simply can’t choose. I want to just give them all an equal designation of ‘my favorites’ and walk away, but winners must be chosen. The task is made harder and more complicated by the fact that I know at least half of the award contenders personally and a couple of them are very close friends. I consider eliminating any awards to friends. I consider only giving friends ‘honorable mention’ status. But either of these choices would be doing their work and them a disservice. I walk away again to try to clear my head and gather energy. When I return I talk with the exhibit director and with several of my helpers about my dilemma in making awards to friends. They both help me realize that I just have to give the awards to what I feel is the strongest and most powerful work, no matter whose it is.

Even though overall I love my choices, I am haunted by a couple images that made the final cut that I let outside factors influence me (who they are, what their previous work is like, their standing in the photo community) and a couple that didn’t make it in that I think I made a mistake on. When I go back the next day I tell the Fine Art committee I think have made a mistake at the last minute by impulsively, under pressure, cutting the photo of a man with a red white and blue straw hat the says “Made In China” on it. Is this photo ‘better’ than many of the other much more ‘fine art’ photos rejected? No, but it has made an impact on me and it is one I want others to see, probably more for the wry political commentary than anything artful, yet it is well done technically and aesthetically. They let me add it back in! Now we have 108, what some say is a auspicious number; the same as the number of prayer beads on a Tibetan Buddhist mala. Perfect.

If your photo didn’t get into the State Fair Fine Arts Exhibit it is important to remember that less than one out of eleven photos were accepted, due to space limitations. It was the highest number of entries ever. Out of the eleven hundred images, many by well known artists and accomplished professionals, I thought there were about three hundred strong enough to be in the show and still only one third made it in. Your job is to make it to that top three hundred. If you didn’t make it that far (and I wish there was a way for people to know) you probably need to work on developing your vision and craft. If you did make it into that top three hundred, from there it is up to the taste and whims of the judge. There are many factors that influence the judging that have nothing to do with the quality or artistic merit of your work: the judge’s taste, how many similarly themed entries there were, the need of the judge to create a well rounded show reflecting many sensibilities. There were some very good photos that didn’t make the final cut and every time I had to eliminate one of these it hurt. Undoubtedly there were also excellent entries that somehow got overlooked in the chaos of the sheer mass of submitted images (or the apparent blindness, ignorance or poor taste of the judge). I think it is the job of the photographer to submit a photo with a strong enough vision coupled with a high level of execution to be in the top tier but also true to the photographer’s individual vision. Submit images that you feel most passionate about, not ones that you think will get in. From there it is anybody’s guess as to the whims of fate that year…

 

© Douglas Beasley 2009

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THE HOLY TRINITY OF DEPTH OF FIELD

Depth-of-field is an expanding and contracting field depending upon three equally important factors you can control. Don’t think ‘better‘ or ‘worse‘ think ‘more‘ or ‘less‘ and you use your judgment, taste and style applied according to what the image or subject needs or even wants to determine how much is best.

These 3 factors are interrelated to create depth-of-field:

1) Aperture:
  – Smaller aperture/smaller opening (towards f16) gives more depth of field
  – Larger aperture/bigger opening (towards f2.8) gives less depth of field

2) Focal Length of Lens
  – Shorter lens/wide angle/zooming out gives more depth of field
  – Longer lens/telephoto/zooming in gives less depth of field

3) Distance to Subject
– Closer to subject gives less depth of field
– Farther from subject gives more depth of field 

 

Distribution of focus:
1/3 in front of focus point, 2/3 behind

In general, focus on the closest object you want in focus and choose an aperture to expand focus to the furthest object you want in focus.

For critical focus, focus 1/3 into the area you want in focus and use aperture to get the depth of field you want.

Also:
– The smaller the film format or the smaller digital sensor (like in point and shoots) the greater the depth-of-field. That is why point and shoot cameras have inherently more depth-of-field than D-SLRS and camera phones have more than point and shoots.

– The larger the film format or the larger the digital sensor the less the depth-of-field. Medium format has inherently less depth-of-field than DSLRS and large format cameras, like 4×5 view cameras, have less than medium format cameras.

 

©Douglas Beasley 2017

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DOUG’S TECH TIPS

1)  When ready for more creative control, get out of ‘Auto’ or ‘Program’ mode and into ‘Aperture Priority’.

2)  Learn to control and use depth of field. Don’t let the camera choose that for you. Make aperture choices based on how much depth of field is needed for your vision in the photo.

3)  ‘Shutter Priority’ (Time Value) is good if and when you want to introduce or control movement.

4) To prevent blur when hand-holding your camera, use a shutter speed as fast as your lens is long (in mm’s). Example: a 24mm lens needs at least a 1/25th of a second while a 200 mm lens needs at least 1/200th. Using a vibration reduction or image stabilization lens will help reduce the shutter speed needed.

