Step by Step

Lately my shooting process has become more disciplined and efficient because of a procedure I call shoot and review: I shoot, then I look at what I shot. Obvious, right? Well, yes, but not long ago I didn't have that option. I shot film and didn't see the results until days later. Now I use my camera's LCD and my computer monitor to view and edit, which makes for a more deliberate editing process.

The interesting thing is that I'm using this "instant read" to improve my shooting, not just my editing. Because my LCD, computer tether and wi-fi workflow show me results on the spot, my three-step process answers important photo session questions—like, when do I know I've shot the shot? When do I know I've shot enough? Do I adventure past the point of my own satisfaction with the found moment? Beyond my own expectations, maybe there's more to discover. Maybe my subject is a dancer who can take the moment much further than what I'd envisioned.

Shoot and review starts with an exploration of the physical space. Simply, I shoot to get to know the frame, the light, my subject. With my concept or previsualization in mind, I might crawl around on the floor, go up a ladder, change the focal length and the framing. I do the photographer's dance and try to find something wider, wilder. I compose around the colors or graphic elements, all the while making sure the mood of the light fits the emotional moment. I think about the camera's controls: what white balance will be best? Where should the depth of field be? I refer to all the things I know how to do on my mental pull-down menu, like judging the strength of the subject, finding the distractions, knowing how tight to frame, understanding how the colors work together. Then I look at the first group of images to see how I'm doing. I try to identify a shot that speaks to me above the rest. I'm looking for something that hits me emotionally and makes a connection. And it's almost always there; one shot will usually demand that I pay attention. That image is my clue to what the final shot, the "Wow!" shot, will be.