Focus on cover shoots

Professionals are learning new techniques to shoot during lockdown

The community of photographers have used the lockdown period to learn new techniques and experiment with different ways of shooting.

While some of them took to virtual shoots for fun, others took it to a professional level.

Metrolife spoke to a few professional photographers who shared their thoughts on what the lockdown has taught them.

Gearing up for online work

Freelance photographer Nishal Lama hasn’t stepped out for a shoot since lockdown. As a consultant photographer working for a few popular magazines across the country, earlier, he would get called on assignments once or twice a week.

He says, “We’ve been hearing that some publications are planning to shift to the online space, so I’m curious to see how the new projects will be.”

Nishal adds that there are more requirements for product and advertisement photography. He points out that a photographer should be willing to explore more categories of photography to survive now.

When asked if he did any photoshoots, especially cover shoots, during the lockdown he says that he didn’t because such shoots require one to be physically present.

“We would have many people present during a photoshoot. Now, that has to change. For a corporate shoot, I’m going to have only my assistant with me. In case of a fashion shoot, I will have my line producer, makeup artiste and designer. I will have to skip the stylist,” he explains.

Nishal also plans to talk to the model beforehand so that there wouldn’t be any confusion during the shoot and can finish work fast.

Keen to start work

Chetan AB, on the other hand, is gearing up for work to start soon.

“Apart from fashion and product advertising, I also shoot for Zee
Kannada’s serial poster. The work is yet to begin for that,” he says. He says that he wouldn’t have too much of a problem with the number of people as he would have only his assistant and light guy with him.

“We will be asked to come to a location after everything is set up and we just have to go and finish the shoot,” he explains. Though he isn’t keen on digital shoots, he says that someone will have to be physically present to get the set going.

He explains, “The software you use and the trigger button can be activated from home but if the shoot has a particular theme that needs to be followed, the model may not have a home or space to suit that. Then we’ll have to send someone to set that up.”

Shot for cover using remote technology

Popular photographer Subi Samuel has been busy shooting during the lockdown. He did a cover shoot as well for a magazine.

He says he enjoyed the new experience of shooting using remote technology. “I began shooting at my studio in Versova while the models were at another location. The biggest challenge with a shoot like this is to have good Internet speed and to also manage the fading sunlight,” says Subi.

He adds that the shoot in itself was very unusual. “There were a lot of new things for me to learn and unlearn, starting with understanding Zoom as an application and how to maximise what I can get out of it. There were other things to manage like resolution, working on photoshop very specifically and so on.”

So how did he pull off a cover shoot? “Communication was the key factor. Since the phone would be at a distance from the models, we had to screen from where I was into the phone and hope that the models have heard what I am trying to say,” he explains.

Virtual photography is the way forward

Photographer Nimish Jain is not new to virtual photoshoots. He has been doing it in since 2010 with Skype.

“With the improvement in technology, it’s easy to get decent, but not great quality photos, via the internet. It’s definitely going to get more popular and improve leaps and bounds on the quality front. Portraiture, fashion and art photography are definitely top three during the lockdown,” he says.

The lockdown gave photographers like Nimish time to concentrate and experiment.

“Everyone’s in the same boat. So collaborations become easier. Also, it’s a great way to keep your mind off the pandemic and use it creatively to keep sane,” he adds. The biggest challenge to shoot during the lockdown is the inability to prepare for it in terms of location recce, lighting and going into it blindly.

“As long as you keep your health and safety as a priority, the idea of photographing someone who is equally scared for his/her safety brings out lovely results,” he says.