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One of the biggest problems most seasonal photographers face is that of planning for – and providing – the right resources for the all-important shoot. You’ve found a model and you’ve arranged a day (or days) on which to shoot. You’ve also raised a small budget that will allow you to make this shoot without putting a significant dent in your personal bank balance.

So, now what? Part of your budget will go to equipment, shoot, model and other assorted costs, either in renting or in purchasing the hardware needed to turn the idea into a pictorial. There’s a bewildering array of equipment available in both amateur and professional photography markets. To rent or to buy, choosing the right stuff for your shoot, and staying within budget can be stressful, confusing and, when not done properly, a sheer disaster for both your dream pictorial and what you’ve invested into the shoot, both physically and financially.

Just as important as your model and equipment is your crew. Your photo shoot will prove just as slow and frustrating with an overload of extraneous team members as it would if there are too few to keep the ball rolling. All you really need is one good pair of hands to help you when need it… or so they say.

This handy guide will take you through three levels of equipment preparation that should be present on your photoset, starting with the bare bones of what is essentially a no-budget shoot. We’ll then progress until we have the makings of a professional photo set-up.

A word of caution: One thing this guide does not take into account are the pre- and post-production costs, such as color correction, editing, etc., which should always be taken into consideration when budgeting. It also doesn’t mention the salaries of your model(s) and crew. In time-honored fashion, everyone on these fictional shoots of mine is working for free, and they love it. It’s not ideal, you definitely want to be paying people to keep this industry alive, but it is where many of us start out. Plus, paying people is good for you too – “pay peanuts, get monkeys” – in other words, you get what you pay for.

(A word of warning: as with most arts how-to articles, this article isn’t written in stone and is as much an opinion piece as it is a guide. Please treat it as such.)

• A mid-range DSLR camera (most also shoot 1080p) will go up to 6400 ISO and are comparatively really cheap and can double as useful video cameras. Most of today’s clients want BTS video as well.
• Proper digital storage for your image files! It’s amazing how few people think of this until the camera card is filled up. Get multiple Class 10 cards with respectable amounts of memory (8GB at least, 16GB or higher’s better). Better still, opt for a portable hard drive that can download during the shoot.
• A prime or zoom lens. Do it properly. Zooming in is sinful. Stop being lazy and move the camera closer instead. Go for something like a 50-70mm range, which sees more or less a similar view to what the human eye sees so it’s relatable and good for all sorts of shots. Zoom lenses are great, but never as sharp as prime lenses.
• A tripod/monopod. Essential for steadying your shots, whether you have the space or not.
• A homemade bounce board. Bounce boards are spectacularly simple to make: a wooden/plastic frame with an opaque white surface stretched across it will do (it’s better than nothing!). A DIY lighting kit, similarly, can consist of nothing more than a few house lamps – the important thing is being able to have the choice to use it, and not being stuck with whatever nature throws at you.

• General handyman, aka: Assistant. While you are busy with the artistic vision and organization of the shoot, this member of the team will provide vital support by acting as a runner for your light, gaffer, and all those other myriad of jobs that makes your photography easier and possible.

• People on set. It is important that you keep the number of unnecessary people on your set to a minimum. Being a model on-set can become a very irritating experience, especially if you have your buddies eye-balling her as if she were the last piece of cake at a weight-watchers convention. This kind of stress increases exponentially when she’s not being paid or fed, so reduce the amount of people that are not needed on your set for a more relaxed experience.

 

Setup 2

• High-range DSLR. If you’ve got a bit of money to spare, go for a higher-quality DSLR, or look at renting a one. You can find great choices from both Canon and Nikon. Canon 60D, 7D, Mark II or Mark III; Nikon D600, D700, D5100.
• Storage. A portable hard-drive.
• 50mm prime lens. Again, your main and most useful lens, appropriate for all sorts of styles and shots.
• Telephoto/Zoom lens. The most popular length is the 70-200mm. This lens will allow you to become a bit more experimental with your camera, such as with outdoor shots and flattening the background.
• A small professional lighting kit featuring at least one bounce board or reflector, a couple of fill lights, gels and stands.
• A tripod.
• A video rig. Since you have the budget, invest in a good piece of equipment for shooting on the move. About 80% of clients want the “making of” or behind the scenes video as well. It’s actually a standard requirement for many publications if you want to get the assignment. You’re still not quite in proper Steadicam territory, but an entry-level counterweight system could very well be in your price range and extremely useful.

