Reportage shooting is the most difficult and thankless kind of shooting. There are many models, there is little time, not only the customer accepts the work, but also the parents of the models according to their subjective taste, without asking how, where and under what circumstances the photo session took place. For this reason, photographers are not very fond of reportage photo shoots - it is very easy to grab a claim for shooting out of the blue.

95% of claims fall on reportage shooting

Let's figure out how to make sure that everyone likes the staged reportage photo shoot for the graduation photo album and there are no mutual complaints about the work of the photographer or customer:

I. Where do the photos from the reportage shoot go?

Reportage shooting is carried out in order to get reportage (live or staged shots) for 2 sections of the photo album: personal pages of students, section of group photos.

II. What does a staged reportage photo session consist of?

Done in the classroom or on the street or other location. Read more about this part of the photo shoot in the article. Within 40-60 minutes, the photographer shoots each student 8-12 pictures in pre-prepared compositions in order to get a large number of high-quality photographs. In this case, the photographer kills 2 birds with one stone: a lot of photos of each student + a claim from parents is excluded, such as: “why everyone has 10 photos, but mine has only 3”. This is a very common problem at photo shoots and it is very good that we have learned how to solve it.

Personal staged report = many high-quality personal photos + protection from claims

The photographer spends the rest of the time on . Usually it takes 30 minutes. The customer chooses locations, for example, a biology or geography or chemistry classroom. In the allotted time, the photographer manages to work out 1 location - this is about 100 photos, of which good(unique, not blurry, correctly exposed) you get 8-12 pieces.

With good organization and not noisy children, you can manage to make 1 more location. In my practice, such classes occur, but rarely.

General photo of the class

It takes 5-7 minutes. The customer chooses a location for shooting a general photo, for example, a school porch or an assembly hall. The customer and the teacher help the photographer arrange the children, because the photographer does not know their names and what wishes the customer has for the arrangement.

For example:

• some customers want boys taller, girls shorter
• other customers, on the contrary, prefer to arrange a boy-girl
• still others take care of the clothes so that there is no dark or light cluster of students
• the fourth are arranged according to height
• fifth in preference

III. Live or staged photography

From time to time, customers request a reportage not in the form of staged shooting, but to photograph live frames. In my opinion this is not the best idea because:

• in practice, neither the customer nor the photographer knows what will happen in the end
• someone can actively take pictures, and someone can avoid the camera
• not the fact that you get the right number of photos
• not the fact that the angles will be interesting
• impossible to track all students

The list can be continued for a long time. I summarize, I do not recommend, but if you really want to, the customer can take full responsibility.

Statement: I am the customer, full name, please replace the staged photo session with a live report. I am aware that such a photo session may turn out worse than the one proposed by the photographer. I accept the responsibility that the result of such photo sessions may be unsatisfactory, I fully and unconditionally agree with this. I undertake not to make any claims against the photographer. Date of. Signature.

• On a personal staged report, the photographer will take 8-12 photos of each student. If there are 25 students in a class, this is 200-300 frames.
• On a group staged report, you usually get about 100 frames, but do not rush to rejoice, of which there are 8-12 workers.
• Group photo of the class. The photographer takes 10-20 frames to choose 1 of them

Let's count. This number of photos is enough to fill the personal pages of students and 2-4 pages of group photos. If you have more group pages in your album (for example, when ordering in September in each album + 8 pages), it makes sense to order an additional reportage photo session or use your archive photos.

V. What are the duties of a photographer at a reportage photo shoot

1. Frame construction
2. Camera exposure control
3. Camera aperture control
4. Camera ISO setting
5. Adjusting the white balance
6. Adjusting the exposure of the camera (the frame should not be overexposed or underexposed)
7. Setting the focal length
8. Subject must be in focus
9. The object must not be smeared due to movement
10. The object must not be clipped
11. The subject (one) must not blink or yawn (does not apply to groups of more than 4 people)
12. Do 8-12 PERSONAL staged reportage shots in one location
13. Make 8-12 GOOD GROUP staged shots in another location, 1 joint photo"
14. Select photos

