Wouldn’t it be great if we could shoot every session according to our own vision all of our clients would happily accept the images we choose to deliver? After all, we work hard to perfect our craft and establish a distinct style. While our vision and style helps us attract new clients, there’s a very good chance our clients will also have a vision that will require us to make adjustments.

PROBLEM: CLIENT’S VISION DOES NOT MATCH YOUR STYLE

Occasionally, you may get hired to shoot in a style to which you are unaccustomed. When that happens, you must be able to adapt. We recently photographed a wedding and the bride wanted a light and airy pastel look. While our photography always centers on storytelling, our images do not usually fall into this category. Our signature style leans more toward the creative, clean and crisp, which differs somewhat from the whimsical, blown out look often found in light and airy images – we had to adapt.

SOLUTION: USE POSING & POST-PRODUCTION TO MATCH CLIENT’S VISION

Luckily, if you understand your client’s vision before the shoot, you can adjust your lighting techniques and get the look right in camera. It’s also important to pose your clients in a way that matches the look of the overall image. For example, editorial style poses work better with more dramatic lighting, while whimsical poses such as dress twirls and candid interactions tend to work better for light and airy photos. After the shoot, we rely on the SLR Lounge Preset System to help match our client’s vision; our favorites for this look are the Film Presets or the Soft Pastels.

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Here’s how to use posing and post production to match your client’s vision:

STEP 1: CONFIRM CLIENT’S VISION DURING MOOD BOARD REVIEW

We recommend scheduling a mood board review with your clients during the planning phase before the shoot. You can easily create a private mood board on Pinterest and ask your clients to pin images and write a line or two about why they chose each image: Was it the pose, the expression, the location, or something else that piqued their interest? Be sure to reiterate what they like about the images during the talk through so that you can better plan out how you’re going to cover their event.

STEP 2: DIAL IN EXPOSURE FOR Desired STYLE

If your clients request a light and airy style, you’ll need to adjust how you’re going to expose each scene. Don’t expose for a light and airy look and then suddenly introduce dramatic lighting using off-camera flash. The images will not work well together in an album spread or as a wall art collection, nor will they match your client’s vision. That said, if you finish your must-have shots and have time to experiment, and if the client is willing, then you can choose to play with other styles. Just remember to play responsibly.

STEP 3: POSE FOR DESIRED STYLE

Posing works hand in hand with lighting and other aspects of achieving a particular look or style. Playful or whimsical poses usually work well with light and airy images, while serious or editorial poses work better for dramatic imagery.

[REWIND: 5 Foundation Poses for Couples]

STEP 4: POST-PRODUCE FOR DESIRED STYLE

Post-processing tools like SLR Lounge’s Preset System can help you quickly and easily edit images that match your client’s vision. In our case, the client wanted a light and airy pastel look, so we exposed for brighter images, directed the client into whimsical poses, and applied the “Soft Pastel Colors” preset in Lightroom, and voilà! Vision accomplished!

Familiarize yourself with posing and post in workshops like Complete Posing Workshop and Shoot To Post – all available for streaming in SLRL Premium. We’ll give you the tools to help cater to your client’s’ vision, regardless of whether or not it matches your own.

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