Start with the relationship, not the poses
Before any list, find out who you are photographing and why. A corporate headshot, a family portrait and an author photo for a book jacket share equipment but not intent. Ask three questions: where will the image live, what should a stranger feel when they see it, and what is the sitter nervous about? The answers decide your anchor frame and your pace.
Annie Leibovitz's long collaborations with her subjects and Dorothea Lange's patient fieldwork are very different practices, but both show the same thing: the portrait improves when the photographer understands the person's situation first. Your brief is a small version of that research.
Portrait session template
This order works for most sessions of 45 to 90 minutes. The warm-up is deliberately low-stakes so the sitter relaxes before you reach the frame that matters most.
| # | Frame | Priority | Light / lens | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warm-up: casual three-quarter, talking | Should | Soft window, 50 mm | ☐ |
| 2 | Anchor portrait as agreed in the brief | Must | Key light set before arrival | ☐ |
| 3 | Tight head-and-shoulders, vertical crop | Must | 85 mm, eye-level | ☐ |
| 4 | Environmental portrait in their space | Should | 35 mm, available light | ☐ |
| 5 | Hands, tools or a meaningful object | Could | Shallow focus | ☐ |
| 6 | Unposed sequence while packing up | Open | Whatever is there | ☐ |
Notice the last row. Many photographers find that the most natural expression appears once the sitter believes the session is over. Keep a camera ready and write that moment into the plan so you do not pack it away.
Event coverage template
Events are defined by the run sheet — the organiser's timetable. Ask for it early, then translate each item into what you need to capture and where you need to stand. Weddings, conferences, launches without a product focus, community festivals and award nights all follow the same logic.
| Run sheet time | Moment | Priority | Position | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doors − 30 min | Empty venue, details, signage | Should | Back of room, then close-ups | ☐ |
| Doors | Arrivals and greetings | Should | Inside entrance, facing in | ☐ |
| Opening remarks | Host speaking, audience reaction | Must | Side aisle, 70–200 mm | ☐ |
| Main moment | Award, vows, toast or key announcement | Must | Pre-agreed spot, test shot done | ☐ |
| Group list | Named groups from the client | Must | Plain background, open shade | ☐ |
| Afterwards | Candid conversations, departures | Open | Roam | ☐ |
For group photographs, ask the client for a written list of names and a helper who knows everyone. That one person can save twenty minutes of shouting across a room and keeps the atmosphere warm.
Planned versus passing moments
What the list secures
- Every named person in at least one sharp frame
- The key moment from a tested position
- Required groups and formal portraits
- Orientation variants for print and web
What the list protects room for
- Reactions just after the main moment
- Children, elders and quiet guests at the edges
- In-between gestures, laughter, tired feet
- The scene Henri Cartier-Bresson might have waited for
Cartier-Bresson's 1952 book, published in English as The Decisive Moment, is often quoted as an argument against planning. Read closely, it describes a photographer who knew his ground so well that he could recognise the moment when it came. A list does the same job: it handles the predictable so you are ready for the unrepeatable.
Consent and practical courtesy
Confirm in writing who has agreed to be photographed and how images will be used. If a portrait may be published or licensed, discuss a model release before the session, not after. At events, honour any "no photography" wristbands or requests, and note them on your list so a second shooter knows too.
Day-before checklist
- Final run sheet and named group list received
- Contact person's phone number written on the printed list
- Batteries charged, cards formatted, spare body packed
- Must-have rows highlighted; open time blocked out