Location Photography: From Research to Post-Production

Go on location with Joe McNally to photograph a belly dancer. Learn about researching a subject, gathering the right gear, and transforming a location to complement your subject.

1. Working with a Dancer

• About this shot
• Meet the subject

2. Research, Gear, and Crew

• Experience with dance photography
• Researching the subject
• Conducting a phone interview
• Essential gear for the shoot
• Working with a photo assistant

3. Loading In and Setting Up the Shot

• Load-in and setting up the shot
• Setting up the shot
• Flash and camera settings
• Changing the shot

4. Getting the Shot: Setup 1

• Visualize the first shot
• Lighting setup
• Hot lights and safety on set
• Lens and camera settings
• Modifying the backlight
• Modifying the environment
• Shooting front curtain sync
• Thoughts on the shoot so far

5. Dealing with Challenges On Set

• Communicating with the subject
• Dealing with conflict on set
• Protecting yourself and your crew

6. Getting the Shot: Setup 2

• Visualizing the second shot
• Attaching lights to the subject
• Blacking out the room and adjusting shutter speed
• Shooting with manual focus
• Thoughts on the entire shoot

7. Post-Production and Aesthetics

• Postproduction approach
• Try new things
• Balancing the technical and the aesthetics

Conclusion

• Experience across genres
• Lessons learned