David and I build wild, surreal sets for every shoot, and our posing is pretty unconventional. On an average shoot, when I’m directing my model, you’ll probably catch me saying things like, “Okay, now can you bend backwards and raise a foot up?” or “Okay, now scream at the top of your lungs and act like you’re losing control.”
When I’m asking my models to do such emotional and physically challenging poses, nothing kills the creative flow faster than a technical issue mid shoot. It pretty much ruins everything.
That’s why David and I take a lot of time setting up the behind the scenes of all our shoots and only use gear that’s reliable and streamlines our workflow. Our mentality is definitely less is more and quality over quantity.
We capture a lot of behind the scenes content on every project, so it’s really important to us that our setups look just as professional as the photos we take. Whenever we work with clients, how you set up for your shoot says more about you in the first five minutes than words can. Is your behind the scenes setup organized? Does it look professional? Is it safe? If the answer to all of those questions is yes, then you’ve made a pretty solid first impression.
Safety matters a ton, too, because when we’re asking our models to be vulnerable with us, everything needs to feel safe and professional to build trust and allow them to fully let go.
Whenever we set up for a shoot, there are four main areas we really focus on:
- Set
- Lighting
- Tethering
- Workstation
Set
When it comes to the set, the two biggest priorities are safety and presentation. The set has to be very safe and sturdy for our models to feel comfortable doing the wild poses we ask of them. Depending on how we design the sets, they’re either stand alone structures, entirely stable on their own, like in this shoot, or we use jacks and sandbags to secure them.
We also make sure everything looks clean and orderly. No matter how simple your set is, this is so important. Even if you’re using seamless paper backdrops, make sure to neatly tape the backdrop down to avoid tripping hazards and to keep everything looking sharp and put together.
Lighting
With lighting, less is more is always the motto. Nothing makes a behind the scenes setup look more chaotic than a bunch of lights with messy cords everywhere. Plus, with fewer lights to manage, there’s less chance of something malfunctioning mid shoot.
We always try to get by with the minimum number of lights necessary. For cord management, we love using Velcro cable ties to organize and keep excess cords off the floor.
Lately, we’ve been loving continuous light for our shoots because it makes our behind the scenes footage look even better since the set stays fully lit the entire time we’re filming.
We always set up our light stands with the long leg facing forward for maximum stability and add a sandbag on that leg to prevent tipping. This simple step protects your gear and keeps everyone on set safe.
Tethering
David and I are a creative team, so it’s super important that while I’m shooting, David has eyes on every photo I take. That’s why we shoot tethered for all of our studio sessions.
This way, David can see every photo I capture and double check posing, exposure, focus, and lighting on a large monitor. We can catch mistakes early and make adjustments on the spot, keeping the workflow smooth.
We still have an SD card in the camera, but as we shoot tethered, everything also saves to an external hard drive. That basically gives us an instant backup without ever having to dump a card.
We use the LeverLock by Tether Tools to hold our tether in place. It secures the tethering cable to the camera so it can’t accidentally unplug mid shoot. That’s huge because nothing derails a session faster than losing your tether connection. It also reduces strain on your camera port, keeping your gear safe.
I also love that the LeverLock doubles as a tripod mount. I often switch between handheld and tripod shots during a shoot, and having the tether stay secure while moving the camera around is a lifesaver.
Workstation
The workstation is where David lives during a shoot. And if we have clients in the studio, we set up a second viewing monitor for them off the workstation.
Lately, we’ve been loving the new AeroTrac Workstation from Tether Tools. It’s portable, easy to set up, customizable, and most importantly, it keeps us organized.
The AeroTrac Workstation is built around cold shoes, and you can add different accessories to make it your own. We mount our laptop on it and use the Tech Clamps to lock it in place so if something bumps the workstation, the laptop stays secure. Underneath, there’s a spot to attach an external backup battery that we use to power the laptop so there are no extra cords hanging off.
We even added a cup holder for water in a safe, spill proof way and a hook to keep extra tether cords neatly organized instead of piled on the floor.
We mount our workstation to a low boy roller so we can move it around the studio, but you can also mount it to a tripod, light stand, or even use its built in feet to place it on a table.
During a shoot, David monitors exposure, focus, and tons of small details from the workstation because all those little things add up to make a great photo.
Giving thought to your set, lighting, tethering, and workstation ensures your behind the scenes setup reflects the same professionalism and attention to detail as your final photos. It also just makes life easier in the long run.
When things run smoothly during a shoot, it makes you look like a better photographer: prepared, professional, and in control.
If you want to see how we set up this entire shoot from start to finish, check out our YouTube video where we break down the whole process for you.
And if you have gear or tips that help your studio setups stay organized, drop them in the comments of the YouTube video. We’d love to hear them!
