Is Remote Shooting Still a Thing?

Kevin Connery wow, you’ve done so much work, thank you so much for sharing. I did want to mention how I noticed how I don’t see many photographers and models from the USA. The majority seem to be from Europe , so with remote shooting it makes it more convenient. Just wish there were more people closer to my area!!

Luminousxo said

Sacha Saxer that’s awesome that you still do them! I didn’t think outdoor remote shoots existed, I thought it was more of an indoor thing like the ones I’ve done. Will definitely look into it!

It doesn't have to be indoors - basically anywhere you can get a decent Internet signal!

Luminousxo said

Sacha Saxer that is such a gorgeous photo, it doesn’t even look like a remote shoot!! It looks like you were there. Wow! The possibilities are endless. Beautiful model and scenery, good job!

You really can't go wrong with Lucy. I doubt that it is possible to take a bad photo of her. Definitely one of my favorite models. She hinted at a new location she'd like to test for a remote shoot so I guess I'll see in early January what she planned. Should be just in time to do a Valentine's shoot to be published in a magazine somewhere. (If the package with the outfit arrives in time…)

I actually don't think any of my remote shots look like a remote shot. Location remote shots never look like they were taken remotely, at least in my experience. But for me, I do remote shoots like I do in person shoots, just with less camera repositioning. But it's the same process as in person: find an angle, set up the scene, take the photo. Only you'll try to do more poses in one spot because you can't move the camera quickly so you take maximum advantage of what you found. (Obviously you'd adjust the angle and everything until you're satisfied but once you are, you milk that scene.) So the focus turns quite a bit to the posing skills of the model as different poses can transform a scene quite a bit without changing the camera angle. It's simply a different way of looking at the whole process. And for me as a former concert photographer it was such a great learning experience that I just keep doing it during the time I can't shoot locally.

Luminousxo said

Kevin Connery wow, you’ve done so much work, thank you so much for sharing. I did want to mention how I noticed how I don’t see many photographers and models from the USA. The majority seem to be from Europe , so with remote shooting it makes it more convenient. Just wish there were more people closer to my area!!

PP has been fairly UK and Europe-centric, while ModelMayhem is USA-centric. Both are trying to expand, but it'll take a while before either covers the whole world, and there are a large number country- or region-specific sites or Facebook groups. Taking advantage of the strengths of each can be quite useful. For remote, there are a few FB groups, and some models who aren't on any modeling site show up there.

It seems like the majority of remote models are UK-based, but there certainly are exceptions. A couple in California, a couple in Florida, some in Canada, a scattering in Europe, Australia, etc. PP has been a great help , as they have a 'shoots style' option of 'Remote'. As with all self-reported labels, it's not a guarantee, but it is a great starting point.

Gothic Image said

Luminousxo said

Sacha Saxer that’s awesome that you still do them! I didn’t think outdoor remote shoots existed, I thought it was more of an indoor thing like the ones I’ve done. Will definitely look into it!

It doesn't have to be indoors - basically anywhere you can get a decent Internet signal!

Beach and wilderness shots are quite possible, and some models even specialize in those options. With many phones being capable of good photography, that's one popular option using phone-based software (the CLOS app and others). Even better (from my perspective) is using a phone as a hot-spot for a laptop, permitting normal dSLR/mirrorless tethering to be used far from urban areas.

Kevin Connery said

Gothic Image said

Luminousxo said

Sacha Saxer that’s awesome that you still do them! I didn’t think outdoor remote shoots existed, I thought it was more of an indoor thing like the ones I’ve done. Will definitely look into it!

It doesn't have to be indoors - basically anywhere you can get a decent Internet signal!

Beach and wilderness shots are quite possible, and some models even specialize in those options. With many phones being capable of good photography, that's one popular option using phone-based software (the CLOS app and others). Even better (from my perspective) is using a phone as a hot-spot for a laptop, permitting normal dSLR/mirrorless tethering to be used far from urban areas.

I only see cellphones as a hotspot as an alternative. I wouldn't pay for a shoot on a cellphone. You can get decent results for social media but for anything thing in print, naw, not with my name on it. I've seen CLOS shots in magazines and I'd never ever have dared to submit such photos anywhere. I might keep them as idea shots in my library but generally the quality isn't there to warrant keeping them, let alone publish them.