5)  In any automatic mode, changing your aperture or shutter speed does not change your exposure!!! The camera automatically compensates for any changes to one with an opposite change in the other.

6)  Using “Manual” mode is not better than automatic if you are merely doing what it tells you. Learn to interpret the information based on what you want or for creative effect.

7)  When you buy a lens buy the best one you can afford. I think it’s better to have one good lens than several mediocre ones.

8)  Always use a lens hood. It’s the cheapest equipment upgrade you can make. It prevents flare, improves contrast, color saturation, and detail. It also protects your lens from impact damage if you bang your lens!

9)  When you change lenses point your camera downwards to avoid dust settling on the sensor or film.

10)  If shooting digital, don’t overexpose the highlights (opposite of film), it is easier to brighten the shadows later. If shooting film, don’t underexpose as that will make a very hard to print negative.

11)  Watch the contrast ratio. On digital cameras, look at the histogram and make sure it doesn’t go off the right side if you want to preserve highlight detail.

12) Bracketing is for sissys! Find the best exposure and use it. You’ll save a lot of time in editing later. The exception is when shooting tricky exposure situations like dramatic skies with clouds or strong backlight

13) Long telephoto lenses are for cowards! Get in close to create connection and intimacy. Long telephoto lenses are very good at eliminating background distractions and can be very flattering but the tradeoff is that you often make more anonymous photos from further away, avoiding intimacy and connection with your subject.

14) If it is a portrait, focus on the subject’s eyes. If the eyes are sharp the photo will be perceived as sharp. If the eyes are not sharp the photo will be perceived as out of focus.

15) Unless absolutely necessary (and it’s usually not), turn your on-camera  pop up fill flash off. Or dial it way down. Instead raise the camera’s ISO, use a larger aperture or slow down the shutter speed in low light situations.

16) If you need flash, learn to control or diffuse it. It’s usually better off camera or bounced off a wall or ceiling. You can also use accessories to enlarge the size of the light source, creating more flattering light.

17) Learn the difference between quantity of light (amount/how much light) and quality of light (type of light).

18) Learn from your mistakes. Explore why it is that your photos didn’t work as well as you had thought they would. The ones that aren’t good have much to teach you…

19) Make sure that your vision is serving your technique, rather than technique driving your vision.

20) Without vision and creativity, all the camera equipment in the world won’t make you a better photographer. You will just be the same photographer with more stuff.

 

©Douglas Beasley 2018

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PREPARING FOR A PHOTO WORKSHOP

Basic:

– Make sure to get out and use your camera before the workshop. Get familiar with it again if it has been put away for awhile. This is very important!

– Download and edit those recent images onto your computer and review them using your image editing software of choice. I recommend Adobe Bridge or Lightroom but even iPhoto is fine for initial editing.

– If shooting film, run a roll through your camera and have it processed. Look carefully at the negatives and contact sheets.

– Try not to use new camera equipment or new software at the workshop unless absolutely necessary. Too much of your time and energy will go to figuring out new gear instead of being present. I have seen many do it almost deliberately to seemingly sabotage themselves.

– Look at some of your favorite photographers or artist’s work. Figure out exactly why you like it. What is it that makes their work compelling to you?

– Lay out some of your own favorite prints or make a slideshow of your favorite images. Study them. What do you like and dislike? What, if anything, is missing? How are you using space? What would you like to work on improving?

– Pack your camera bag. What can you do without? What is essential? What is missing? What can you leave behind? Too much gear leads to too many choices instead of decisive vision- which takes actual practice to achieve.

– Re-read your camera manual and bring it with you to the workshop. Read it again on the plane, with your camera in hand. You will learn something new each time.

– Plan on learning from your fellow students. Being ‘in community’ with other photographers is a big benefit of the workshop experience.

– Be as well rested as possible going into the workshop.

– If you have the time and luxury of arriving at the workshop destination a day or two early (especially after a long flight). It can be a great way of getting over any lag and being ready to take advantage of all the workshop experience has to offer.

– Recognize ways that you sabotage yourself or your creative process before the workshop even starts. Use that awareness to make a plan to circumvent that from happening.

– Give yourself totally over to the experience while there.

– Minimize contact with the outside world, including social media. Turn off your phone whenever possible. You will get out of it what you put into it.

– Remember, almost everyone else is just as apprehensive, nervous or scared as you are!

– Every participant usually believes that the others in the class know more and are more advanced than they are. Even if it were true, which it probably isn’t, so what! We are all there to learn and grow from where we are.

– Start keeping a list of questions that come up.

