Getting Started with the Shoot Idea
Okay, so I had this idea for a shoot, kind of inspired by that clean, sharp Prada look. Not an official thing, obviously, just borrowing that vibe for a personal project. First thing, I just sat down and tried to really picture it. What feeling did I want? Definitely something strong, maybe a bit minimal.
Planning and Prep Work
Once I had the basic concept, I started figuring out the practical stuff. Needed a location first. I scouted around for a couple of days. Looked for places with clean lines, maybe some interesting architectural details but nothing too fussy. Ended up finding this spot downtown with some cool concrete walls and glass, felt right.
Then, gear. Didn’t want to overcomplicate it. Grabbed my main camera body, decided on just one prime lens to keep things focused. Thought about lights, but decided to try and use natural light mostly, maybe just bring one portable strobe just in case the sun didn’t cooperate. Packed extra batteries, memory cards – you always forget something if you don’t double-check.
Coordination was key next.
- Reached out to a friend who has a great look for this style.
- We chatted about the concept, made sure she was comfortable.
- Talked wardrobe. We pulled together a few simple, sharp outfits. Mostly monochrome stuff.
- Set the date and time, making sure the light would be good at the location I picked.
The Actual Shoot Day
Showed up early on the day. Wanted to get set up before my friend arrived. Found the exact spot, checked the light. Looked good. Set up my camera, took a few test shots of the background.
My friend arrived, we chatted for a bit, got her comfortable. We started shooting. Moved around the location, trying different angles against the concrete and glass. Focused on poses that felt strong and confident. I kept the instructions simple, “turn your head slightly,” “look over here,” that kind of thing. We used the natural light mostly, which worked great for the first hour. Then clouds rolled in, typical! Pulled out that strobe I brought, used it subtly just to add a little pop and definition. Didn’t want it to look too ‘flashy’. We spent maybe two solid hours shooting, trying variations.
Wrapping Up and Post-Shoot
Packed everything up carefully. Always do a quick check to make sure I didn’t leave anything behind. Thanked my friend, of course. Felt pretty good about what we captured.
Got home later and immediately dumped the photos onto my computer. First pass, just went through everything quickly, flagging the ones that stood out. Then took a break. Came back later with fresh eyes and made the final selections. Didn’t do heavy editing. Just some basic adjustments in Lightroom – played with contrast, sharpened things up a bit, maybe a slight tweak to the colors to enhance that clean, cool mood I was going for. Overall, pretty happy with how the idea translated into actual photos. It was a solid day’s work.
