Before You Start
Professional photography is a client service — not a personal creative practice. Read this before your first meeting so you understand the vocabulary, the gear, and what a finished project actually looks like.
Exposure Triangle — The relationship between the three settings that control how much light reaches the sensor: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Every exposure decision is a trade-off between these three.
Aperture (f-stop) — Controls how wide the lens opening is. Lower f-number (f/1.8) = wider opening, more light, blurrier background. Higher f-number (f/11) = narrower opening, less light, sharper background. For portraits: low f-stop. For group shots or environments: higher f-stop.
Shutter Speed — How long the sensor is exposed to light. Fast shutter (1/500s) freezes motion. Slow shutter (1/30s) blurs motion and needs a tripod. For events with movement, stay at 1/200s or faster.
ISO — The sensor's sensitivity to light. Low ISO (100–400) = clean image. High ISO (3200+) = brighter image but with visible grain/noise. Raise ISO only when you can't get enough light another way.
White Balance — How the camera interprets color temperature. Incorrect white balance makes skin look orange, yellow, or blue. Set it manually indoors where lighting is consistent.
RAW vs. JPEG — RAW captures all sensor data and gives you maximum editing flexibility in post. JPEG is compressed and baked-in — smaller files, less editing latitude. Always shoot RAW for client work if your camera supports it.
Depth of Field — How much of the image is in focus front-to-back. Shallow depth of field (low f-stop) isolates a subject with a blurry background. Deep depth of field (high f-stop) keeps everything sharp.
Golden Hour — The hour after sunrise and before sunset. Light is warm, soft, and directional — flattering for almost any subject. If the client has flexibility on timing, shoot outdoors during golden hour.
Culling — The process of reviewing all raw images from a shoot and selecting the best ones to edit and deliver. Most photographers deliver 10–20% of total frames shot.
Color Grading — Adjusting color, contrast, tone, and style in post-production to create a consistent look across a set of images. A consistent grade is what makes a photo series look professional.
Deliverable Formats — JPEG for most client uses (web, print, social). PNG for images needing transparency. TIFF for high-resolution print. Confirm what the client needs before you export anything.
Camera Body — DSLR or mirrorless. The body matters less than the lens in most situations. Know the controls before you show up to shoot — fumbling with menu settings during a client event is unprofessional.
Lenses — Focal length determines field of view. Wide angle (16–35mm) captures environments and groups. Standard (35–85mm) is close to natural human vision — good for events and documentary. Telephoto (85–200mm) compresses depth and is flattering for portraits. A 50mm f/1.8 is the most versatile starting lens.
Memory Cards — Use fast cards (UHS-II or V30+ rated) and always bring a backup. Losing photos because a card failed is unacceptable in a professional context. Format cards in the camera, not on a computer, before each shoot.
Batteries — Always bring at least one fully charged spare. Long events drain batteries faster than expected.
Lighting (Speedlite / Flash) — On-camera flash is harsh and unflattering. A bounce flash angled at a ceiling or wall diffuses light dramatically. For controlled environments, an off-camera flash with a softbox produces the best results.
Editing Software — Adobe Lightroom is the industry standard for photo culling, editing, and export. Lightroom Classic (desktop) is best for batch editing large shoots. Capture One is a professional alternative with stronger color tools.
Event Coverage — You attend and document an event as it unfolds. Includes performances, career fairs, galas, sports, ceremonies. Requires fast adaptability, long lenses, and comfort shooting in challenging light. The shot list guides priorities, but you must also capture unscripted moments.
Custom Stock / Business Photography — A planned session producing specific images for a business's ongoing use: website photos, social media content, product images, headshots, or "day-in-the-life" brand photos. More controlled than events, but requires more pre-production — precise shot list, location scouting, styling coordination, and often multiple set changes.
Project Setup
Name the project and define the basics. Knowing the project type shapes every question you'll ask the client.
Client Discovery
The discovery meeting determines what you capture and how you deliver it. Get the wrong information here and you'll spend the shoot chasing the wrong shots.
- What is the purpose of these photos — website, social media, print materials, internal use, event documentation, or all of the above?
- Who is the audience? This shapes everything: formality of poses, variety of subjects, diversity of coverage.
- Are there must-have shots that are non-negotiable? Get a specific list — not "general coverage."
- Are there specific people or moments that must be captured? (Key speakers, award recipients, VIP guests, specific products.)
- What is the desired style — photojournalistic and candid, posed and formal, editorial and artistic? Ask them to show you examples they love.
