How long do you spend on each shot?

I did my first two portrait sessions this weekend (casual, free), and I found myself moving around with the subjects a lot because I didn't want them to get annoyed while I figured out lighting and things. Both were at parks, so we walked around to get different backgrounds, etc. Both shoots took about an hour or an hour and a half. This basically led to a bunch of shots that were *almost* ok in a bunch of different places. I realize now I should have taken more time to set up shots in fewer places.

So how long to you spend on a portrait shoot, and how long would you say you spend at each location within that shoot?

... :/

in my experience you take as much time as you need to create your shot. if you feel you are taking too long on setting up your camera, then practicing with a friend in different lighting conditions to help speed up your adjustments may help.

In regard to the poses, first and second poses are good.I would (personally) stay away from poses #3 and #4 as I find they shout more along the lines of "I'm playful!" rather than "I'm ready to get the job done".

I take way too many shots.... like its really a bad thing

The more you shoot the faster you will get into the zone. Whan you start you shoot anything and everything and it actually slows you down. As you gain experience you will know what to leave out and go for the poses people will buy. You can read and watch all you want about it. But untill you do it you wont "get it".

How long at each location really depends on how much the location has to offer. Is it a place that will transform as you move around or change lighting? -- such as the edge of a park, one way is semi urban or even downtown if it is a city park, the other way is all nature--

And once you can pre-visualize your lighting you should be able to set each location up in 3-5 minutes tops. When you have to shoot a frame before you know what it will look like it will really slow you down.

Mark1 wrote in post #12828731
You can read and watch all you want about it. But untill you do it you wont "get it".

This is spot on for me. I learned more about what I need to work on in those two hour-long sessions than I did from hours upon hours of skimming forums and reading books. Those things are incredibly important, of course, but it's interesting how you can only get so far without just getting out and doing it.

Mark1 wrote in post #12828731
And once you can pre-visualize your lighting you should be able to set each location up in 3-5 minutes tops.

Granted I didn't have any lighting equipment with me other than my Speedlight, but I was snapping almost immediately and didn't even spend 3-5 minutes with the subjects in the same place. I think I was rushing way, way too much.

I am in the same boat as you. After my first portrait session (even though is was a freebie for a friend's son) I was able to think back about what I would change different. After I was done with the shoot and had time to analyze the shots I had taken, it was easy to come up with ways to improve the shots. The hard part is being able to recognize it on the spot and adjust as needed.

Niccas9 wrote in post #12830946
I am in the same boat as you. After my first portrait session (even though is was a freebie for a friend's son) I was able to think back about what I would change different. After I was done with the shoot and had time to analyze the shots I had taken, it was easy to come up with ways to improve the shots. The hard part is being able to recognize it on the spot and adjust as needed.

Shooting tethered really helps with being able to recognize problems in a photograph. I try to avoid looking at my shots on the 3" LCD screen of my 7D.

I've thought about shooting tethered, but I think I need to get more comfortable with everthing first before adding the extra thing to think about. It seems like a really helpful practice, though.

I don't shoot tethered outdoors (yet) because I haven't had the need. Product/portrait shots are where I'm almost always tethered.

Nomofica wrote in post #12841832
I don't shoot tethered outdoors (yet) because I haven't had the need. Product/portrait shots are where I'm almost always tethered.

It occurred to me after I posted that you probably meant indoor portraits. That's a really smart way to do it. If I ever get into studio work, I'd love to tether!

Most studios I've been in, depending on the subject matter, are almost always tethered.

When I worked in the photo studio for The Brick (one of Canada's biggest furniture and home electronics retail outlets, we had a medium format Hasselblad tethered to a stationary Mac desktop computer.

Nomofica wrote in post #12845435
we had a medium format Hasselblad tethered to a stationary Mac desktop computer.

*Drool*

It's key to visit the locations ahead of time at the time of day that you will be shooting. Plan where you'll have your subjects, what will be a good background, what lighting you'll use. You'll fine tune it on the shoot, but people will get annoyed if they sense that you don't know what will look good.