What REALLY Happens Behind the Scenes

Recently we updated our website with a few "behind the scenes" images to show off a few things that happen during a photoshoot that you may not think about... lights/other family members acting silly/pets being ...pets...  children being... children...  -  you get the idea.

But there is yet another aspect behind the scenes at a portrait studio that many people don't think much about.  What do photographers do BEFORE the session?  OH and another!  What do photographers do AFTER the session?

WELL.  Let me show you!

We've been doing this long enough that we know its best to have a checklist.  In the industry we call this a Workflow.  This ensures that we don't miss any step in the process, which means our customer service level will be high and consistent.

I guess I could end with that and let you read the things on our workflow sheet... but where is the fun in that?  Lets see some pictures!

BATTERIES.  Every flipping thing in the world seems to take batteries.  LOTS of batteries.  We have a lot of AA batteries...  About 120 to be exact.  And, those batteries are not your typical batteries either - we use Enloop.  They are lithium ion rechargeable.  See all those little plastic cases too?  If you ever plan on flying, FAA requires all batteries to be in cases, as air pressures changes or the terminals hitting each other can apparently make them explode.

Anyway - while batteries are getting juiced up we need to prep for the specific shoot.  We have some great go-to backdrops and locations, but we are always adding to our repertoire and trying new things.  This means we are always prepping the setup!  This backdrop will look like trash without getting steamed first.

Good thing Meg & our studio dog Huckleberry are on it!  You want to know something thats time consuming?  Try steaming the wrinkles out of a 20' x 10' wide backdrop.  Yes, 20 feet long by 10 feet wide.  Oh, and then wash it and dry it, fold it, and steam it again!  We have 6 backdrops in those sizes.  They take up some serious storage retail.

Okay, onto the next bit.  If the shoot requires me to be on a time crunch (which is nearly always), then I skip the mess of switching lenses and I just bring extra camera bodies.  This gives me instant access to my photographic tools.  With that though, it is VITALLY IMPORTANT to sync all the internal clocks on each camera body.  This way in post processing I can organize the images by the time they were shot.  Otherwise we get a jumbled disaster.  And YES.  I know this from experience.  I once forgot to do this before a wedding and only two of the four bodies were in sync with each other.  That meant I images with three different versions of time stamps - this caused me to loose years off my life.  I'll never make that mistake again!

Grey card on top for a perfect exposure, and white card on
bottom for a perfect white balance.

This next part is wicked cool.  I calibrate our equipment to make the final prints look color perfect and accurate.  The computer screen is calibrated using a Datacolor Spyder unit, and those values are in align with the labs we use.

But there is another aspect to perfect color.

Ever single time we shoot, something is different - the time of day, the clothing colors, the light - whatever.  Nothing is ever going to be the same twice.  On top of that, a camera can only make a good "guess" as to what the colors it captures are valued at.  For that reason, we have to tell the camera what "White" is.  So, that thing with the grey and white panels is an invaluable tool.  The grey part helps me set the perfect exposure, and the bottom allows me to set a custom white balance in the camera.

Once we set the exposure and white balance we move onto the meat and potatoes - color balance!  We use this color swatch card in the lighting conditions that the photoshoot will take place, then after the shoot the magic happens.  All we do is use the color swatch with the X-Rite Color Checker software to tell the computer what the ACTUAL color values are - just look at these two images of the color checker itself!

I'm always amazed at the difference in blues.  Its possible its just my monitor/camera combo, but the blue swatches are always a drastic change.

The fun part is getting prints back from the lab that are color perfect.

So - thats a bit of the prep work.  There are a few other things we do, like clean cameras/lenses, create client files (hard and digital), arrange for our own child care if necessary - OH and plan the shoot with the client!

Once the shoot is over, we transfer the images to our working directory and an archive drive simultaneously.  We also leave the originals on the memory cards until the images are finished being edited and backed up.  Data security is a big deal, and we don't mess around with it.

After the transfer, I cull - which means I pick out the worst & best images.  I instantly delete the garbage images (usually light tests, blinks, yawns... anything a client certainly doesn't want).  I then take a few of my favorites and create a collage for social media preview.  Then I edit the rest.  Once I've finished the image set I backup the finished images to the archive drive and online to an off-site location for added security.  Next I setup the view/order software with images the client has sent me of their rooms - those rooms need to be properly measured with the software so that I can show them their images on their walls in perfect scaled sizes.

Once we have the view & order session, I submit the print order!  Yay!  Then I make a slideshow for the client, using their favorite images.  That slideshow goes to youtube, and is then embedded into a blog post about the client's experience.  When the prints/albums arrive I personally inspect everything for quality control.  For gift prints and smaller items I personally frame and add some personal boutique packaging.  If everything meets my standards, we schedule the installation appointment.  Once the install is finished and we have fully completed the process with that client, I then finish up a blog post about the client's experience, which they always love!