For a photographer, a successful studio session is a matter of being prepared. Whether you’re a seasoned professional with hundreds of shoots under your belt or an enthusiastic beginner who is new to the art form, it’s critical to make sure you have everything you need before showing up to the studio. This is particularly true when you’ve rented a photo shoot studio for your session. You’ll need to accomplish as much as you can in your limited time, and nothing can stall the shoot more than discovering that you are missing items you need.
To ensure a smooth and productive shoot, professional photographers should have a checklist detailing the basic necessities they need to bring with them on the day of the shoot. Below, we’ll offer a guide detailing the essential items that should be on that list. By making sure you’re ready ahead of time, you’ll maximize your creativity, improve your output, and minimize downtime.
Bring at Least Two Cameras
One of the best ways to streamline a photography session is to show up with at least two cameras ready for the shoot. Consider that you’ll often want to try shooting a subject with a few different lenses. By having a second camera fitted with your alternative lens ahead of time, you’ll eliminate the time you would otherwise spend swapping them out. In a rented studio, where you’re paying by the hour, you’ll want to spend your time taking pictures, not swapping out lenses, and having an extra camera can help eliminate that lost time.
Having an extra camera can also prevent lost time as a result of malfunctioning equipment. If one camera isn’t working the way you need it to, then you can simply grab the other one, rather than wasting precious shooting time to troubleshoot.
Don’t forget to bring a tripod with your camera.
Have Several Lenses
Even if you have a very specific vision in your mind of what your final product should look like, it’s important to allow yourself room to improvise and try different things. One of the most important ways to allow yourself this versatility is to bring multiple lenses to the session. Since this is a studio photography session, you don’t necessarily need anything fancy, meaning you can leave the macro lenses and telephoto lenses you might use for flowers and wildlife at home. However, even for a studio session, you may want to bring more than just your basic 50mm lens.
While most photographers have a single lens they favor above others, and indeed you may have one you use most of the time, having at least one extra can allow you to experiment and perhaps get results you. For example, consider adding a wide aperture lens, like an f/1.8, to your checklist to experiment with the bokeh in your portraits.
Don’t Forget the Film
While it’s rare today, you might be a photographer who prefers shooting film and developing your own photos in a darkroom. Or it might be an artistic choice for this particular project. Whatever your reason, if you plan to use a film camera for any part of your photo shoot, you will need to bring a supply of the right type of film to the studio—and lots of it. You’ll want to have more on hand than you anticipate needing. Leaving to buy film in the middle of your shoot could seriously cut into your studio rental time.
Pack Your Laptop and Tethering Cord
Most photographers these days shoot with digital cameras. There are a number of benefits to working with a digital camera, starting with eliminating the expense of buying and developing film. Instead, everything is saved to a memory card or USB drive. If you rent a photo studio with Wi-Fi access, you can even upload your images directly to your cloud. You have the option to access your entire photo shoot from any computer, tablet, or cell phone with an internet connection.
Digital photography also allows you the opportunity to view your images in real time. With tethered photography, you connect your camera to your laptop and preview your images as you take them. See what’s working and what isn’t, and make necessary adjustments as you go. Change the camera angle, alter the lighting, or correct the focus, and elevate that near-perfect shot to perfect.
You’ll need your laptop (don’t forget the power cord) for tethered photography. Download the tethering software before you head to the shoot. A tethering cable will also be required. Be sure to get one long enough to allow you to move around the studio as needed.
Have Lots of Lighting Options
Just as important as the camera itself is the lighting. The wrong or right lighting can make or break the perfect shot. That’s why having as much freedom as possible to experiment with lighting is a critical step in ensuring a productive photography session. At the very least, you’ll need a couple of softboxes to create the diffuse light needed for portrait photography and perhaps a few reflectors to eliminate shadows and other dark areas.
Since lighting is such a critical feature of a successful photography session, you should consider renting a photo shoot studio that has the necessary equipment on hand. Professional studios, such as Lightz Out Studios in San Diego, California, have an array of equipment available to the photographers renting their studios. Plus, you’ll have access to overhead lighting options to help you find just the right lighting.
Bring Props If Needed
Every photography session is different, and some of the equipment on your checklist will depend on the type of photography you’re doing. Props are among the most individual of the necessities you should have on your checklist. They’ll vary greatly depending on the type of shoot and how you work. For example, for a back-to-school ad campaign, you’ll probably need props like backpacks and notebooks. If you’re doing a high-end fashion shoot, backdrops and props that complement the style of clothing are going to be important.
Having relevant props ready can elevate your studio photography and offer a sense of “life” that would not otherwise be there.
Costumes Too
Even if you’re not doing a fashion shoot, you may want your subjects to have some versatility when it comes to their outfits. In some cases, you’ll ask your clients to bring a few changes of clothing, but often, it’s the responsibility of the photographer to provide costumes for subjects to wear. Once again, this is an element that will vary greatly depending on the type of photography you’re doing and the objective of the photos. A portrait shoot for a sports team will require different costumes than a series of headshots for a law firm.
Have a few costume changes ready for your subjects. These may be as simple as a couple of hats and sports jerseys or more elaborate fashion wear. In either case, a few items to allow your subjects to have different looks should be an essential part of your checklist.
Be Prepared with Back-Up Equipment
Redundancy is a key element of success in photography, and your checklist should always include backups for all your most important equipment. Above, we mentioned the importance of having a second camera and some alternative lenses, but you should have backups of your other tools as well. Bring some extra camera batteries, a battery charger, a backup memory card, a few extra extension cords, and some additional lights to ensure you are prepared for any situation.
By creating a checklist with the essential items, you can head off many of the problems that might lead to lost productivity in a rental photography studio. Remember to customize your list to reflect the requirements of your specific project and style. Then, consult your list before you head to the studio. It will save you a great deal of headache and allow you to focus on your craft.