- What are the exact deliverables — how many edited images, what formats, what resolution?
- What is the turnaround time — when do they need a preview set, and when is final delivery?
- Are there brand guidelines — colors, logo placement, specific framing or look that must match existing materials?
- Are there restrictions — areas off-limits, people who shouldn't be photographed, logos or signage to avoid?
- What is the full schedule — when does setup begin, when do guests arrive, when are the key moments?
- Is there a program or run-of-show document you can share in advance?
- What is the venue? Is there a dark stage with spotlights, harsh overhead fluorescents, or natural light? (This dictates your gear choices.)
- Will there be other photographers or videographers? What's the protocol for shared coverage?
- Who is the point-of-contact during the event if something needs clarifying?
- What specific scenarios or locations need to be captured? (People at desks, exterior of building, product in use, team collaboration, etc.)
- Are talent/subjects already identified, or do you need to coordinate that?
- What wardrobe or styling is expected? Is business casual standard, or does the client want specific colors?
- How many set changes or locations are planned?
- What aspect ratios does the client need — horizontal for website headers, vertical for social posts, square for profile images?
Shot List & Brief
The shot list is your contract with the client and your guide during the shoot. A strong shot list means you never wonder what to capture next.
A good shot list is specific, prioritized, and realistic for the time available. Organize it by priority:
- Priority 1 — Must Have: Non-negotiable. If you don't get these, the project fails. These come first in the shoot plan.
- Priority 2 — Should Have: Important but not critical. Capture these if time and conditions allow.
- Priority 3 — Nice to Have: Creative or supplemental shots. Only if everything above is covered.
Each shot entry should include: subject, context/location, orientation (horizontal/vertical/both), and any specific notes (e.g., "must include logo visible," "natural light only," "candid not posed").
Shows the full scene or venue. Sets context. Every event needs at least 3–5 good establishing shots.
Waist-up or environment with subject. The most versatile shot for editorial and social use.
Hands, faces, objects, signage. Creates emotional connection and visual variety in a gallery.
Natural moments — laughter, conversation, concentration. Often the most valuable shots for storytelling.
Direct-to-camera, intentional framing. Used for headshots, speaker profiles, award recipients.
Subject doing the work — presenting, building, performing. Shows capability and energy.
Checkpoint: Brief Approved
Before scouting the location or preparing gear, confirm the shot list and brief are approved by both the client and Russ.
Review before scouting or gear prep
- Is the shot list specific enough — subjects, contexts, orientations, priorities?
- Is the number of must-have shots realistic for the time available?
- Has the client confirmed the shot list and brief in writing?
- Are the deliverable format, count, and turnaround time agreed and documented?
Location & Logistics
Scout the location and prepare your gear before shoot day. Showing up to an unfamiliar space with unchecked gear is how preventable mistakes happen.
Checkpoint: Pre-Shoot Review
Final check before shoot day. Everything should be confirmed, packed, and ready — no surprises on the day.
Confirm before shoot day
- Has the location been scouted and any lighting challenges identified?
- Is all gear checked, charged, and packed?
- Is the shot list accessible during the shoot — not just saved somewhere on a laptop?
- Is the timeline and point-of-contact confirmed with the client?
- Is the turnaround plan clear — when will images be delivered and in what format?
Camera Fundamentals
Review these before every shoot. The goal is to make exposure decisions quickly and instinctively so you never miss a moment fumbling with settings.
Every lighting situation requires a different balance of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Here are the starting points for common client scenarios:
- Outdoor in daylight. ISO 100–200, aperture f/4–f/8 (group shots f/8, single subject f/2.8–f/4), shutter 1/500–1/1000s. Plenty of light — keep ISO low and freeze motion with a fast shutter.
- Indoor with good artificial light. ISO 400–800, aperture f/2.8–f/4, shutter 1/200–1/320s. Watch for mixed light sources — different bulb types create different color casts. Set white balance manually.
- Indoor with dim/stage lighting. ISO 1600–6400, aperture f/1.8–f/2.8 (widest you have), shutter 1/160–1/250s. Accept some noise — a sharp, slightly grainy image is better than a blurry clean one. Never go below 1/160s with a moving subject.
- Outdoors at night / low light. ISO 3200–12800, wide aperture, tripod if subjects are still. For moving subjects, flash becomes necessary — learn bounce flash technique.