VI. What EXCLUDED in the duties of a photographer on reportage shooting

1. Correcting the hair of models (this is not the responsibility of the photographer, but if you have time, it's good)
2. Correcting the clothes of models (this is not the responsibility of the photographer, but if you have time, it's good)
3. Remove debris from the background (it is assumed that if the customer is present at the photo session and does not change anything himself, everything suits him)
4. Paint walls and shovel snow from the background (Yes, there are sometimes claims for broken walls in the background)
5. In general, no interactions should be made with the background (stripes on the blackboard, a mess on the teacher's desk, open cabinet doors or crumpled curtains in the assembly hall - this is not the photographer's problem)
6. Take 200 different photos to complete all 20 pages of group photos of 10 each. (sometimes they want to get 500 different photos from a photographer… in 1.5 hours… so that, they say, there is plenty to choose from… It’s not possible). The photographer will take 8-12 good personal photos of each student, 8-12 good group photos from 1 location and 1 general class photo.
7. Arrange children for a group photo (if the class is silent, the photographer can arrange it. But if the class is distracted, screaming, and doing something of its own - fuck it)

VII. What a photographer must do BEFORE a reportage photo session

1. Give a tablet with this article. After reading, the customer must put an autograph on the picture of the article.
2. Show 3 photos with different BB to choose which color scheme to work in
3. Show a photo with different depth of field. It is preferable that the customer choose the smallest one (so that the background is blurred)
4. Warn that if you don't like something in the background, remove it yourself. I can't look at him.
5. Disheveled hair or wrinkled shirts - look and fix it yourself. I don't have enough time for this.
6. If there is silence and order in the class, we may have time to make 2 locations for group reportage photos

Needless to say, a wedding is one of the most memorable and exciting events in the life of every person. And it is quite natural that every beloved couple wants to keep memories of this day in bright and festive photographs, which later could be viewed many times in moments of joy and misfortune. Wedding photography appeared as a genre at the dawn of photography in the middle of the 19th century. Despite the fact that at that time photographic images were made on glass or metal plates, and the process of photographing was very far from ideal, the newlyweds lined up for the photographer to appear in wedding dresses.

Today, wedding photography is considered a special kind of art in photography. Wedding photography combines such genres as artistic portrait, reportage, subject and interior photography. For a photographer, shooting a wedding is a big responsibility, because wedding photos will have to remind the couple over the next decades of their feelings and happy moments on this festive day.

Shooting a wedding: staging and reporting style

Nowadays, it is customary that beloved couples turn to the services of an experienced, professional photographer who is able to perform wedding photography at the highest level. The demand for such services is constantly growing, despite the fact that the genre of wedding photography itself remains quite conservative.

There are two main styles in wedding photography:

— Classic staged photo

The first style includes a classic, staged photo, which appeared in the 19th century. Then the photographers took exclusively staged photographs that were designed to convey the feelings of the newlyweds to each other. Such pictures were preserved as a keepsake for future generations. The staging style is still widely used in wedding photography today. In many ways, it is here that the photographer's talent is revealed as a kind of director and plot director, the main goal of which is to reveal the true feelings and emotions of the young.

Staged photography involves fixing individual moments of the wedding day, mainly in the form of plot and portrait shots. Not only the bride and groom can be present in the frame, but also parents, friends or relatives, that is, staged group photos are taken.

Staged photos, in particular, are taken during the solemn ceremony at the Wedding Palace and the newlyweds' walk. Traditional for the production style are also festive shots with cutting the cake or lighting up the symbolic "family hearth". Staged photos allow you to convey the beauty of wedding dresses, flowers and hairstyles, as well as the feelings of a married couple. But to get bright and beautiful staged shots, the photographer has to come up with some kind of original and interesting plot, and not use simple templates.

— Reportage style

The reportage style in wedding photography arose much later, when fairly compact cameras with flashes and interchangeable lenses became available to photographers. This style is considered one of the most difficult types of shooting. In this case, the photographer does not interfere in any way with the solemn event, without telling guests or newlyweds when to take a certain pose, look into the camera lens or smile. His task is to be invisibly present at the wedding and notice the most interesting and exciting moments of the celebration, capturing them in photographs. The complexity of such shooting lies precisely in the photographer's ability to see unique moments and capture them in the frame, because most of these moments at a wedding cannot be repeated.

