What happens when you have a plan for your shoot, but your plan falls through? This disaster takes multiple forms. The light is completely different from when you scouted your location. Weather. There is a group randomly at the location you have chosen. For whatever reason, your carefully selected location is now a bust. You have no assistant, no diffuser, and you didn't bring a light.
Rule 1 of saving the shoot is to take a really deep breath and smile. You will need to keep your client at ease despite the complication. You will, of course, not vocalize the problem, but think quickly and keep calm as you move to Rule 2.
Rule 2 of saving the shoot is to follow the light. Find the spot, and it may be a pinpoint spot, with the best light and shoot there. In lieu of great scenery, lighting your subject nicely is by far the top priority.
Rule 3, also known as the rule of last resort, is to shoot your subject in correct exposure and take separate shots of the environment correctly exposed and from the same perspective as you are shooting your subject. You will combine the shots in post production in order to obtain what everyone saw with the naked eye. You and I know that the background is blown out — the client doesn’t, nor do they need to know.
By keeping calm and quickly following the three rules above, you will retain the trust of your client and you will have all of the shots that you need to deliver a beautiful result.
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