Scheduling a shoot
Working with large groups is always a lot of fun, but it can be chaotic without a set schedule. The following ideas are ways to schedule groups of various sizes and get the most out of the shoot. Factors to consider are listed below. The description lower down also touch on these three topics:
- Lighting: I don’t have unlimited lighting. Therefore most setups require a lighting change to repurpose the lights between solo action, group, and headshots.
- Individual preparation: each person’s shoot can go more quickly. And that equals more shots per person, potentially anyway.
- Photographer fatigue: fatigue starts to impact the shoot if it goes long hours. For shoots of more than 20–24 people, doing the shoot over 2 days is more feasible, and a better likelihood that I’ll stay mentally fresh and give you my best work.
1 or 2 People
Shooting 1 or 2 people is easy. Take turns in front of the camera until we run out of time. (Time impact: 2 or 3 hours for everyone.)
3 or 4 (maybe 5) People
3 or 4 people can work a lot like 1 or 2 people and gives you the flexibility to shoot solos and also groups of 2, 3, or 4. (Time impact: 3 or 4 hours for everyone.)
6 – 11 People; Dance Shoot
Once you get in the 6 – 11 range, you’ll want to start scheduling the shoot with individual times so people are not waiting around. Please note that in this example the total time is about 6 hours. In that time frame, I’ll probably need at least one short break. Please also note that with only 10 minutes each person will need to come prepared with their poses already sorted out. Some poses take more time, and some take less time, but they average to a pose every 1.5 to 2 minutes. They should be prepared with at least 5 to 8 poses in order, such that they get their most important poses done first. (Time impact: 6 hours for the photographer, 3 hours for each dancer.)
Here’s a sample schedule (times simulated):
| Time | Person |
|---|---|
| 10:30 | Setup |
| Noon | Dancer 1 |
| 12:10 | Dancer 2 |
| 12:20 | Dancer 3 |
| 12:30 | Dancer 4 |
| 12:40 | Dancer 5 |
| 12:50 | Dancer 6 |
| 1:00 | setup changeover |
| 1:15 | headshots |
| 1:20 | setup changeover |
| 1:35 | group shots |
| 2:00 | Setup changeover and short break |
| 2:30 | Dancer 7 |
| 2:40 | Dancer 8 |
| 2:50 | Dancer 9 |
| 3:00 | Dancer 10 |
| 3:10 | Dancer 11 |
| 3:20 – 4:30 | Teardown |
Around 20 People; Dance Shoot
Please note that in this example (and the previous one), we’ve put the headshots in the middle. I don’t have enough lights or backdrops to have two separate setups in the same space. Therefore headshots and group shots require some lighting changeover. Putting the headshots in the middle ensures that no single dancer needs to be there for the whole time. The first group can leave after group shots and the second group can show up just before headshots. (Time impact: 9 hours for the photographer, 4 hours for each dancer.)
Here’s a sample schedule (times simulated):
| Time | Person |
|---|---|
| 8:30 | Setup |
| 10:00 – no0n | Dancers 1 – 12; ten minutes each |
| 1:00 | setup changeover |
| 1:15 | headshots |
| 1:30 | setup changeover |
| 1:45 | group shots |
| 2:15 | Setup changeover and lunch break |
| 3:00 – 4:20 | Dancers 13 – 20; ten minutes each |
| 4:20 – 5:30 | Teardown |
Around 30 People; Dance Shoot
Once you get into the 30 range, booking 10 minutes per dancer becomes prohibitive unless you do a two-day shoot. It’s not that it’s impossible to do that much, it’s just that as the only person who doesn’t get a break, the photographer’s fatigue is a factor. Another factor is that 10 minutes per person turns into a lot of time. 8 minutes per dancer, or 3-4 shots per dancer becomes a lot more feasible. (Time impact: 13 hours for the photographer, 2 hours for the whole group to be there and then about 0 – 20 minutes to warm up for solo shots and another 10 minutes in front of the camera.)
Here’s a sample schedule (times simulated):
| Time | Person |
|---|---|
| Day 1 4:30pm | Setup |
| 6:00 – 8:00 | Headshots and group shots, with 15 min lighting changeover between |
| 8:00 – 9:30 or 10:00 | Individual action shots (7 or 8 people) |
| Day 2 9:00 am | Individual action shots (11 to 15 people) |
| 11:30 | lunch break |
| 12:15 – 2:45 | Individual action shots (11 to 15 people) |
| 3:00 – 4:20 | Teardown |