Advanced:

– Reflect on why you need or want from a photo workshop at this point on your artistic path.

– Write about or make a list about what you would like to get out of your workshop.

– Acknowledge your apprehensions and fears about both your photography and the upcoming workshop.

– Look over your past work (prints, contact sheets or digital files). Look for themes, patterns, strengths and weaknesses. What is working? What isn’t? What needs improvement?

The instructor:

– Study the work and look at the website of the your workshop instructor.

– What can you learn from their style of making images? What do you like about their work? What don’t you like? What would you do differently and why? What do they have to teach you?

– Don’t let the instructor force you to think or photograph like they do. But do try and relate to their style and artistic point of view- if only to help clarify your own.

– You don’t need to have similar subjects or themes as your instructor to learn from them and their methods.

– Do try to understand about how their approach to their chosen subject matter can better inform you of new ways to approach your own subject matter.

– It’s alright, often even helpful, to copy or emulate your teacher’s style as a way of learning but ultimately you must find your own path.

– What works for them may not work for you but use your teacher’s approach and methods as a guidepost or catalyst for finding your own methods and vision.

 

© Douglas Beasley 2017

 

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PREPARING FOR A LOCATION PHOTO SESSION

Camera:
• Download and backup previous images from your memory card
• Format memory card in your camera and an extra memory card for your camera bag
• Fully charge camera battery and an extra battery
• Check and set ISO setting, program/manual mode, white-balance setting
• Set Color space to Adobe RGB 1998 and leave there
• Set file size and type desired (jpeg/raw, etc)
• Check auto-focus and other settings
• Clean and organize lenses and filters
• Clean dust off image sensor (very carefully!) or have it professionally cleaned occasionally
• Make sure each lens has the right lens hood attached

Location Prep:
• Check weather report
• Bring a list of cell phone numbers of models, assistants, etc.
• Scout location in advance, if possible
• Check position of the sun during the time of day you will be photographing
• If necessary, print out directions and map to location
• Have a backup location in mind
• Forward directions and phone numbers to models and crew, if applicable
• Gather additional equipment necessary: tripod, monopod, reflectors, lights

Photo Prep:
• Review past photo shoots, determine what should be similar or different
• Look at the work of other photographers and artists for inspiration
• Avoid looking at the work of others if it only diminishes your confidence or clarity
• Set intentions for how you want the session to go and how you want your photos to feel

Photo Shoot:
• Have a mental list of possible photo shoot ideas ready
• Think about the style and mood of the photos you want to create
• Have a backup plan in case Plan A does not work
• If it is an important shoot, have a backup plan for your backup plan…
• Be prepared to be spontaneous!
• Be open to serendipity, yet embrace change as necessary due to unforeseen elements
• Collaborate with your subject, receive and listen to input even if you don’t use it
• Slow down and tune in to the ‘spirit’ or feel of your location
• Listen and respect the opinion of others but trust your own intuition as well
• Don’t dilute your vision by taking in too much outside input
• Remember what it was that drew you to the subject, model or location originally
• Find a balance of holding on but not too tightly and letting go but not too loosely
• Always keep the ‘big picture’ in mind

©Douglas Beasley 2017

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TRAVEL SECURITY

• Go simple. Project simplicity.
• Don’t wear an expensive watch or expensive jewelry
• Buy a cheap watch to wear during your travels
• Pants with Velcro or buttoning pockets can be good for money, credit cards, etc.
• Project a calm, secure, confidant image. Try not to be paranoid.
• Try not to be suspicious of others but don’t be naive
• Keep an awareness of your surroundings
• Remain openhearted, but be smart without being suspicious
• Please help look out for each other’s health, safety and well being

FINANCIAL
• When you go out only bring one credit card and just enough cash you need for the day
• Don’t flaunt your cash or expensive camera gear
• Keep only a small amount of cash in an easily accessible pocket
• Put the rest in a secure pocket or hiding place

CAMERA BAG
• A Backpack style bag looks less like expensive photo gear than a regular camera bag.
• Older, well-worn bags stick out less than a fancy new one
• If it’s a shoulder bag, wear the strap across your shoulder rather than over one shoulder • In a crowd, bring your camera bag to your front and hold it with both arms.
• A photo vest can be useful but is also like a big red flag saying you have expensive toys

PASSPORT
• Digitally scan your passport and keep the file on your computer.
• Email a copy to yourself and one to a friend in case your computer is lost or stolen
• Make two printed copies. Keep one in your camera bag and one in your luggage
• You will need to bring your passport to exchange money or get a cash advance
• Don’t carry it with you unless you actually need it. Just keep a copy with you.
• It’s safer to keep your passport in your room

 

©Douglas Beasley 2017