ZOMG! help me please first session tomorrow!

Bram · Oct 16, 2010

Hey guys,

Just got a call from a family friend and they asked me if I wnted to do a family shoot for them tomorrow afternoon (between 4:30pm and 5:30pm). The lighting will be alright I hope my equipment is down below. D40x kit lens and 200 VR. Also an SB600 speedlight. So please any input or advice would be so greatly appreciated you don't even know. I feel like I just forgot all my knowledge. Kind of freaking out here. They are an older couple with a younger child (girl). They aren't the most formal family hah which is good I guess. She's my hair stylist so I know her fairly well. Also they want kind of casual posed shots.

HELP!

D-B-J · Oct 16, 2010

just go for it! Really, there isnt much advice to give. Let them know this is your first time, so they arent all angry when you are taking your time and such. Do you have a diffuser for your speedlight?

pbelarge · Oct 16, 2010

Sun sets at approximately 6 pm tomorrow night. In relation to the mountains where you live, the evening will come very quickly.

Bram · Oct 16, 2010

No I do not have a diffuser for my flash. Yes the sun sets around here at about 5:15-5:30pm

tirediron · Oct 16, 2010

Scout the location ahead of time. Find appropriate backgrounds, look for areas where you won't have a lot of detail or extreme highlight/shadow behind them. Bring a reflector (even just a large piece of white posterboard), make sure your cards are formatted, batteries charged and that you have lots of AAs for the speedlight. Spend a few minutes on-line looking at poses and pose-ideas; talk to them and find out what they want, ie, a couple of groups poses and lots of individuals, all group shots, etc...

Think: Long focal lengths and large apertures!

Shoot in RAW

Good luck!