Reality of Photoshoot

The photo shoot I conducted this weekend went well. However, I did come across some flaws in my planning. I was unable to find my camera as I am in the progress of selling my house, thus my iPhone 8 had to suffice for photos. My friends and I met at nine in the morning and then traveled together to the local Panera Bread for breakfast and coffee. While at the restaurant, I captured some photos of them appearing to be studying on their laptops and taking notes in journals. I found that the booth table we chose made it difficult to take photos from varying angles as the shape of the booth was odd.

From there we drove down to Lido Beach on Longboat Key. The models changed out of their college shirts and into a navy and white polka-dotted summer dress with the other in a pair of shorts and a white off-the-shoulder top. I brought colorful beach towels for us to sit on and capture some casual photos of friends enjoying the beach. We sat near a rocky pier so I took advantage of the terrain and asked for them to pose on the rocks as well. A clearing of twisted trees was perfect for creating natural shadows that add contrast to the highlights cast onto their faces from the sun's light. I felt it was better to have my models strike a pose that came naturally rather than force an awkward one that would make them seem uncomfortable. This also made the photos seem as though they were taken spontaneously by another young friend and capturing the authenticity of the genuine expression. In the future I would possibly bring more props for the beach scene, like a food and drink spread, that would add dimension and context to the photos.