Shooting list

[Jeff Wilson]

I'm working with a new startup magazine to shoot my first feature and the editors don't have a set shot list that they want. They have asked that I just go shoot what I want, but shoot a lot.

It's going to be fo a three page spread, so I know it's going to be 13~18 photos in the article. But, are there any rules of thumb for how much I should plan on shooting, or is there any guideline shot lists out there? For people that shoot for magazines regularly, I imagine they have a list of basic shots to get for every shoot, then the details are flexible.

Can anyone throw out some guidelines or run down what a typical magazine shoot is?

gracias!

[Michael Chu]

I've yet to work for a magazine...but having looked at magazines for a number of years =)...this is what I'd shoot:

-Side profile
-Front 3/4
-Rear 3/4
-Head-on of the front and back
-Car-to-car of the front and rear
-Overall engine shot
-Overall interior shot
-Various detail shots of the exterior, interior, engine, sound system (if present)
-And if you're really up for it, a rig shot here and there

Hope this gives you a better idea!

[Morgan J Segal]

It's going to be fo a three page spread, so I know it's going to be 13~18 photos in the article.


so I take it there is not going to be any text or all the photos going to be tiny little thumbnails?:confused:

Michael pretty much gave you the answer

[Dennis Murray]

Yeah, I thought that was a lot of photos in not a lot of pages. Hey, the pages could be 16x20's.

You could also throw in some pans, 3/4 pans, or other shots of the car in motion.

[Morgan J Segal]

Yeah, I thought that was a lot of photos in not a lot of pages. .


Exactly, you may want to ask them what they are planning on using. There is no point in wasting your time shooting every angle if they are only going to be using 4 shots.

[Jeff Wilson]

Exactly, you may want to ask them what they are planning on using. There is no point in wasting your time shooting every angle if they are only going to be using 4 shots.

It's not for something like Car & Driver, but more like PVW, Eurotuner, or Modified L&E. If you look at their three pagers and count the photos the range is 12-18 photos for every one of them. usually 4-6 show the full car and the rest are small detail shots of a wheel or a headlight or something.

But, the editors want full resolution/full frame images of those close ups, they don't want to use crops from larger images. So that means I have to shoot a LOT. I'm looking for advice from people that regularly shoot for magazines, what do you provide the editors?

I know what usually gets used, but I also know that a whole lot more gets shot than what actually gets published.

[John Jovic]

It's going to be fo a three page spread, so I know it's going to be 13~18 photos in the article.

That sounds like a lot of photo's over a small number of pages. You run the risk of loosing the impact of the images when you print them small. One of the magazines I work for often prints engine shots as a double page spread (dps). The effect is awsome, and a bit different too. Obviously that isn't done with a 3 pager though.

Basically, you need an 'opener', possibly vertical if you know it's only going to be a 3 pager, but usually a dps for any normal feature. The opener is often a front 3/4 glamour shot, rig shot, action shot, burnout shot, or some shot that's going to grab the readers attention. All the other shots are 'also rans' in that they are usually printed smaller so have less impact. A rear shot is not often used on a front cover or as an opener so I tend to spend less time on them and shoot few variations. Michaels list was fine though I'd add the following
-a shot of the owner (it's easy to not use the shot, but hard to get it after the shoot)
-wheels, calipers, brakes if interesting
-a few pan shots (preferably F3/4 but also profile)
-any mods that will interest the readers or which are likely to be pointed out in the article (eg unique suspension, gearbox, differential, or maybe a detailed undercarriage). Don't shoot stuff just 'cos it's there, it also needs to photographe well, or is unlikely to get printed anyway
-look out for rare badges or accessories in the case of older cars

The above really relates to Tuner or custom car features, not the 'new car' mags which often tend to emphasize the lifestyle that this new car will surely give you. New car features tend to be a combo of telling a story about the jouney undertaken in the car and heaps of action shots, much fewer static and detail shots overall compared to the custom/Tuner mags.

With a 3 pager, you really don't need to shoot very much at all, a couple of variations of engine, interior, exterior front and rear 3/4, a few driving shots (probably panning if you don't have a driver), a handfull of interesting details and that should do the trick.

It's better to offer fewer really well composed and executed shots rather than a hundred average ones. Don't ever just supply the bare minimum either, artists always want variations so that they have more freedom in how they layout a page. for example, I'll often shoot the exact same F3/4 three or more ways , eg tight horizontal compostion, same shot but car angled a bit, same position but with more space around the car and car position some where on a 'third' (allowing for text to be added), then maybe a vertical. This is all for the exact same shot! I really only do that for the shot that I think might be the 'opener', certainly not every exterior shot.

JJ

[Paul Hansen]

Everything is mostly covered here. Make a list of modified features on the car, and make sure to shoot each one of them - as you are not shooting a new car, but a modified car, then what the magazine is interested in.

[Jacob Leveton]

suggestion: look at the past 2-3 issues of the magazine, and look at what they've run so far. Lately, Super Street has been running a crapload of rig shots. Modified has been running a lot of head on / almost head on narrow DOF shots. Import Tuner likes the "super processed" look. A lot of the European magazines seem to like super-tight narrow DOF detail shots. these are all things that you should take into account.

A quick 5-10 minutes with these mags will give you the info you need.