Photo Education

How to Prepare for a Destination Photoshoot

August 9, 2013

I’m Catherine.
A New Orleans based wedding photographer and educator. We are excited you are here and cannot wait to connect with you!.
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Two of my ABSOLUTE favorite things in the world (aside from ice cream and sleeping late) are 1. Photography and 2. Travel!

I also love photographing couples in love…and interacting with others. So, really this was the perfect opportunity to do all of the above.

Last August 4th , I photographed the wedding of Natalie + Will Sirgo, so I was pretty thrilled when they invited me to photograph their anniversary session in the city of San Francisco. It’s been a wonderful chance to catch up and to challenge myself with shooting in a new city.

However, there’s a few things that I learned in the process:

1. Have a Plan

– Even though I was shooting in another city I knew it was important to have a plan, but now I’m convinced of it. I prefer to shoot in natural light if and when possible…and those pretty hours of day light can slip away quickly in a new place without sticking to a schedule.

– Having a spot where we could easily meet up was so nice. We didn’t waste time fretting over traffic/transportation. We simply got together, picked outfits and headed to the shoot.

– I was so happy that we discussed outfits prior to the shoot because when Natalie and Will arrived at the hotel (our meeting spot at the time we agreed), we quickly sifted through outfits and headed to the location.

2. Do the Research

– Typically, I have time to arrive and settle in the city before a photoshoot. This gives me time to become acquainted with the area and prepare for the session. For Natalie + Will, the situation was a little different. With their anniversary being the day after a Louisiana wedding, the idea of scouting was non-existant. Instead, I researched online as best as I could discussing with them along the way our ideas. Once I arrived, everything fell into place because we had worked together to make it that way.

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3. Be Conscious of Your Surroundings

– Being in the city of San Francisco is out of my comfort zone for sure. Not knowing how to navigate like I would in Louisiana…or when/where to shoot could have potentially posed an issue. However, I simply observed and took note of what was going on around us. We were respectful of the residents in the residential area and took note of the tourists in the more heavily populated areas.

4. Know Your Gear

– Man, with everything else coming into play in a new city, the LAST thing I want to be fiddling with is my gear. Being familiar with my equipment and knowing the ins and outs saved me the stress of having one more thing to worry about.

5. Always Bring Backup

TRUE STORY: The day after our photo shoot, my 24-70 zoom lens (my go-to lens) is stuck at 24 mm. What if this would have happened  before or during the photo shoot?! No problem…because I had backup. Especially in a destination city where you don’t have friends or family to call for assistance, having backup gear is absolutely necessary. It happens (this story is proof of it).

6. Be Flexible

One of the locations that we had discussed prior to my arrival was the location below (the beach just west of the Golden Gate bridge). I saw Natalie instagram a photo of this spot and fell in love. What we couldn’t have anticipated were the strong winds and chilly weather. According to them, it was the coldest day in San Francisco during their stay.

About 10-15 minutes into shooting there, I decided to scrap the location. It was absolutely miserable and I didn’t feel like I was getting the shots that I wanted. Had we stayed there, not only would they have been frozen when we left, but it could have also wasted away the last little bit of light that we had left.

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7. Have Fun

I ALWAYS end my tip posts with this…because really, what’s a photoshoot without fun? For each outfit, we used sentimental and fun objects like macaroons and cupcakes to set the mood. We also always kept in mind that this shoot was about celebrating their anniversary and being together. Photoshoots are SO much fun for a couple and I hope they always look back on them as an exciting and special memory.

If you are a photographer or someone simply looking to plan a destination photoshoot, feel free to comment below with any questions or shoot me an email: catguidry@yahoo.com

Have a wonderful weekend!

Catherine

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  1. Christa says:

    Hey C!
    Great work, encouraged by this.
    Question: Did or do you bring a second shooter with you? Also, does the client pay for your air fare and hotel?

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