The reportage style is the exact opposite of the classical one: here the photographer needs to see an interesting shot in a constantly changing environment and work, as they say, “from the first take”. But it is precisely shooting a wedding in a reportage style that allows the photographer to truly reveal his talent, show his individuality and his own vision of the events taking place around him. Not without reason, many famous wedding photographers have received wide recognition just because of their reportage shots. Often, reportage shots from a wedding look much more interesting than staged shots, because they use unusual angles and shooting angles, convey dynamic moments with the dance of the newlyweds, a furtive kiss, breaking glasses and throwing a wedding bouquet.

For reportage photography, the ability of modern digital cameras to shoot several frames per second is great, which allows you to capture truly unique moments in the pictures. A feature of reportage photography is that in each individual case, whether it is a wedding ceremony in the registry office or a festive banquet, the shooting is carried out in completely different conditions. As a result, the photographer needs to stock up on a whole range of interchangeable lenses and apply different approaches to building exposure and shooting parameters.

In addition to staged and reportage photography, there are also special types of shooting in wedding photography. For example, a pre-wedding photo shoot in the style of Lovestory (“Love Story”). This is a preliminary shooting, during which the photographer, together with the newlyweds, can choose the most beautiful and winning places in the city or in nature, as well as determine the most successful angles and scenes for staged shots. Since the wedding day happens only once in a lifetime and it will not be possible to repeat it (at least in the current composition of the spouses and guests), such pre-shooting and planning is very useful.

Currently, most wedding photographers work in both staged and reportage photography, trying to successfully combine both genres. Although each of these styles requires a special approach and special skills from the photographer. But long wedding celebrations with a ceremony at the registry office, a walk and a festive banquet make it possible to make both staged and reportage shots.

Black and white wedding photos look very good, so quite often newlyweds order just such shots from the photographer. Also, wedding photos can be digitally processed, for example, in order to change or blur the background, or “antique” processing. In addition, colorful wedding collages are very popular today.

Wedding photography indoors and outdoors

When doing wedding photography, a photographer should always be guided by a few important points. Firstly, wedding photos should convey warm feelings and positive emotions of the newlyweds. A sincere smile, a loving or intimate look, a pose - all this becomes of great importance in wedding photos. Such emotions cannot be created by software already in the process of digital processing of photographic images. Processing only helps to enhance or emphasize these points. That is why a wedding photographer needs the ability to feel and convey sincere emotions in pictures.

Secondly, the duties of a wedding photographer include finding the most interesting and striking moments. This is very difficult and requires a lot of experience, since he simply cannot be physically present at all events. In any case, it is advisable for the photographer to stay close to the newlyweds, since all the most important things will happen around them.

The entire solemn part usually takes place in the Wedding Palace, where shooting and photographer's actions are strictly regulated. At this stage, when shooting in the halls and premises of the registry office, the photographer simply needs to technically correctly capture the ceremony in conditions where the spread of illumination in different parts of the hall can vary greatly - usually there is more than enough light under the chandeliers, and sometimes it is catastrophically lacking at the edges.

To achieve a high-quality result is possible only if you correctly use all the available lighting. In some cases, a flash can be a good helper for a photographer. In the Wedding Palace, in addition to taking pictures of the solemn ceremony, you can also take several staged photographs against the background of the interiors.

When shooting newlyweds for a walk, the photographer is freer in his actions and plans. Both staged and reportage photos are welcome here. Outdoors, you can use a lens with a longer focal length to create 3D shots that make the main subject stand out from the surroundings. In particular, a wedding photographer's arsenal should include 85-135 mm lenses with aperture ratio of 1.4-2.8.

The most interesting and vivid shots can be taken on a walk, when the photographer can try on the role of a director and work out a variety of subjects. Walking shots are usually very lively and funny. When shooting walking, you should also not forget about the flash, which in cloudy weather will help smooth out the lack of natural light. The main thing is not to miss a single moment, since every next moment can be important.

