Ever wonder what’s involved in a smaller scale commercial lifestyle shoot? Have a read.
AdamBarkerPhotography commerical shoot with Loon Outdoors in Sun Valley, Idaho
This past week I was fortunate to work with Loon Outdoors, a company committed to providing environmentally friendly fly fishing products to anglers. We had arranged for a one-day shoot up in Sun Valley, ID. In the days leading up to the shoot, I’d been checking the weather incessantly, hoping for something other than the obvious–rain and cold and general nastiness on the day of (and only the day of) the shoot. Murphy’s law was definitely proving itself on this one. After a bit of dicussion with company president Alan Peterson, we decided to go ahead with the scheduled shoot.
Alan Peterson and Jay Burke looking for lunkers above the Big Wood River in Sun Valley, Idaho
The truth of the matter is this: some weather is fantastic for photography, and fly fishing photography in particular. It provides for interesting shooting conditions and unique atmospheric opportunities. Too much weather, however, can be a literal game ender.
AdamBarkerPhotography commerical shoot with Loon Outdoors in Sun Valley, Idaho
My alarm clock went off on the morning of the shoot and without even looking out the window I knew I would be encountering some unique weather-related challenges throughout the day. I could hear the rain drops on the windows. Not so good. I parted the curtains and was surprised to see 2″ of snow had fallen overnight. Wow. Cool! Snow would provide for something a bit different. Throughout the day on the Big Wood River, we had steady rain moving in and out, providing for alternately inspiring conditions and an utterly miserable, wet hell for a photographer. By late afternoon, the skies had dropped the majority of their bounty and we decided to head south to Silver Creek for what turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous evening of dramatic skies and golden light. We returned to the cars under waning dusk light low on energy and high on life. I was spent, but the client was grinning and the mission was accomplished.
A fisherman strips line out on the Big Wood River, Idaho
I’ve had a bit of time to reflect on this shoot with its associated expectations placed upon the photographer. There was a bit of extra pressure considering we were allotted just one day to capture a wide range of images. These are certainly challenging times for many photographers and business owners alike. There still remains, however, a noticeable gap between the true professional and eager amateur. A true professional will always deliver, regardless of conditions or obstacles placed in his path. He/She relies on past experience and draws from his technical skill and creative vision to create something out of nothing (when nothing is presented) and to capture the magic in a quick and proficient manner when Mother Nature decides to lend a hand.
To see more of the images from this shoot, check out the online gallery. Special thanks to Simms, William Joseph and Clikelite backpacks for helping to make this a productive shoot.
A trio of fishermen pose for the camera after an evening on SIlver Creek, Idaho
Tags: Adam Barker, Adam Barker Photography, AdamBarkerPhotography, Big Wood River, Clikelite Photography Packs, Commercial Photo Shoot Adam Barker, Commercial Photo Shoot AdamBarkerPhotography, Fly Fishing Photos Idaho, Fly Fishing Photos Sun Valley, How to run a commercial photo shoot, Idaho, Loon Outdoors, Photos Silver Creek Idaho, Silver Creek, Sun Valley
Hi, Just picked up on your site this week via facebook. Love your work, I was just wondering how you managed to keep things from fogging up on you during this shoot, I feel like no matter what I do to hide things the moisture gets into things and causes problems…. yeah, some foggy shots can be cool, but not when it turns into every shot.
Hey Jim–
Thanks for dropping a line. First thing–I try to keep my gear as dry as possible. Guess that’s one from the Captain Obvious chronicles. Beyond that, I try not to put gear that may get wet in enclosed places. If your lenses become wet, dry them with a cloth or let them air dry before putting them away. Pay special attention to make sure your front element (on your lens) is dry before attaching any sort of filter on the front of the lens. My guess is that this is where you’re experiencing most of your problems. Lastly, try to avoid putting your camera in your jacket or anywhere else next to your body where condensation may form. In the end, your best defense is a microfiber cloth to continually dry lens elements that may get wet. Hope this helps!