Poo-Poo Platter

I’m sure everyone who reads this blog has had more than their fill of my constant blabbing about last week’s shoot at The F-Stop. Well, this will be the last post about it. No new photos from the shoot this time. Instead, I’ll be going over some of things that I thought went well and things that could use improvement.

What Went Right:

1. Experienced shooters shared their lighting equipment.

Of the 10 photographers who attended, 6 of us brought enough lighting gear for everyone. We had enough Pocket Wizards for 4 separate shoots (handy since the PWs only have 4 channels). There were enough lights, stands, and umbrellas to accommodate 2- and 3-light setups for most shots. If we really wanted to, we could’ve also used the Gadget Infinity triggers that were on hand for even more light. Luckily, the spaces were tight enough that we didn’t need to use them.

2. We had plenty of models for the shoot and a variety of wardrobe changes.

Five models showed up, and each of them had at least 2-3 different outfits. Each model also had her own distinct look and style, so we had plenty of variety to work with during the shoot. We mixed and matched models, adjust outfits and makeup, and even moved the same style into different studios. And, as far as I can tell, most of the looks were driven by the models themselves. It’s good to have models who can take the initiative to start a look and then make adjustments on a per-setup basis.

3. We set general limits for the shoot.

We limited the total number of attendees to 10 photographers and a handful of assistants (not counting models). We did allow observers to show up, but the rule was anyone who took a photo would have to contribute to the rental cost. It didn’t matter if they used lights or not. I think that helped to keep the number of actual attendees down and, in general, keep things under control. Scheduling the shoot on a weeknight probably helped as well.

Also, given this groups’ past history, we could’ve shot all night if we didn’t have a finite number of hours booked. Limiting the shooting time really helped us stay on track and not flounder around too much. Sharing the spaces with multiple photographers also kept everyone moving along. If you were shooting, someone else would take over until you were ready.

4. The group had a rough game plan going into the shoot.

Before we even booked the studio time, we started a thread in the Seattle Flickr Meetup group on Flickr to discuss the types of shots we wanted to get from the shoot. People contributed example images and ideas, so that once we got into studio, we could start working right away.

5. Everyone was very flexible and adapted well to changing conditions throughout the night.

With the number of people moving around all night, it easily could’ve turned into mass chaos with people getting frustrated at each other and arguing. Somehow, we managed to get through the night without any incidents. Models moved from studio to studio as photographers became available. Non-shooting photographers assisted those who were shooting. Unused lights migrated from room to room between setups. Photographers jumped to different studios as their shooting ideas evolved. It was all incredibly fluid. Frankly, I was surprised that it all went so smoothly.

What Could Use Improvement:

1. We did not label equipment.

Black light stands all look the same. So do white shoot-through umbrellas. This is especially the case when most of order gear from the same online store. And, with gear moving from room to room, it was easy to lose track of where your own equipment went. The end-of-night cleanup was a bit confusing as we tried to figure out which lightstand belonged to whom, but I think everyone ended up going home with their own gear. Next time, we label everything.

2. We did not consider that there would be people inexperienced with lighting attending the shoot.

When we originally planned the meetup, we didn’t really make it clear to everyone that this was going to be more of an intermediate/advanced shoot. We ended up having a few novices show up, including one guy who had never been to any previous meetup, and I don’t think much time was given to basic instruction on how to setup and use off-camera lights. Most of the experienced shooters just started setting up lights and shooting without so much as a peep on how or why they were doing what they were doing.

Ideally, we would’ve had one novice shooter pair up with an experienced shooter, so there could be a bit of one-on-one time to explain off-camera lighting. I think some of this happened in one of the studios (all of the novice shooters somehow ended up in Studio D with one of the experienced guys), but we probably could’ve done a better job sharing info in the other rooms.

3. Photographers did not rotate through all the studios.

Somehow, I ended up only shooting in Studios A and B (the long, stone and brick room with the pipes and the apartment scene) and completely neglected to work in the other two rooms (one with seamless white and black backgrounds and the other one with a groovy dentist chair and a couch). I think most of the photographers stuck with one or two studios the entire night and didn’t really explore what The F-Stop had to offer.

I can understand why this happened though. Once you got your lights setup and your shooting rhythm in one particular area, it was tough to drop it all and do it again in another room. Bringing in different models and adjust lights was easier than completely switching environments. I know that, for me, I really go into shooting the apartment studio, because that particular setup just worked for me creatively. I did do a few shots in the big stone and brick room, but, even then, I only used the stone wall with pipes as a backdrop. I never did take advantage of the depth of the room.

4. There were too many people at times.

With people in every studio shooting something, there were bound to be conflicts in lighting setups. In my particular case, I wanted to use the windows the separated Studio A and B, but, because there were strobes going off in Studio A, it was very difficult to control what behind the windows. I ended up getting nothing from the window setup, because there was just too much going on.

Also, even though we had 5 models at the shoot, there was a bit of jockeying for specific models at certain times. Case in point, when we were setting up for our first shots, the group I was in asked for the model who none of us had shot before. She showed up in our room ready to go, and, immediately, the people in the next room grabbed her from us. That particular model was also hoarded a bit by a couple of photographers throughout the night, and I ended up not ever shooting her. Luckily, the other models were great for my shots, but I would’ve liked to have photographed her at least for one setup.

5. I need more rest before doing a 4-hour shoot.

One of the downsides of scheduling a big shoot on a week night is that I will have had a full day at work before going to the shoot. And, since I work on the East side and The F-Stop is in Seattle, it also meant at least a 40 minute drive in evening commute (it took me an hour and a half total, which included heading over to Queen Anne to pick up Brittney, who was one of our models). I was pretty out of it at the beginning of the shoot, and, by the third hour, I was downright grumpy and tired (Rachel has a shot of me looking a bit haggard). When all was said and done, I felt exhausted and pissy and every little thing got to me. I’m not sure if I showed this while I was shooting, but I certainly felt it. As such, I didn’t feel like I had and good ideas and was not happy with the initial look at the shots. Thankfully, everything turned fine in the end, but my evening would’ve gone better if I had a bit more rest beforehand.

So, overall, the shoot at The F-Stop was a success. I got a chance to photograph several different models during the course of the evening. I got some great portfolio material. I was able to check out the studios and meet one of the owners. And I got some much-needed practice directing models and setting up lights (those are things I still need to work on). It wasn’t perfect, but it went well. I’m definitely going back there for more shoots. Maybe with fewer people next time. And more sleep. :)