Photographers Tell Us What They Do Before A Photo Shoot

For many photographers, what you do before a photo shoot can be just as important as what you do when you get to the shoot.

With the engagement and wedding season upon us I thought that this might be a good time to take a look at this neglected topic. We asked 12 photographers what they like to do before a shoot. Check out what they had to say.

  1. Ben and Erin Chrisman
    Before a wedding, I make sure to clean all the sensors and our lenses. Erin likes to order roomservice for breakfast so we can have more time getting the gear ready, and I try to think of one thing I need to work on at the wedding, like doing a better job with compositions. We also go over our notes about the wedding and who will be there. And then we ask ourselves if it were our wedding, how would we like it photographed?
    Sarah and Angelique's engagement session in Alaska.
  2. Carmen and Ingo
    We like to get into a fun and excited mood by laughing at ourselves and making a victory pose. Virtually holding a cup in the air. . Celebrating :)This automatically brings out the fun, even if there was no excitement for some reason. This excitement is contagious for your clients and they will feel great seeing us smile. This can hold us for about 14 hours.
    Carmen-Ingo-JPEGmini
  3. Nicole Ashley
    After choosing which lenses to pack, I give them all a good clean. I format my selected CF and SD cards. I always shoot with 2 cards just in case. I double check my camera bodies batteries and pack a fully charged back-up battery.
    Nicole Ashley Photography
  4. Jen Rozenbaum
    I get pumped with MUSIC. I love rolling down my windows and blasting some tunes I can sing along to on the way to work. Music always puts me in a good mood!
    Jen-Rozenbaum
  5. David Molnar
    I always stop whatever I’m doing when my subject arrives. I sit down in my studio with them and have a bagel or coffee and do everything I can to find common ground. . . .especially the type we can laugh at.
    David-Molnar
  6. Vanessa Joy
    It’s all about the breakfast and coffee because you just don’t know when you’ll have the chance to eat more than a protein bar next! I go with plain, non-fat Greek yogurt mixed with fruit and granola to keep me full andenergized but not weighed down by empty calories like bread. Then, it’s a triple shot flat white at Starbucks to help get my gears going on the drive to the wedding.
    JPEGmini-Vanessa-Joy
  7. Chris and Verity Sansom
    We always go to the same place to grab a bacon baguette for breakfast on the way to a wedding. We also grab some food to have for dinner while we’re there so we never have to worry about suppliers meals or waiting for food.
    Chris and Verity Sansom
  8. Citlalli Rico
    We always, always, ALWAYS, leave with a lot of time ahead to make sure we are with our clients before time.
    Citlalli-Rico-JPEGmini
  9. Chris Lalonde
    I make sure I have all the proper camera gear, stands, lights and anything else that might be required for the shoot. I usually over pack just in case.. and always forget one thing… hopefully nothing we really, really need.
  10. Chris-LalondeErum Rizvi
    Listening to empowering music before I go for a shoot to get myself in a powerful state of mind helps me feel more confident, relaxed and focused.
    Erum-Rizvi-JPEGmini

What are some of the things you do before a photo shoot? Did we leave any out?Let us know in the comments section below.

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