Volunteer Work

Kazers

Hello Everyone,

I have a question regarding some work that I will be doing in the near future. It is a calendar for breast cancer awareness month of men around my city in different industries supporting the cause. I am a local budding photographer, and have gotten a few paid jobs before and they asked me to volunteer my time to help photograph some of the months for the calendar. However I do not have a vast inventory of equipment for this type of photoshoot, and I would like to go into this as professionally as possible. There are a few other photographers on the list as well to volunteer their time on seperate occasions so there will never be two photographers at one time. I am looking for a list of gear or some advice as to what I can bring so I don't look like an amateur going into this, and I really am interested in donating my time and services to this awesome cause. Thanks for the insight in advance.

Kazers

Kazers

I forgot to mention the equipment I have is very limited a Canon Rebel XSI and TI body, 55-250 canon lens, 50 mm 1.8 lens. So clearly I don't have much inventory.

ziggy53

I moved this to the Technique forum. Hopefully we can discuss some strategies and techniques you can use.

I am not clear about whether you are shooting events or planning to shoot staged shots?

What is your background in photography?

Can you borrow any equipment? (Specifically lenses and flashes.)

What level of quality are you expecting? (Candids, images for newspaper and/or web, basic documentation for a group, ...?)

Kazers

Hi Ziggy,

My background is I have been getting a few clients for about 3 years now, and I do mostly family/kids photoshoots. I tend to stick with natural light mostly because I love the look and feel it portrays in a photograph. For this particular campaign it is for a calendar shoot so more magazine print I would say. Also it would be a sort of styled feel so a staged shot. I don't have anyone to borrow equipment from but certainly could rent it I just won't be able to make up the cost since I am volunteering my time.

Sam

kazers,

Do you have a website? It would be good to see where you are at now, and try to extrapolate what could be expected.

As to going in looking like an amateur. You are an amateur. There is nothing wrong with being an amateur. You do however want to present yourself as knowledgeable.

Try to get as much information and details as possible. Calender images are more staged than candid, and will need some knowledge of processing, color space, file formats, PPI, soft proofing, etc.

Do practice in a similar environment.

Keep us posted.

Sam

ziggy53

Be sure to thoroughly scout locations and times-of-day for best light if you must use available light. Do use your built-in flash for fill light, as necessary. Reflectors can give you much needed directionality to the ambient light. (May require an assistant.)

If these are head shots, or head-and-shoulders, either of your lenses may be appropriate to use, but the 50mm, f1.8 will yield vastly better DOF control and bokeh.

angevin1

Kazers wrote: »

Hi Ziggy,

My background is I have been getting a few clients for about 3 years now, and I do mostly family/kids photoshoots. I tend to stick with natural light mostly because I love the look and feel it portrays in a photograph. For this particular campaign it is for a calendar shoot so more magazine print I would say. Also it would be a sort of styled feel so a staged shot. I don't have anyone to borrow equipment from but certainly could rent it I just won't be able to make up the cost since I am volunteering my time.

Kazers, Since you tend to shoot natural light , could it be that they are really expecting that you'll do your typical fair? I suspect so. So if natch works for you, why wouldn't it work for anything else?

Short answer; do your normal work~