sometimes it pays to over-shoot...

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

02/08/2007 05:32:36 PM · #1

...if you are doing freelance photojournalistic work.

here's something to consider when you're deciding just how much to shoot.

let's say you have an assignment to go cover a political event for a paper. the paper is looking for ONE good photo, but will take 2 or 3, just to have a choice. the event is going to last for about 3 hours, but the person you really need to shoot isn't going to be there until probably halfway through it. you're only going to get paid for the assignment--not for the amount of time you're there, or for the number of photos you turn in, or for the number of photos that get used.

most staff shooters will try to show up just before the person of interest shows up. they'll grab a handful of shots and get the heck out. and, unfortunately, most freelancers will do just what the staffers do--shoot and run.

i say 'unfortunate', because, unless you really have someplace else to be, you're doing yourself a grave disservice. you're passing up an opportunity to shoot! you can be getting in some quality trigger time, as well as making yourself visible to a lot of people. and, you never really know when this experience could come in handy...

huh?

check out this chain of events...
i took a picture of my kids dancing at sunset on a sanddune
i sent it to kodak
they picked it for a picture-of-the-day
i wrote a press release and sent it to a lot of publications
my college alumni magazine wanted to print my story
my college started hiring me for stuff

a museum is opening a major new exhibit
they need a photographer
their marketing director calls a former colleague for a referral
the colleague is my contact at my college
she refers the museum to me
the marketing director says, 'i remember his picture of the kids'
the marketing director calls me and tells me what she needs
it's a black tie event, in addition to a exhibit opening
it's really a 3-day job
everything sounds just fine...

until...

she tells me her board wants to look at a physical portfolio of work similar to the high dollar donor gala they need a photographer for. they want something they can pass around the conference room table, as opposed to looking at a digital portfolio.

fortunately, for me, thanks to over-shooting three such events, i had ample material to pull from. had i simply shot to fill the holes in the papers i was shooting for, there is no way i could have shown the gala committee that i was capable of shooting their black-tie event.

so, the next time you have an assignment, and you're ready to pack your bags and get out of there, ask yourself, have you really made the most of the opportunity?

Ben

Canon EOS-30D

02/08/2007 05:43:39 PM · #2

Great advice, it does just show you that somethings work in your favour even if you think it's a bit of a waste of time.

Nice one Skip.

lentil

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 135mm f/2.0L USM

02/08/2007 05:53:03 PM · #3

I always over shoot. People think I am nuts for taking 300 odd shots at something really only requires alot less. You never know when other shots are needed.

Great tip Skip.. (hey that rhymes)

rex

Canon PowerShot SD780

02/08/2007 06:36:44 PM · #4

Bumping cause it is great advice.

And way to go Skip

Canon EF 135mm f/2.0L USM

02/08/2007 10:08:57 PM · #5

thanks, ya'll!

one important note, though, about over-shooting...

over-shooting doesn't mean shooting 300 pictures of the same thing the same way. it means trying lots of different things, shooting lots of different ways.

lentil

Canon EOS-5D

02/08/2007 10:13:19 PM · #6

Originally posted by Skip:

that isnt what i meant ;p

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

02/08/2007 11:12:38 PM · #7

Originally posted by lentil:

that isnt what i meant ;p

ay-yi, lisa--i'm sorry, i didn't mean to imply that's what you meant!!! you became a victim of one of my incomplete thoughts :(

i meant the shooter who goes to a party and comes back with 300 group grin shots where the only thing that's different from one shot to the next is the people. or the photog who goes to the tennis match and comes back with 300 photos of someone serving.

sorry, lisa--i'd never lump you in with that group!

jblaylockrayner

Nikon D2Xs

02/09/2007 01:49:11 AM · #8

And sometimes it doesn't......
This is just a silly story but my charger had fallen out of the wall the night before a shoot in Brighton. Got to the place and started shooting lots of pics that I knew were not of interest but were fun for me - Next minute I know I have one bar left and a days shoot ahead - I ended up taking 2-3 pics of the people the paper wanted.
So if you are going to shoot shoot shoot - Just remember. Keep those batteries charged!!!
Cheers skip
Jeff