need some help on first beach job

i just recieved a phone call to go to the beach and take a portrait shot of a group of about 11 people. They are all looking to order prints. She asked me if i was going to bring chairs or how would i set them up. So i told her that i would take a ride to scope the place out. I also mentioned that i can provide her with an album or dvd set to music. but i explained that i would need to take more photos, maybe some candid shots this way by page 4 it wouldnt get boring being the same pic. I am meeting with her on sunday to talk things over and show her an album that i have. But i would love some advise from all angles, as far as what they should be wearing. flash or no flash? it will be in the morning and they want the water in the background so since im on the east coast i will be shooting against the sun. any idea on how they should be set up? I do have a location package which includes this...

- Includes a location session
- $100 worth of prints
- 1/2 hour of retouching
- Password protected online gallery
- Fully edited high-resolution CD of every image (so you can print your own!)
- Location shots are taken in your home, park, beach... It's your choice.

advice would be appreciated... any particular lens i should use? or should i get another one? thanks

fabian

If you need an assistant...



I'm from Ocean County, don't know how far it is from you.

Fabian9931 wrote in post #5804279
- 1/2 hour of retouching
- Fully edited high-resolution CD of every image (so you can print your own!)

advice would be appreciated... any particular lens i should use? or should i get another one? thanks

fabian

Unfortunately, I don't have any advice on your specific question. But I do have a question about your package.

What's the difference between "retouching" and "fully edited"? How many pictures on a cd? Can you "fully edit" all of them in 1/2 hour?

It is certainly not my intention to derail your thread. But, this jumped out at me as being a source of a potential problem and a source of many arguements. On the other hand, maybe I just need to study the vocabulary a little better (that's always a possiblity).

Anyway, best of luck on your shoot.

TDF

I was thinking the same thing. I take more than a half-hour re-touching/editing pictures of my kids from one day!

Fabian9931 wrote in post #5804279
i just recieved a phone call to go to the beach and take a portrait shot of a group of about 11 people. They are all looking to order prints. She asked me if i was going to bring chairs or how would i set them up. So i told her that i would take a ride to scope the place out. I also mentioned that i can provide her with an album or dvd set to music. but i explained that i would need to take more photos, maybe some candid shots this way by page 4 it wouldnt get boring being the same pic. I am meeting with her on sunday to talk things over and show her an album that i have. But i would love some advise from all angles, as far as what they should be wearing. flash or no flash? it will be in the morning and they want the water in the background so since im on the east coast i will be shooting against the sun. any idea on how they should be set up? I do have a location package which includes this...

- Includes a location session
- $100 worth of prints
- 1/2 hour of retouching
- Password protected online gallery
- Fully edited high-resolution CD of every image (so you can print your own!)
- Location shots are taken in your home, park, beach... It's your choice.

advice would be appreciated... any particular lens i should use? or should i get another one? thanks

fabian

I sent you a PM as well, but thought I'd answer some of the more general questions here.

WIth all of our beach clients we suggest the lighter and simpler the better. Most of our families stick with jeans or khaki's and white shirts. Light color shirts aren't bad either - but if its hot out, its not a good idea. Light blue looks great, until you start to sweat and you can see it right through the shirt...not a pretty sight. I'm all about vibrancy and color..just not on the beach.

For our morning shoots (also on the east coast) its usually pretty bright. Nine times out of ten I'm at ISO 100, 1/250 @ f/8...using flash for fill. In fact, I shoot so many beach portraits I can almost tell my exposure just by looking at the sun...lol. We typically start our morning session around 8am, because we have a hard time getting our customers up that early. Instead of putting them totally backlit, we have them turned sideways just a big so we're shooting down the beach. That way, we're still getting some sky and not just a bright white mass. You will absolutely need a flash.

Find a north or south facing beach or a jetty they can walk out on so you can shoot with the sun at an angle.