Before photo shoots it’s very important to pre-visualize the entire session. When corresponding with clients through email I try to gather all their information, where they want pictures done, what they want to get out of the photo shoot, and I ask them to send me pictures they would like to implement as their own. I do this because the last thing I want to happen is for someone to think “I wish I had taken this picture.” To make the most out of your graduation photo shoot you have to tell your photographer exactly what you want. If you just show up to the location with the photographer and trust that he will do a good job without telling the photographer what you want, I am sure you will get great pictures, but they probably won’t all be pictures you wanted.
Focus on what pictures you want, tell the photographer what you need, and you will get more pictures that you like. The next thing I think about is what I want to get out of the shoot. Finally, I visualize how I can add my own style and artistic vision to the pictures the client wants to take. Sometimes you have to show people what they don’t know they want, so I like to make people run around, climb things, and laugh because it makes for natural and fun pictures. Another thing to think about is how you want to allocate your time for the photo shoot.
For Robbie’s photo shoot we broke it down into three sections: Outfit One, Two and Three.
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1. GQ/Outfit One
What Robbie wanted: Professional pictures for resumes and linkedIn.
What I worked on: Finding pictures from GQ magazine and business portraits on google to implement as Robbie’s pictures. This helped me create pictures that look like they could grace the pages of a magazine. 🙂
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Thank you Allison for helping out and making the photo shoot extra awesome!
2. Fun/Outfit Two
What Robbie Wanted: Fun and fresh 90’s style pictures.
What I worked on: Scouting locations on campus that were vibrant and looking for stuff to bring to make the photo shoot more interactive. In this case I brought powdered sugar for Robbie to throw.
3. Graduation/Cap and Gown
What Robbie Wanted: Pictures in front of Old Main and on University.
What I worked on: Going off of what has worked in the past for other photo shoots, but then created something that isn’t the exact same thing that everyone else has done. Other than taking pictures on the steps of Old Main, I had Robbie climb on the fountain then used the building as a backdrop. To add more fun to the pictures he then opted to jump into the fountain and wear a 90’s Mickey Mouse shirt.
Thank you Robbie for having me take your senior portraits. It was truly an honor being able to work with another creative. Have an amazing time in LA and good luck with your future endeavors!
-Dillon Driscoll