Rule of thirds: Place subjects off-center — at the intersections of an imaginary 3×3 grid. Center-framed subjects feel static. Off-center subjects feel dynamic and intentional.
Leading lines: Use natural lines (hallways, fences, table edges, roads) to draw the eye toward the subject.
Clean backgrounds: Before pressing the shutter, check what's behind the subject. A pole appearing to grow from someone's head, a cluttered wall, or a distracting exit sign ruins an otherwise good frame. Take two steps left or right if needed.
Fill the frame: Get closer. Most beginner photographers stay too far away. Move in until the subject fills the frame — or use your feet to zoom, not the lens.
Shoot multiples: Take 3–5 frames of every important shot. People blink, expressions change, and slight camera movement happens. Give yourself options in the cull.
The Shoot
Execute the shot list without losing the spontaneous moments. Work the priority order, communicate professionally, and end every shoot with the card secured.
Checkpoint: Post-Shoot Review
Before you open Lightroom, review what you captured. Know what you're working with before the edit begins.
Review before editing begins
- Were all priority 1 shots captured? If not, is there a plan to address any gaps?
- Are the images backed up to at least two locations?
- Is the overall image quality strong enough — exposure, focus, variety?
- How many total frames, and is the expected final delivery count achievable?
Culling
Culling is the most underestimated step in photography. The images you don't deliver are as important as the ones you do. One excellent image beats five mediocre ones every time.
- First pass: eliminate technical failures. Delete anything blurry (due to camera shake or missed focus), badly exposed (blown highlights, crushed shadows), or where the subject blinked or made an unflattering expression. Be ruthless.
- Second pass: eliminate duplicates. From the multiples you shot of each scene, keep the best one or two. If five frames are nearly identical, one or two go to the client — not all five.
- Third pass: select your keepers. Flag or star images that are technically solid AND tell the story or serve the shot list. Aim for the best 15–25% of surviving frames.
- Check coverage. After culling, review whether the shot list is covered. Do you have wide, medium, and close-up images? Candid and posed? Are all priority subjects represented?
- Final count check. Confirm the number of keeper images matches or exceeds the agreed delivery count. If you're short on certain categories, identify them now before editing begins.
Editing
Edit for consistency, not just correction. The goal is a cohesive set of images that feel like they belong together — not a collection of individually treated photos.
- Set your base exposure on one representative image. Fix white balance, adjust exposure, correct highlights and shadows. This becomes your reference image for the whole set.
- Sync to similar images. In Lightroom, select all images shot in the same lighting conditions, then sync the settings from your reference image. This creates a consistent base across the set in seconds.
- Tweak individually where needed. Some images will need minor adjustments after the sync — a slightly darker frame here, a slightly warmer one there. Keep these adjustments subtle.
- Apply a consistent grade. Choose a color tone that suits the project — warm and golden, clean and neutral, cool and airy — and apply it consistently. Switching styles between images in the same gallery looks unprofessional.
- Crop for composition. Fix horizon lines that are slightly off. Crop out distracting edges. Tighten loose compositions. But don't over-crop — you lose resolution for print.
- Final check. View the full gallery in grid view and look for outliers — an image that's noticeably different in color, brightness, or style from the rest. Fix or remove it.
Client Preview
Share a preview set with the client before final export. This is your chance to confirm selection and catch any feedback before you finalize everything.
How to run the preview
- Share images via a proofing gallery (Google Drive with view permissions, or a simple web gallery). A folder dump feels unfinished — a gallery feels professional.
- Frame the review: "Here are X images from the set. I'm looking for confirmation that the coverage meets expectations before I finalize the export." Be specific about what you need from them.
- Ask about specific shots if you had concerns: "I want to flag that the indoor stage lighting was challenging — the available photos from that segment have some noise, but all are sharp. Does this work for your use?"
- If the client wants to swap specific images or needs more of a certain type, note it precisely and confirm if it's within scope.
- Get written confirmation before exporting final files — a reply email approving the gallery is enough.
Export & Delivery
Export at the right specs for the client's intended use and deliver cleanly. The last impression is the delivery experience.
Checkpoint: Reflection
Confirm delivery is complete. Reflect on what you learned — the best photographers improve their process on every project.
Final review
- Did the client confirm receipt of the final delivery in writing?
- Were all agreed deliverables in the brief fulfilled?
- What was the most technically challenging moment of the shoot, and how did you handle it?
- What would you do differently in pre-production, during the shoot, or in post?
- What image from this project are you most proud of, and why?