Happy Friday! And welcome to another installment of Thank Goodness it’s Foto Friday!

Today I wanted to talk about a concept that can really take your photography to the next level – previsualization.

To quote the amazing Ansel Adams, ‘You don’t take a photograph – you make it.’ That is an incredibly powerful statement. And even though I had heard my favorite photo teacher Bryon Wolfe say this dozens of times, it really didn’t start to sink in until I could really see the results from first previsualizing myself.

The great thing about previsualization is that everyone does it just a little bit differently, so I encourage you to go about it in whatever way is most successful for you but for now I will focus on how I go about it.

Success in Previsualization – a few quick tips

Tip # 1 – For me previsualization can happen long before a photo shoot. If I am location scouting and see a scene that just makes me stop in my tracks, I may begin to ask myself what is it about the scene that is so breathtaking? Is it the lighting, atmosphere, scenery? And then I try to imagine the type of couple that would fit that scene. I also like to look at fashion magazines for inspiration, sometimes a particular pose will inspire me and then from there I will make it my own. Whatever it may be, keep things around you that are inspiring, it will help you to start crafting and creating your own personal vision.

Tip #2 – Before the photo shoot, I really like to figure out what is the most important element I am trying to portray? The element will largely be defined by who or what I’m photographing. If it is an engagement session, I take the time to get to know my couple to make sure I am representing who they are. After I figure out what the 1 or 2 key elements are (i.e. romance, drama, playfulness, etc…) I then brainstorm locations, poses, lighting, etc… that really illustrate my theme.

Tip #3 – Previsualize posing. This one can be hard one to pull off. The best way is to actually practice the posing yourself or with models, before your photo shoot with clients. By practicing the poses while the pressure is off will allow you to try new things and to figure out which poses were a success or failure.

Tip #4 – During the photo shoot just before you are about to make a picture really think to yourself if what you are seeing in front of you represents your vision. If it doesn’t – DON’T make that picture only to delete it later. Instead, take a breath and figure out how you can achieve your perfect photo. It may seem like forever when you are under pressure, but don’t let that stop you. Take that extra 30 seconds to craft your vision – it is absolutely worth it.

Wrap Up
By previsualizing you are now crafting your creative vision and not just ‘hoping’ for good shots. It will allow you to build your confidence as a true artist. Previsualization is a powerful tool and I hope that I have at least inspired you to try it, even if it is just once.

P.S. If you already previsualize your photographs, I would LOVE to hear your way of doing so! Lets keep the conversation going