If a model can't provide a decent cam (DLSR or mirrorless) with a nice lens (or lenses) I have zero interest in a remote shoot. I don't care about the brand of camera as we all know any moderately modern camera is more than good enough to take great photos in normal circumstances. If you know you'll be going for a dark setting you might want to use a Nikon due to their great lowlight performance (At least that's what I was told but my only low light remote shoot was with a Nikon and boy did it let me down.) or you might like the natural colors of a Fuji to those of a Canon. (Nothing you can't change in post, though.) Give me a RAW from a decent sized sensor and I'll be happy as I'll be able to easily produce printable results. 

I haven't done a remote shoot in a long, long time.

It was great to be part of the team with Natasha J Bella to pioneer the concept in the early days of covid.  In fact I still fondly remember many people thinking it was going to be some sort of weird April Fools joke, as Natasha announced that we would attempt to stream the shoot on April 1st.  In the end there wasn't enough bandwith to carry out the remote shoot and stream at the same time, so the broadcast got cut short, but we still had an amazing shoot - not without teething issues but well worth the effort..... some of the shoots can be seen in my  Remote Shooting Album - please click the link to see.  Thrilled that a couple of FPIs came from this shoot too.

I enjoyed experimenting with many different methods of remote shooting following that initial shoot. 

I did have a dream which was never fulfilled.... the dream was to shoot with people in different countries, but unfortunately as popularity grew with the idea of remote shooting, it became a way for models to earn a living whilst unable to do normal shoots due to covid, and as this is only a passion for me I only work TF.  Maybe one day the dream will happen?  Stranger things have happened.

Edited by Luminousxo

Pix Photography I’ll definitely check out the link! Glad the shoot ended up being amazing despite everything else. You gotta chase your dream, anything is possible if you’re in the right mindset! Go for it, rooting for u!

It wasn't for me, but glad some people got something out of it :)

Vassili that’s valid! :)

Vassili said

It wasn't for me, but glad some people got something out of it :)

I understand entirely. Even though I find them very useful, the role of photographer in a remote shoot is substantially different than an in-person shoot. Most of the time, I'm closer to a movie director than a traditional photographer, and a lot of spontaneity simply isn't there. Not to mention how not seeing the whole environment limits options--thee might be a great location a few feet to the left, but you can't walk over and check; the overhead makes doing that impractical more often than not.

I understand any working model who does not want to turn off a revenue stream, or for that matter is tired of playing the lottery of who shows up at their door.

But why any serious photographer would continue with remote shooting now that Covid is basically 'over' completely defeats me. By definition a photographer is someone who makes the photographs, not someone who watches while someone else does it for them.

I still host regular remote shoots and absolutely love it, it's a fantastic way to work with photographers otherwise too far away.

As long as the photographer communicates well with you, there's no reason that the whole make up of the shoot isn't there's. I don't 'do it for them', I simply let then tell me what they want me to do with camera positioning and possibly studio lighting if I'm using it, the rest is entirely up to the photographer!

Angel Black UK I like that approach! That’s typically what I would do. It’s beneficial especially in remote areas like mine where there are not a ton of photographers!

Photowallah said

But why any serious photographer would continue with remote shooting now that Covid is basically 'over' completely defeats me. By definition a photographer is someone who makes the photographs, not someone who watches while someone else does it for them.

My two biggest reasons are:

1. My current health makes in-person shooting extremely difficult
2. Distance. I get to work with models 5000+ miles away without spending 10-12 hours each way and an unspecified but nontrivial amount of money. There are some amazing models in the UK and elsewhere I would never be able to work with otherwise.

As for the rest, I'm the one specifying the angle to shoot from, the lighting, and the set, within the confines of what's available. (I sometimes send the model funds to have them purchase specific items as props [swords, armor] or wardrobe, pretty much the same as I did for in-person shoots, just shifting the overhead of purchasing--but with Amazon and such, that's fairly minimal.)

I'm also the one pushing the button.

If that doesn't fall into your definition of photographer, you also exclude the majority of higher-end commercial photographers who work with assistants. In-person, I don't do the makeup (a makeup artist is brought in for almost every shoot), I didn't always do all the moving of the lights (assistants), I didn't always build the sets (set builders or whatever location I was working in), I didn't make the clothing (wardrobe stylist), etc.

Sure, if you feel a photographer is one who works solely with their camera and perhaps a model, with no outside assistance, yes, you would be right. But that's not the only definition.