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While the world of photographers features an endless array of personality types and creative specialties, commercial photographers all need to master one key skill to truly be one of the greats. That skill? Being really damn good at hosting a party.
To explain why, I want to take you on a journey. Close your eyes and imagine the best party you’ve ever been to. Maybe it was an intimate gathering with friends or a huge wedding. Either way, I want you to think of the details that made that particular party jump to the top of your list. What music do you hear? Are you sitting on a comfy couch or maybe dancing the night away? What smells do you remember? Did you make any new friends or did you get some quality time with your tried and true gang? How did the host connect with their guests? I imagine that upon reopening your eyes, you will probably find yourself thinking “man, I really want to go to another party like that.”
If I had to guess why this party is the party you’ll remember forever, it is a mixture of many factors. The sound, the food, the people, the environment, and the flow. The best party is one that accounts for a wide array of personality types. It shows them that they, too, deserve to have a good time and that doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by design.
Now, closing your eyes again, I want you to imagine the worst party you’ve ever been to. One where you either left early or wished you had. What went wrong? Was it so loud that you couldn’t actually talk to anyone? Was the host the only person you knew there and you never got to talk to them? Or maybe it just went on for far too long. This experience likely affected whether you would agree to go to another party hosted by the same person or company.
If you are still wondering what the hell this has to do with photography, I promise that it’s not because we throw parties to drum up new business. This skill is vital because every shoot is a party and every party needs a host. This is why myself and our entire production team show up to set with the host mentality. We want all the party basics to be covered; good snacks, multiple areas to convene, comfortable lighting, good music, but above all else we want a memorable and safe experience where everyone leaves thinking “wow, I wish every work day was like today.”
During a shoot, a diverse group of people with different roles gather to collaborate throughout a day, a week, or even longer. These days can be grueling and having a negligent host can ruin the entire project. When things go well, all of the participants form a special bond that transcends the stereotypical professional relationship. It builds long-lasting partnerships filled with mutual respect and a love for working together. And you guessed it, this absolutely shows up in the final deliverables because the shoot is the most impactful stage to a successful outcome. Being able to set the tone, prepare for the unknown, and curate shoot days actually makes me a stronger photographer with happier clients.
The biggest truth in this industry is that there has never been a shoot that went exactly to plan, but that doesn’t have to matter. The severity of impact due to any unexpected hiccups is directly related to the host’s pre-planning and overall attitude. I face challenges directly with a cool head since I know that a panicked demeanor has the ability to spread across the whole team like wildfire. If I stay calm, confidence will spread instead. Stocking a ridiculous amount of troubleshooting tools always helps too so that I can quickly right the ship.
From multi-day skincare shoots to half day portrait sessions, I have honed my own unique hosting style and list of to-dos that ensure the ‘party’ is one to remember. This allows me to first meet my own needs and be in the strongest creative mindset possible when I step foot on the set. It also provides me peace of mind that I’ve done the most I can to account for individual needs and the dreaded “unknown”.
Depending on the scale of the shoot, the client, and the location, I like to define what kind of vibe I’m going for. While I aim to keep these close to my favorite types of parties, they can vary greatly and supersede my preferences. That means that I will overcome my avoidance of Taylor Swift songs and play her music all day if it is the key to getting the talent into the right zone (sorry, hot take.) However, most of the time I get to be a great host because the vibe fits my ideal definition of a good party. Here are two polar opposite shoot vibes that I loved equally:
With a colorful gen-z skincare brand that required our models to give me big, bold expressions, I focused on bringing the energy. I found a playlist with high tempo music and came to the set with a playful demeanor. I shot off-tripod so that I could move around with the talent to avoid stiff expressions or poses.
For our work with AmeriCOM where we were photographing real-world optics technicians, I took a more intimate gathering approach. I had a quiet set that allowed me to interject conversation with the subjects while shooting so that it didn’t feel too intense. I also intentionally moved slowly and provided guidance for each shot to ensure the subjects could relax on set knowing exactly what to do.
Whether I’m shooting in a studio, outside, in a rental space, or in someone’s home; I need to prep the area. This means removing clutter and fragile items, setting up easily accessible snacks and drinks, as well as providing options for seating. If I’m not in our studio space, I’ll take a photo before anything moves so that we can put everything back to exactly where it was before; leaving zero signs that the shoot was ever there once everything is loaded out.
I make sure to invite all of the key players that are needed to help make the shoot a success without inviting too many people. Regardless of whether everyone has met or not, I aim to form a group that I am confident will all work well together. I personally look for kind hearted and patient people that are passionate about building something great together. I’m so fortunate to have found many collaborators just like this.
Believe it or not, but the more detailed the schedule, the easier it is to make changes in the moment if (and more likely when) things go off course. I start by dividing the day into chunks then I integrate our shot list with props, talent, and wardrobe outlined. Sharing this with our team and clients ahead of and on the shoot day aids priority shifts since it becomes easy to identify whether any changes may require sacrifices to the shot list or the aesthetic outcome.
It is both the responsibility and curse of the host to try to imagine what could go wrong in an attempt to avoid any major catastrophes. Here is a non-exhaustive list of doomsday considerations I plan for:
The last piece is what I like to think of as our special sauce at Helen + Gertrude. It isn’t exactly a step in my process, but rather a mentality I embody no matter what.
On any set, there is a natural hierarchy that exists based on how much power each person carries in the decision-making process of the day. However, everyone is absolutely necessary (especially when you curate your guest list well!) and should be treated as a vital player in the big picture. I greet everyone, introduce them to each other, ensure they know what is expected of them, ask them what they think and actively listen, and encourage a supportive space to discuss concerns or issues that arise. This includes talent, assistants, equipment rental houses, caterers, you name it. Being a good host builds an environment for everyone to bring their best to the table and share the commitment and excitement in creating beautiful work together.