When shooting on the street, the photographer must have various photographic equipment and a whole set of lenses in stock. You never know what will happen to the weather or lighting. Sunny weather can suddenly change into heavy rain and the photo shoot will have to be urgently transferred indoors or under the roof. Therefore, experienced wedding photographers always take two cameras with them to shooting - one with wide-angle optics, the other with a telephoto zoom. It is desirable to use optics that are fast and sharp.

posing

One of the most important aspects of wedding photography is posing. Here you need to remember that wedding pictures are the fruit of the joint work of the photographer and the newlyweds. The choice of certain poses should be determined not only by the photographer's intention, but also based on the individual characteristics of the couple, as well as their personal wishes. Before shooting, the wedding photographer should try to liberate the couple by talking to the bride and groom. It is necessary to help the newlyweds to relax so that they can calmly cast aside all their worries and give free rein to feelings on this festive day. The presence of a photographer at wedding events should not distract a couple in love.

Unnatural freezing in one position is a fairly common mistake for the bride and groom when posing for wedding photos. Such pictures are unlikely to want to be reviewed. The shots in which the bride and groom smile and laugh a lot, flirt with each other and literally glow with happiness look much more interesting. A classic pose for wedding photography is when the newlyweds are close to each other, holding hands, and their gaze is directed directly into the camera lens. In this case, the background should correspond to the stylistic decision of the photo.

When shooting the newlyweds while sitting, the groom can hug his beloved by the waist, and hold on to her hand with the other hand. The bride can put her free hand on her dress or on her knees. It is important to pay attention to the position of the hands - in no case should they be simply limply lowered. A beautiful and tender photo is obtained when shooting in a “face to face” pose. This position is ideal for couples where the bride and groom are about the same height.

Pictures are interesting when the bride and groom stand at a distance of a meter from each other, leaning over for a kiss. It just needs the right background, with which it would be possible to perfectly beat the symmetry of the composition. In the collection of wedding photos, there must also be a picture in which the bride looks into the camera lens, and the groom looks at her, or vice versa. This pose can be called "one look". When shooting hugs, you need to make sure that the bride simply rests her head or leans slightly on the groom's shoulder, while he stands straight, looking either at the camera or at the bride. When shooting newlyweds in various poses, do not forget about a smile.

Gone are the days when wedding photographers in the registry office took pictures of the newlyweds literally like on a conveyor belt, with standard poses and angles. The output was the same type of photographs, the same as those of other couples. Today, the task of a wedding photographer is the need to use all the equipment, experience and knowledge available in his arsenal so that the finished pictures literally radiate love, happiness and romantic feelings. Naturally, such work requires from the photographer not only relevant knowledge, but also the ability to be a psychologist, to subtly feel the feelings of people and the atmosphere of the holiday.

In its specifics, professional staged photography is very close to the work of an artist and requires no less talent. There should not be anything superfluous in the frame. The main feature of staged shooting is the thoughtfulness of the little things that fall into the frame. The role is played by the pose of the model, the background, as well as the plot. Unlike standard photography, you do not get a randomly caught moment, but the result of the joint work of the photographer and the one who gets into the frame. Professional staged photography in Belgorod is carried out by a photographer with extensive experience, who creatively approaches the solution of the task. But you need to understand that preparing for filming will take a lot of time. Haste can spoil the result, it is important to pay attention to every detail. The picture itself takes a fraction of a second, most of the time is devoted to preparation, which is emphasized in this type of shooting.

Staged shooting is, first of all, a preparatory progress, the photographer takes on the elaboration of the plot, choosing the ideal shooting location, the angle that best suits the specific conditions, adjusts the light, adds additional elements to the frame, or vice versa removes something. It will also help the model to take a suitable pose, ideal for a photo. The main thing here is to do everything carefully and slowly, only by paying attention to details you can get the desired result. A professional staged photography studio offers its services at an affordable price and guarantees that you will be satisfied with the result.

