Through the Lens of a Noob
Contributor's Corner
Written by Rading Nyamwaya | PICHA Contributor
It’s amazing how I’m much more accustomed to the ‘disorganized’ way of conducting a shoot - this is without necessarily having a plan or a specific time set in stone, just a concept that’s been in my head that demands execution.
For me, shoots go a bit like this: I meet up with a friend who happens to be my model for the day, we have a few laughs, catch up on home affairs by asking how’s the family or work or school, and also what’s going on in life, and while all this happens, I start sorting out the necessary clothes, jewelry, and make-up, etc. that I would love the model to wear, and then we shoot. Ideas sort of roll out as the shoot goes on, and if I’m being honest, this surreptitious way of conducting the shoot tends to waste a bit of time, but it does tug at your creative skills, and for that, I am grateful.
I’ve been shooting on phone for a while now (I also edit on my phone), and while mobile photography is up and coming, it is still much rivaled by its elder brother- the camera. I hope that more phone photographers spring up in the future.
I decided to have my first shoot on a beautiful Saturday, knowing that this was going to be an amazing day to get some nice shots of family with everyone cheery and happy and up and about having conversations and catching up. The day however, was hectic, and I barely managed to pick up my camera. Everyone was up and about setting up, and the idea of getting people together was challenging.
The lighting on the day was also not worth writing home about - one of those cold, gloomy days where you know your pictures will end up assuming a moody kind of mood.
I was forced to postpone until the next day, hoping it would have better weather and lighting and my ancestors did not fail me. I took out my checklist for the day and prepared for all I needed.
I’ll share some things I’ve learned about preparing for a shoot as a noob that feel are quite simple:
1. Have a checklist for what you need comes in handy since you don’t end up needing something that’s not with you.
2. Make sure you have a production assistant ready to help you throughout your shoot
3. Make sure you have an idea in mind of how and what you want your model to do or wear; keeping in mind what you want to capture and how. (Not all models know how to pose or what to do, so a bit of help would be nice)
The shoot went well, but I also learned a lot about shooting for stock and shooting for creative purposes. The two are similar but different.
The images you see a couple of the pictures I managed to take. Be kind to view them through the eyes of a noob.
About the author
Rading Nyamwaya is an artistic, fun-loving alien in love with fashion, design, and clearing huge morsels of food. She finds beauty in being self and expressing the self, all the while spreading raging happiness like a female toreador."
PICHA profile link - https://pichastock.com/contributor-login/raddienyamwaya/
