pool day photoshoot
It’s summer so I thought why not do a pool photoshoot? For those that are accidental photographers without famous clients or large budgets like myself, we have to work with what is possible. In this particular case, the models are the clients and we are not working under a commercial scenario. Therefore, the client experience has to be paramount in that I need to make sure the model is comfortable and having fun. I brought lots of water and a tray for fruit. My friend Josie was also there to assist.
How I Found the Pool: I like spaces that are private. Some people will find community pools to shoot at or public pools. I’ve not tried it but I try to avoid it because I want clients to feel at ease, not rushed and comfortable wearing close to nothing (or nothing) in front of the camera with plenty of privacy. I got lucky and found a guy who listed his private pool on VRBO. It was also a 1 night stay minimum. I had from 3pm until 12pm the next day to shoot for about $370 total. I figured that I’d be able to fill up the schedule with enough gals to cover that cost. Just to make sure, I sent out a post asking for interest in a pool photoshoot and had a minimum number of gals that I needed to commit to the shoot before I booked the property. I also asked the owner of the pool and property if it was okay for me to use that time for a photoshoot. I explained how the schedule was going to go and what I needed to do. It is important to give the owners of the rental property a heads up. Property owners are usually okay with it as long as you are respectful of their stuff and they know you will NOT be having a party.
Posing and Shots: I like variety. Even though this photoshoot was not for an editorial in a magazine, I like to shoot as if it were. I took images that were full body, 3/4 , headshots, standing, sitting, laying down, horizontal and vertical. We shot around the pool, in the pool and under the pool. to go under the water I had to purchase a special camera casing to make it water proof. This was my first time doing under water photography it was a hit or miss. I will definitely need to go back to do more underwater photography practice. Keep in mind that the shots where the person is half in and half out of the water, there will be distortion of the body that’s under the water. That could make it look weird in the image so just be aware of that.
Don’t Forget the Hair Flip: It’s water and it’s fun so don’t forget to splash around and play with the motion and energy of it. Just make sure to do it at the end once you’ve gotten all the close up beauty shots. Once the hair or the face is wet, then there is no going back to fixing the hair or makeup.
Gear: I always bring strobes just in case. The first day we did the shoot it was overcast so I did use my lights. The hair flip image you see here is complete artificial light because it was already around 7pm in the evening. One light lit her from the front and another lit all of the background. The second day was really sunny so I shot it using natural light. I even had to take out my ND filter to control some of the white highlights.
Last Thoughts: Yes, one client did bring her pet snake. I had spoken to her ahead of time and we planned on her bringing it. Before I do any shoot I plan out some poses and looks I want to achieve during the shoot. I research on Pinterest and Instagram stuff on pool shoots, poses with snakes and bikini poses. I like to be open to an environment and what it can give me, but I also have a list of images I keep on hand. I use it for reference if I freeze on ideas or need to get something started.
