SHOOTING STEPS
1 GET THE DETAILS IN-CAMERA
When I’m working on a new conceptual portrait, I spend a lot of time in the research and planning phase. This means I’m not going into a shoot blind and, ultimately, it allows me to have more control over my conceptual ideas. To me, it’s important to capture as much detail of all the compositional elements you require in-camera.
2 PLAN, PLAN, PLAN
Building on my previous point, planning is so important. From gathering props and wigs or any bits you need to setting up the studio, or wherever you’re shooting, ahead of time so you have a prepped space and a vision of what you want to achieve.
3 LIGHTING IS KEY
The biggest element that can alter your image is lighting. When I first started shooting, I used windows. They create amazing natural light and a cloudy day is your friend for diffused light. So if you don’t have access to a flash or diffuser, you can still achieve magic with natural lighting.
4 THE MAGIC OF COMPOSITION
MY portraits often involve lots of different elements that need careful attention. Composition is all about storytelling, so think about what your composition is saying and what elements you might want to bring in to aid that conversation.
5 SELF-PORTRAITS, TEST SHOOT
When I’m shooting it’s often with elaborate hair and makeup or complex sets, so I have found it especially important to test shoot. I do this pre-hair and makeup to check the camera setup and lighting and will further check with a mannequin head and wig to ensure depth of field and focus.
6 CAPTURE ALL THE ELEMENTS
If you are working with elements that you are going to composite into your final image, it’s important to shoot this in the same scene, with the same lighting and settings so that the components seamlessly melt into each other.