The Big Studio Shoot

On Tuesday, I discussed my big leap into working in a studio. While the lighting stuff is pretty cool (OK, maybe just for photographers), how about the actual shoot? How were the models to work with? What were some of the ideas behind the shots? How was the mood? What's it like to be at a photo shoot with so many photographers and models? Today I'll give you the inside scoop!

The shoot was set up by Jay Kilgore as part of Colorado SuperShoot. It was basically a big photoshoot party for everyone he's worked with through Colorado SuperShooot in the last year. The morning shoot was a lingerie shoot, which is not what I normally do but I'm not going to complain. The afternoon shoot was a fashion shoot. By the end of the day, there were over 20 models to work with. Some of them tended to stand out, maybe due to their personality, maybe due to their skills. I'll post separate posts about them at a later date. Today's post is just about the experience, and what an experience it was!

The morning lingerie shoot was a lot of fun. I'm not just saying that because there were a bunch of models standing around in their underwear! Everyone was very relaxed. No one was uncomfortable. The music was turned up, people were dancing and laughing, and we were getting some great photos. Here's a tip: If you're getting good photos, show them to your subject! Regardless of whether you're an experienced model or if it's your first photo shoot, having a photographer say "These photos are looking great!" and just keep shooting does not compare to hearing that and then actually seeing the photos. It's an instant boost in confidence! Plus, there's been many times I've thought the photos are looking great, but when I show them to the subject they notice something they don't like and then change it, making even better photos.

We eventually had 4 different locations for shooting in the morning. For some reason, that wasn't enough for me, so I asked if anyone wanted to step outside and shoot against the side of the building. Keep in mind, it's 40° and windy outside and everyone is in lingerie. Kat stepped up and volunteered! We didn't stay outside long, but we did get some great shots. Once we came back inside, it was just constant shooting for the next few hours. The photographers and models all slowly cycled through the different setups so everyone got to shoot everywhere.

Eventually it was time to move into the fashion part of the shoot. More models started to show up and the ones from the morning changed. The photographers decided to change a few of the setups, so while the models got ready we moved equipment around. Fortunately, the kind people at the North Denver Photography Studio let us spread out into the other studios, basically giving us access to the entire place. This opened up so many different possibilities for shooting, it was a little ridiculous! Suddenly we had scenery, props, backdrops and more equipment. It was time to shoot!

Because we got so spread out, we had the flexibility to tweak the lighting so that it looked the way we wanted. Instead of shooting the same person with the same lighting setup as 5 other photographers, we had the chance to create something unique. Some of the models, like Caleb and Brandy, really took this opportunity to voice their opinions and help to create some great images. For all of this, I am grateful to the studio and the models.

At the end of the day, after working with so many different people in so many different locations, I had taken lots of photos, and when I say lots of photos, I mean, "Wow, when am I going to have the time to edit all of these photos?". What really makes me happy is that it wasn't like a production line: Pose... shoot... next! Pose... shoot... next! There was interaction. Contacts were made, stories were told and laughs were shared. Everyone seemed to get along and have a good time. Really, isn't that what it's all about?

You can see more photos here.