Photographer for staged photography

Often, professional photographers not only take pictures, but also work with them in Photoshop to add new effects and make the frame even more interesting. Thus, you can even combine the received images with each other, which will make you look at them in a new way.

A staged photo allows you to realize any, even the most creative ideas, which becomes possible thanks to careful preparation. The shooting process can take place both on the street and in a professional studio, where you can choose a background and there is a large selection of scenery. You can arrange a themed photo session by arranging the background in a certain style. It can be a family, wedding or children's photo session.

A talented staging photographer will help you set up any look and get in the right position for the photo so that you are satisfied with the result. You can make a fairy-tale princess, a fairy-tale character out of you, everything is limited only by your desires and imagination. As a result, you get a collection of beautiful photos that will show you or your loved ones.

The benefits we offer you:

• Extensive experience in this area and a creative approach to solving the problem;
• Using professional equipment that allows you to get the best quality pictures;
• The opportunity to get original photographs, the plot of which is built depending on your wishes;
• Prices that everyone can afford.

The best photographs are taken in moments of natural, unstaged action. Spontaneity and sincerity make the pictures unique and alive. A charming half-smile on the face of a person who does not know that he is being photographed is sometimes more beautiful than a million perfectly rehearsed poses and facial expressions. Natural, spontaneous shots are a real art, and many authors strive to master it.

by Lia Mstislavskaya

Andy Hamilton, a wedding photographer from the Canadian city of Saskatoon, has experienced firsthand how difficult it is to take "easy" shots. The award-winning author for an unusual approach to creativity, with commissions from Australia, Saudi Arabia, her native Canada and many other countries, promotes an innovative take on photographic art. His photographs combine passion and a sense of the moment with technical precision and compositional perfection. Andy has prepared some tips for those who want to learn how to take spontaneous pictures.

What is spontaneous or sudden photography?

Snapshots are photos in which the model does not realize that she is being filmed. The person in the frame is absorbed in some action, thoughts, he smiles, reads or just walks down the street. It is impossible to achieve the desired effect of spontaneity by staging, and the photographer has to work in conditions of complete unpredictability.

As a rule, such work is more difficult than shooting "with preparation" and requires a serious level of skill from the photographer. Only a skilled author with a "trained" look will be able to make a good shot. To learn how to shoot in the "sudden" technique at weddings, festivals, mass events, follow Andy's advice.

Try not to use flash

Spontaneous shots work best if the model doesn't even know she's being photographed. If you don't use flash, you are less likely to be "spotted". To minimize the negative effects of low light, experiment with your camera settings. It is important that the picture comes out as natural as possible - this is the point of spontaneous photos.

by Massimo Giachetti

Looking for the right place

The experience of the photographer is manifested, among other things, in his ability to choose the right angle and point for shooting. Find a place that will give you an advantage - a special setting, an environment, a vantage point for the model. You can diversify the plot - for example, if the object in the foreground is out of focus, you will photograph the main character from behind someone's shoulder, and so on.

by Leniel Velazquez

Be mindful of dynamics and composition

The most important moment in spontaneous photography is non-staging. The model should not give the impression of posing, knowing that she is being filmed. Dynamics is often used to create a "peeping effect". Shooting actively moving people, you will create the right mood. If it is impossible to make the object move - for example, in a commercial shooting - the composition will play the right role. Change the angle from which you shoot (sit down, lie down on the floor) and the picture will become more natural and non-trivial.

by Brett Goldsmith

Use continuous shooting mode

It is impossible to predict when the best moment to press the shutter button will come. In addition, there is always a danger that the model will be out of focus, and the photo will be blurry. The use of continuous shooting mode helps to reduce the risks. Take a quick series of photos to be able to choose the lightest, most spontaneous and emotional. Continuous mode greatly improves your chances of success, especially if you have little experience with spontaneous shooting.

Take a telephoto lens with you

The telephoto allows you to shoot from a considerable distance, while maintaining high quality photos even at close-ups. The further away the photographer is from the model, the less danger she will notice his presence and the camera pointed at her. With telephoto lenses, you can take amazing spontaneous photos, as well as build spectacular complex compositions, using a long distance.