• Stylist/Producer. Tasked with organizing the set on the day of the shoot, as well as all their other pre- and post-production responsibilities. (Heck, you got the budget, right?)
• Hair & Makeup. An experienced hair and makeup artist can also make or break your shot. It will make all the difference to your final production and image value when you hire a good hair & makeup professional. Remember, take a look at a few different portfolios before going to hire one. Having tons of pictures in their portfolio doesn’t mean much! It’s not the quantity as much as the quality that separates what’s good and what’s not. Actually, professional makeup & hair artists only have 10 to 12 of their best images in their presentations or portfolios. Same goes for models. Show only the very best of your work!
• Assistant. Someone needs to carry the bags around as well as take over everyone else’s job when they’re too busy! (Even better, get two assistants!)

 

So. somehow, through begging, borrowing, lying and stealing, depriving your parents of their retirement fund or yourself of food for a few months (or years), you’ve managed to raise a fair amount of budget for a respectable photoshoot.

At this point, you get to become more experimental with your photography and choices. Doors which were previously closed – scenes in difficult or far-away exotic locations – are suddenly opened.
 

• Two Cameras.  (TWO?! Are you insane???) Yes, two. Three is probably overdoing it, though. Imagine traveling to a far destination and not having a backup camera after a lion with a taste for Canons takes your one and only one camera! Being able to capture behind the scenes footage simultaneously, or even shoot in two different locations at the same time, is a massive advantage when you have assistants to spare and cameras to give. At this level, we can begin to look at proper professional cameras. (They’re easier to rent than buy, just make sure to get insurance, too). A top of the line DSLR or two from Canon or Nikon will do nicely. If you really want to spoil yourself, get Leica’s S2 with a 70mm and a 120mm lens. It does not do video, but what it does can only be matched with medium format cameras. It’s so good you’ll be able to count the spots on a cheetah as its chasing your favorite model.
• Two external hard drives for storage to go with our two cameras and for the behind the scenes footage that will become one of the most valuable marketing tools for your actual pictorial. (Like it or not! The editors will love it and demand it!)
• A full set of prime lenses from 16mm through to 300mm, or so. This covers practically the whole range and will give your DoP a great set of options to play with – although if you’re planning on using a zoom function for a trick shot, bring along a 70-200mm/f2.8 zoom lens, even though primes do give you crisper image quality.
• Tripods, monopods and, if you’re feeling really adventurous, a jib or crane will make editors fall in love with your production value on top of your stellar pictorial.
• A couple of handheld systems for behind the scenes video. You might need to have some camera movement that cannot be done with anything else but handheld supportive rigs. To do this, you can use a variety of handheld camera systems from the very cheap and affordable to the insanely expensive and mind-bending, complicated Steadicam systems (which, I’m told, often come with their own operators for the right price).
• Professional lighting kits for general lighting and highlighting, and gels and stands to get the right colors and angles. Before you buy (or go crazy, whichever comes first), evaluate everything because overkill happens all the time. It’s not the equipment that makes the photo, it’s the man behind the camera that makes the actual picture. All the supportive gear is great to have when you need it and it might just be what the doctor ordered.
• Professional Model(s).  I can write about this topic until I drop! But let’s put this in a few choice words: The phrase “You get what you pay for” applies to models as well. Sometimes you get lucky and find a talented newcomer who is still affordable. Agencies usually have the best models, but they also cost more because they are mostly professional models who can deliver the added punch to your images that you really might need. I honestly think that agency models are relatively expensive because they’re almost always a sure bet and you get your money’s worth most of the time. It’s better to hire a professional instead of taking a chance on an inexperienced model, especially if the stakes are high, you’ve got to deliver the goods, and it’s your reputation riding on the line. Professional models know what to give photographers and this is why you have to pay a little extra. This is an area where many photographers fail by not realizing the importance of a good model.

A model should be the most important selection above anything else including lighting and cameras! This is because it’s the model we are shooting in the first place, and this is what keeps the wheels of the glamour and fashion industry turning, not to mention puts the smiles on our faces and keeps our pockets full. Don’t sell yourself short!