SHOOT LIKE A PRO
Kim Bunermann meets Vince Preston to discuss on-location photo shoots and how to build confidence in your career
Getting the camera settings right and clicking the shutter might be the easy parts of the photographer’s job, but to be able to convey genuine emotion in a still image takes real skill. As the American photographer David Alan Harvey once said, “What we need is interpretation and inspiration. We don’t need to know what it looks like, but what it might mean and what it might feel like. We need images that speak to a deeper part of our humanity than the thirst for details.”
For some photographic genres, capturing more than just what the subject looks like is essential. This is especially true for photographers who work with clients to promote businesses that represent a particular lifestyle or feeling. There is no better advertisement than to convey the atmosphere the customer experiences – and that often means shooting on location, which brings a whole new set of challenges for the professional photographer.
Leaving the comfort zone of a photo studio for an on-location shoot means dealing with unpredictable lighting, limited perspectives and angles, and the extra responsibility of handling clients and their particular demands. The choice of location is also important, as it is crucial to select somewhere that reflects the service or product you are shooting.
That’s exactly what portrait and event photographer Vince Preston does. Aiming to portray his clients and their services in the best possible light, Vince doesn’t just capture faces but also tells a story and builds a visual connection with the viewer.
As a photographer, there are many challenges to deal with when working with clients on location. You need to be able to adapt to unfamiliar environments, as well as being flexible and spontaneous and making sure to pack your kitbag with gear that’s suitable for various scenarios. Upon meeting Vince, I ask him what his priorities are. “On every photo shoot or portrait session I do, I set out to create a story, not just a picture,”