Spontaneous photos are difficult to create - the quality of the frame depends on too many factors. For a photographer who likes the sudden-emotional genre, it is important to learn patience. To take a memorable picture, you have to wait, all the time remaining on the alert. It doesn't matter how much time you spend, if the result of labor is a unique moment of true feelings and perfect naturalness captured by your camera.

Photography is one of the few art forms in which the result (i.e. photo) can be obtained both through initial preparation, thinking through, and completely spontaneously. Not every sculptor picks up a piece of clay without knowing at least roughly what he wants to sculpt. Just as an artist is unlikely to initially simply run a brush across the canvas until something that looks like a painting is obtained. But in photography, both ways of creating works are possible.
There are two main types of photography work: staged photography and random, spontaneous shots.
Let's consider them in order.

What is a staging?
In short, this is the realization of a certain plan, scenario.

In photography, for this, the shooting point, angle, photographic equipment, optics, light, actors, filters, and more are used. A staged photograph, or, as it is also called, an artistic one, implies an idea in an idea. This is the basis of any staged photo. It will differ from all others in that it does not imply an objective reflection of reality, but rather captures pictures specially selected or hand-made for photography in order to display some artistic idea.

Scroll through albums at home. Wedding photos, pictures of other celebrations, staged photos of the school years of boys in musketeer hats and girls in lady costumes. Any shots where the model is posing in some way. These are all staged photos. In ordinary life, this genre is used for shooting solemn, commemorative events and carries certain information about the event, characters, and, as a rule, many of these shots have a “memory” label.

But there are also professional performances. They are done by professional photographers in their studios, where anyone can order a special series of shots that have a certain plot. Or the photographer is engaged in this type of shooting for himself, in order to improve his own skills, to obtain real works of art that are worthy of even serious exhibitions, and their cost amounts to considerable sums.

This type of work requires various technical components. The camera, lighting, final processing of the image, elements of purposeful materialization - objects, actors, makeup, natural elements, and, directly, the artistic idea. This is a kind of result of a combination of images and technical ideas that require quite serious skills and knowledge of working with photos, and, of course, the artistic eye and imagination of the photographer, which, nevertheless, does not deprive amateur photographers of the opportunity to try their hand at staged photography. This is available to everyone, tk. the main condition for them is the presence of imagination and imagery of thinking.
And now let's move on to the second type of photography.

What is a spontaneous photo?
In its own way, a spontaneous, random photo is interesting and much more filled with life. There are also no restrictions on the degree of professionalism, the presence of expensive optics or props, and, again, there is a prerequisite for the author to have imagination and an artistic eye.

What is the difference then, you ask?
Firstly, in the absence of a staged, artificial plot and planned pictures for shooting. Secondly, such photographs reflect the characteristics of a person's character, his emotional and mental state as subtly and accurately as possible. We can say that these are the most truthful photos. And that's why.

This genre implies a “hunt” for real pictures of everyday life, lively emotions of people who are unaware that they are being filmed, people who are carried away by experiences or some kind of action. For a family album, such pictures can be taken without leaving home, capturing moments of the real life of your loved ones, pets, and trying to capture a frame in which the character has not yet realized that he is being photographed and enthusiastically busy with something of his own. For more serious work, going out into the street in the same way, and in any weather, just according to the mood and without any specific thought, walking around the city, you can notice many interesting pictures and entertaining situations.

The sharp eye of a born photographer will immediately snatch out of the bustling crowd, even in bad weather, one face shining with happiness, a person completely immersed in himself, or ready to burst into tears. Usually, after all, passers-by rarely notice this - everyone is in a hurry to go about their business. Here is a touching moment - a three-year-old peanut, who does not even have a clue that he is being watched, holds out his candy to the fawning mongrel. Or here a girl on a thin hairpin, indignant at the annoying drops of the beginning rain, runs to a dry place to hide from the weather. Not noticing anyone around, he makes a very funny face. These are the simplest examples of what spontaneous shots can be. But with the acquisition of experience and skills in classical photography, you can also achieve amazing results in this genre.