When shooting on location, efficiency and adaptability are key to creating content that not only wows your clients but also elevates your portfolio. Jeff Carpenter, a commercial and portrait photographer based out of Tennessee, recently shared his expert advice in a YouTube video, breaking down his approach during a shoot for Sawdust and Whiskey, a Nashville-based woodworking company rebranding its image. From lighting setups to collaborating with clients, Jeff’s insights are invaluable for photographers aiming to enhance their workflow.
Here’s a recap of Jeff’s 5 Tips for Photographing Clients On Location, with practical advice and tools to help you succeed on your next shoot.
Tip #1: Have a Well-Thought-Out Plan—but Be Ready to Pivot
Preparation is essential, but flexibility can make or break your shoot. Jeff started the shoot by capturing dynamic shots of sawdust flying as the team cut through a massive tree trunk. With the Profoto B10x Plus equipped with a 20-degree grid and ½ cut CTO gel, he was able to add warmth and highlight the action in the dusty workspace.
His key light, a Profoto B10x with a 3×4 soft box, ensured consistent lighting that matched the environment’s rectangular window reflections.
“I’m more of an octa box guy,” Jeff shared, “but I wanted the reflections to feel authentic to the space.”
Pro Tip: Portable, battery-powered lighting like Profoto’s setup is essential for on-location shoots. It ensures you can adapt quickly to changing conditions while not being tied down to an outlet, essentially maintaining control over your visuals.
Tip #2: Simplify Your Setup
In the second location of the day, natural light played a bigger role, allowing Jeff to maintain a two-light setup. He relied on his 3×4 soft box for subtle fill light to avoid flat-looking images.
Space was limited in this spot, so Jeff used his Tether Table Aero attached to a Rock Solid Low Boy Roller for easy mobility between set ups, and opted to leave his tether station outside and utilized the Tether Tools Aero Sunshade to protect his workstation and computer from sawdust.
“Keeping my gear safe and visible helped me focus on the shoot without worrying about my tools,” Jeff noted.
Tip #3: Collaborate with Your Client on Set
Direct client involvement can elevate the results of a shoot. Jeff tethered his camera to a laptop using the TetherPro USB-C 31 ft. (9.4m) Cable, allowing the clients to see images as they were being captured.
“Tethering on set lets my clients spot details specific to their industry that I might miss,” Jeff explained. “It ensures they’re happy with the shots and avoids overshooting.”
Pro Tip: A collaborative tether workflow streamlines the process and builds trust with your clients, ensuring the final images align with their vision.
Tip #4: Avoid Overshooting
When tethered, you can review images in real-time, reducing the need to take hundreds of similar shots. For Jeff, this saved time and kept the focus on quality over quantity.
“Most clients value their time and don’t want to sift through hundreds of near-identical photos,” Jeff said.
By being intentional, you not only save editing time but also create a more professional experience for your client.
Tip #5: Offer More Value to Your Client
After wrapping up the primary shoot, Jeff leveraged the extra time to provide an additional service: employee headshots. This added value to the project and increased his earnings.
Using the Profoto 4 ft Octa soft box as a key light and the 3×4 soft box as a kicker, he transformed the woodworking shop into a professional portrait studio. He swapped his 24-105mm lens for a 70-200mm to create sharp, polished headshots with a backdrop of wooden slabs that perfectly complemented the company’s branding.
Quick adjustments to his tethering setup, thanks to the Tether Tools LeverLock Plate, made transitioning between cameras seamless.
Master Your On-Location Workflow with Tether Tools
Jeff’s tips showcase how thoughtful preparation, adaptable tools, and collaborative practices can streamline your workflow and elevate your results. Whether you’re capturing action shots or delivering additional services like headshots, tools like the TetherPro Cable, Aero Sunshade, and LeverLock Plate empower photographers to work efficiently and professionally.
Ready to take your on-location shoots to the next level? Explore our range of tethering end-to-end solutions designed to help you capture your best work, every time.
