lights! camera! coordinate?
July 29, 2021
written by
Greg Ciro Tornincasa
On set at our recent photoshoot for ECS, I made the comment to our Brand Director, Stephanie Frier, “These shoots really require us to be juggling event coordinators, huh?!” It’s always so impressive how seamless a shoot goes, even knowing that it took a ton of preparation and planning. Now that we’ve wrapped, finished post-production, delivered an awesome new photo library, and have some very happy clients, I wanted to revisit that comment and dig in a little deeper.
Q&A with 300FeetOut Brand Director, Stephanie Frier
So, does it really take a juggling event coordinator to make it all happen?
Steph: I think a good lifestyle photoshoot is about creating an experience, just like an event. There’s lots of little details that go into bringing it to life. From the action on-set and the chosen props, to the lighting that creates atmosphere and the food the talent eats. Helping everyone on set feel comfortable is what makes authenticity in the action happen.
What was the most surprising and satisfying part of the shoot?
Steph: The most surprising was that we thought we were doing an outdoor pool scene, but ended up shooting an indoor family gathering because of weather constraints. The new scene organically became the most fun, authentic, and emotional experience. It turned out fabulous shots with real emotion. You never know how it’s going to work out — you can go crazy planning the details, but you have to be prepared to adapt on the fly. Sometimes the best stuff happens when you least expect it.
The most satisfying part of the photoshoot was just watching how engaged with the process everyone was. The client, volunteer model residents, the crew, and our team — they all genuinely cared about what we were doing. Everyone did the best they could to achieve the goal for the shoot, because they truly believe in the brand. You can’t buy brand loyalty like that — it’s only generated when the brand is real.
It seems like 90% of the work is in the planning, and what happens on-set is testament to how good that planning was. Am I right?
Steph: There are many types of photography. Capturing in-the-moment action, like editorial or news, can require very little planning — it’s more about the right place at the right time, with a good eye. But when it comes to lifestyle photoshoots, the details really matter. The success of a shoot is dependent upon how much you plan upfront. You want to be adaptable, but the more you have figured out, the more flexibility and margin you have to adapt on the fly.
Is the chemistry with a good photographer a must?
Steph: I think a good relationship with the photographer and the crew definitely helps. When you work well together things move quickly and happen more smoothly. You can have debate and conversation like a high-performing team. When you don’t know your crew, you may not feel as comfortable being real and talking about the challenges you have to work through. But we can easily work with any professional crew that knows their stuff, and it’s fun to work with people who have a different perspective. Photoshoots are about creative problem solving in the moment — seeing the story and making it happen. You simply get better shots when everyone is communicating well and working together seamlessly. Good working vibes!
Hired talent or volunteer models?
Steph: Either can be successful, depending on what you’re trying to achieve. Using residents that actually lived at the senior care community for this photoshoot brought us closer to that authentic experience. Volunteer talent won’t be as familiar with camera or wardrobe or styling, so there’s’ a different level of interaction and more guidance needed to coach talent to the end result. Hired talent is usually very practiced in their craft, so things can move along more quickly and seamlessly.
What was your favorite photoshoot, ever?
Steph: This is a tough one. Let me see…I once did a shoot for a residential builder in Moab, Utah and we were shooting outdoor adventure lifestyle, but nothing was built yet. It was a beautiful high desert piece of land with nothing on it. So we had to bring in EVERYTHING from kayaks and mountain bikes to mobile RV units and hiking gear to work the property. We even had a crew build a porch, so we could shoot the “view from a porch” scene on houses that weren’t there. That was probably the most involved and intricate photoshoot I’ve ever done. Long 20 hour days, but it was a blast!
The most beautiful and astounding was definitely the SMUIN Contemporary Ballet shoot. Each image was like a little work of art. Professional ballet dancers performed athletic feats at their best, and we did our best to capture the singular moment of awe in a split second. As a long-time admirer of dance, having an opportunity to photograph something so magical was one of the most inspiring opportunities of my career.
