Photography means creating moments. Photography is a way to capture and preserve a memory forever. It is beyond just a profession or a service, it is something which connects with emotions. When COVID happened in the year 2020, everything came to a hold. Everyone in the family was locked in the home, but that also added an opportunity to create more memories. Kids bonded more with parents, a lot of new baking lessons were done and what not. With all this going on, why should you be restricted to clicking more pictures and making these moments memorable.
This is the thought that gave birth to a new concept of Virtual Photography. Thinking or talking about this makes no sense at first as it seems like something impossible to do or imagine, but the fact is, it is very real. As real as me and you.
What does virtual photography mean?
Virtual photoshoot means that the photographer and the subject/client don't have to come in face to face contact and the shoot is done via internet video calling.
The pictures are clicked using an app which gives the photographer control over the client's mobile camera. The mobile has to be fixed on a mobile tripod for this purpose.
The photographer directs the client to pose or move the mobile tripod and clicks photographs. Once the shoot is done, the photographer is able to download all the images clicked during the shoot.
Why opt for Virtual Photoshoot?
One can say the subject can easily use a remote to click their own images using the setup of mobile and tripod.
But this is a lot more than just pressing the shutter button.
- Photographers have a different vision that brings versatility to the images.
- It is really difficult and almost impossible to click candid images yourself using a remote. It's the photographer who directs you and gives you prompts which brings out candidness and the pictures are clicked in between those moments.
- You get professionally edited pictures after the photoshoot which brings more life to the images. RAW images lack the art feel in them.
- COVID should not restrict you from capturing your important milestones or day to day moments.
What about the quality of images?
There is definitely a difference in the pixel quality of images which are clicked on a mobile compared to professional SLR cameras.
However, there is no difference in showcasing your candid moments and raw emotions, be it a mobile image or an SLR image. The realness of your moments with your loved ones remains the same in a virtual photoshoot.
The main motive is to capture the natural you and your family without having the restrictions of distance or pandemic.
What are the preparations needed for the virtual photoshoot ?
Virtual shoots might seem just like a mobile click from my end to yours, but trust me it's a lot more than that. A lot of planning goes before the shoot to make the perfect clicks happen on the day of the shoot without any hassle.
Every family is different, every home is different so one rule cannot apply to every shoot. That's why we will have to do a proper planning following these steps :
Home tour video : Once you decide to book me for your virtual shoot and decide a date, I will ask you to send a home tour video. I will need to see the spots where the shoot can be done and what are the natural light sources. In a virtual shoot, natural light is very critical and indoor artificial lights are not enough.
Getting to know you more : I will also get details about your family and will ask to share their pictures to understand posing ideas and combinations.
Vision Board : Once I get all the information from your end I will make a vision board with poses curated for your family on Pinterest. I will share that private board with you and give you a walk through on how these poses will be done and how the mobile needs to be placed.
Mobile Tripod : You will need to buy a mobile tripod/clamp stick or something similar to keep the mobile steady during the shoot. However, there will be some shots where I may ask you or some other family member to hold the phone in hand for baby shots. Some shots are not possible on a tripod and that's why I will guide the person on where to take the camera and how to position it.
What to wear : We will then move on to the next step about what to wear. Generally, I recommend at least 2 changes so that we get a good variety of images.
I will guide you on what to keep in mind while choosing your outfits, what to include and what to avoid. Again, this will depend a lot on what kind of indoor styling and furniture you have in your home. The colors will have to be chosen according to that.
Android/Iphone : You will need either an Android or Iphone, in which I will ask you to install an app. The smartphone should have a decent back camera quality (since the photoshoot images will be clicked from your phone camera itself). It's best if you can share the phone and camera specifications before booking the photosession.
Good internet connection : Last, but not the least, a strong internet connection is needed (preferably wifi) for the shoot to happen.
If the internet speed is not good enough then there will be a lot of time lag issues in clicking images, which we do not want to happen.
To check that you have a decent connection we can do a test trial before booking the shoot. I will guide you for the same step by step and if the connection works out well then we can go ahead and book the session.
A virtual photo shoot can last from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the client’s requirements. I generally recommend breaking the session down into 2 days 1 hour slots each, if they have kids included in the shoot and are planning to have a variety of outfits.
What kind of photo shoots can be done?
There are no such restrictions in general, but I generally prefer and recommend home shoots with strong wifi connection. Outdoor shoots can work too if you have a strong mobile data connection.
Till now I have ventured :
Maternity Photo shoot
Family Photo shoot
Baby Photo shoot
Outdoor Family Photo shoot
Portrait Photo shoot
There is no limit to one’s imagination and if you are willing to get some images clicked without getting in touch with the photographer then Virtual Photo shoot is worth a try.
My website : https://www.candidmemoirphotography.com/
Instagram handle : https://www.instagram.com/candidmemoir_photography/
Kriti Agarwal
Founder & Photographer @Candid Memoir Photography
Kriti Agarwal
( India )