Are you someone who experiences anxiety when shooting an event such as weeding? Clearly, there is a lot on your mind and you have to prove yourself as the right choice for this event. Truthfully, many photographers create stress for themselves. With thoughtful preparation, you can easily avoid anxiety and get good results at the same time.
Like any other challenge in life, you have to be prepared if you want to be successful. An event can be stressful no matter how long you have been taking photographs. There are so many things that are out of your control. When you are hired for a job, there is only one thing that you can do, exceed your expectations to establish your brand. For some photographers, it can be the fun and a most relaxing job with great memories with a camera. It can also be stressful when it is not your day.
It is natural to have a little bit of excitement and anxiety before the start of an event. But as you gain experience, you start to manage event day anxiety efficiently by disciplining yourself and doing preparation prior to taking photographs. Like in sports, an athlete has to watch videos of opponents to prepare a game-plan and be on time to warm up extensively. As a photographer, you also have to be prepared and do pre-event rituals so that you can get successful. If you are going to an event and you find yourself ten minutes late then you can’t have a cup of coffee to relax your mind and you won’t have time to check your social media accounts to refresh yourself. If your preparations are not in order then you will have the worst start to the event.
1. Pre-Shoot Checklist
As a photographer, you should ensure that you have all the equipment with you on the day of the shoot. There are some complex gears that at the time of shoot can create panic and you will be worrying about while taking photographs. Questions such as “have I switched back my camera to autofocus?”, “does my cards are set to record raw format?”, “why my camera is missing at the third shot?”, “did I charged batteries after my last photo shoot?” These small details can pile up and you won’t be able to focus on the task at hand. It can be difficult to calm your nerves when you are not prepared properly.
If you are someone who doesn’t pay attention to such detail then you are not up to your full potential. Create your checklist and take some time to fill detail so that you know the things that are important and you can take care of them before your big event. You will feel confident and grow as you work your way towards a great event.
2. Scout the location before Photoshoot
You will find it difficult to get the best out of a location upon arrival, you will have to find a suitable area so that you can get the best shots. But instead of looking for a suitable area after arriving at the location for the first time, you can scout the area ahead. You have to ensure that the location is mapped in your mind so that you get the best results. These days you can visit the location just by sitting at your home. There is a lot of information available on the internet, you can also use Google maps or use dedicated websites for the venue.
All these things will help you tour the location before time. You can use the time you save to visualize how you are going to shoot photographs. You can choose lighting equipment and decide what focal lengths will work fine with the space available to you. There is always the option to visit the location in person to write down things that are important and introduce yourself to the people who will be present during the event. They will be happy to share some tips, it will help you capture the venue the way you want.
3. Set a reminder
Part of your preparation for the event is breaking down the schedule and reviewing things so that everything is as per plan. Once you have done this, set reminders for things that you have to do during and before the event. Smartwatch can be your primary device for reminders, not many people feel comfortable holding the phone while they are working. A phone in your hand during an event will also give a bad impression, so you can minimize these things by wearing a watch. You can also use the built-in reminders app if you are an apple phone user, it won’t distract you, there will be less anxiety and you can be on schedule during the whole process. This is something that people can control so do your best.
Conclusion
No matter how much preparations you do, there will be some anxiety during the event. We are humans and it is something that we can’t solve easily. If you are someone who cares about photography then you will understand that the more preparation you will do the better results you will get during an event. You can change circumstances to your advantage by following these simple tips.
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