How to Get the Dreamiest Photos From Your 30 Minute Photo Session
So you just invested in a 30 minute photo session and now you’re wondering…. how can I, the person being photographed, make the most of the time I’ve booked to get the photos I dreamed of?
Is 30 minutes enough time to actually get good photos? If you’re worried about not getting all the photos you want, talk with your photographer about your concerns. This gives you an opportunity to let your photographer know you have a handful of shots you really want to make sure you get. Booking a thirty minute session is a great way to save on money, but also needs to be approached realistically. It’s helpful to have a clear plan and to be artistically on the same page as everyone involved in the photoshoot.
Disappointed you won’t get an outfit change? If it’s winter or fall, you can make one outfit look like two when you wear a coat for a half of your session. I don’t recommend taking the coat on and off at every stop, but I do recommend leaving it on for about 15 minutes, and then taking it off for the other 15. This gives the illusion of two different outfits without the time it would take for an outfit change.
Do effortlessly candid couple photos exist in 30 minutes? If you’re taking photos with another person, I recommend coming in with a game plan and having a similar vision for what you want these photos to look like. Do you want a lot of direct smiling at the camera and lots of very specific poses or help with posing? Do you want it to feel like the camera just happened to take photos of the two of you while you were walking the town completely in love with the rest of the world drowned out? If the person you love feels very nervous about photos and takes a long time to warm up in front of a stranger and a camera, I would suggest booking a longer session and making sure you choose a photographer who can give helpful direction. But if your partner is ready to be present with you, isn’t too worried about the camera, and is ready to hug, kiss, hold hands, giggle, and fall more in love with you all while forgetting the photographer is there— I think you’ll show up and get amazing photos in a 30 minute session.
The photos in this blog post are from a 30 minute session in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Josh surprised his long distance girlfriend, Marizol, with a 30 minute photo session for Christmas and because these two are so into each other, they pretty much forgot the camera was there. Which is very impressive as this was their first ever photo session together.
Should you plan on trying to do more than one location? For thirty minute sessions, I think it’s realistic to expect to stay in one location. A session will yield SO many more photos if you stay in one spot. You don’t want to waste precious time driving somewhere or getting stuck in traffic just to find out you only have 10 minutes worth of photos, even though you paid for 30 minutes worth of photos. Most photographers include travel time into a session (if your’e in New York City), so keep your expectations low when it comes to being able to shoot in many different locations. If you’re in New York, I do recommend choosing a location that has many visual options in one location, like Bethesday Fountain, The Shakespeare Garden, Dumbo, The Highline, Riverside Park (the people’s garden), Pier 17, Roosevelt Island, etc.
Show up early and calm your mind. There’s nothing worse than showing up to a 30 minute photo session late, because you just don’t have much time for error. As a photographer, I’ve seen it happen over and over again, and it’s so so hard to work with someone who is mentally blocked because they are upset they showed up late. This oftentimes applies to families who have booked a short amount of time for photos and the parents arrive flustered and angry because the time they are paying for is not being used in the way they expected because they were late. Early is everyone’s best friend. And arriving early allows everyone to get a feel for the space, be present with one another, and give one another time to prepare for a camera to show up. My early clients are oftentimes my easiest clients to photograph because they are much more present and ready to go. As a photographer, I work SO hard to help everyone be excited and present, but I cannot dictate your attitude when you show up to a session. And it’s hard to help you move from angry to authentic real joy in your photos if that’s not what you’re feeling.