Taking good pictures is only part of what it takes to make a living as a professional photographer. You might expect your day to look different based on your specialty as a photographer and whether you choose to work independently or as part of a team.
It’s not like working a regular 9-to-5 job, so keep in mind that no day is ever the same. Because of the one-of-a-kind nature of each picture shoot, a great deal of preparation and cleanup time is required both before and after each shot. As a professional photographer, you need to be self-driven, organized, and adaptable.
Let’s have a look at how Pedram Shakouri, a skilled photographer, spends his time on a shoot day.
On The Shoot
Depending on the nature of the shoot, I may need to arrive at the venue and get set up in the wee hours of the morning in order to get the most out of my shooting time and the available light (if I’m working outdoors or with natural light).
I’ll make sure I have everything I need, including fully charged batteries and enough of fresh memory cards, before I head out on the job.
After I arrive at the shoot venue and set up my gear, I’ll probably have a pre-session meeting with the client, model, and assistant to go through our expectations and go over any last minute details.
Taking pictures is the most enjoyable part, so I just grab the camera and start having some fun.
The length of my shifts ranges from one hour to many hours, depending on the nature of the shoot. However, there is still a lot to do when the photos and cleanup are done.
After The Shoot
The first thing I’m going to do is make a backup! The next step is to organize all of the pictures I’ve shot. After narrowing down my options, I’ll conduct any necessary touch-ups in Photoshop and then deliver the finished photographs to the customer.And that is pretty much it.
