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Photography Rituals Can Ensure You Don't Forget Something Important on Your Next Photoshoot

You probably already have your own photography rituals, but perhaps you never thought of them that way. So what do we mean when we say “photography rituals.”

Rituals aren't limited to religious ceremonies. They are the series of steps you take, or the process you follow, to complete a task. It's easy to fall into a little ritual without even planning it.

For example, I know some ritual (some would say habitual) coffee drinkers. Their morning coffee is more than just a routine. For some friends, they require a perfect assembly process at a specific point in their day. Without this little ritual, they feel unprepared to take on the rest of the day.

It's not just a routine or a workflow. It's a ritual because it is important, meaningful and even necessary.

You can apply the same rituals to your photography.

Rituals Before Your Photoshoot

Preparation before a photoshoot can contribute to your success, just as a lack of preparation could find you wasting time instead of making great photos.

Lee and I are in the habit of preparing on the evening before a photoshoot. That means charging batteries, selecting our gear, packing the kit and being ready to go when it's time on the day of the shoot.

We don't want to waste time trying to do this before we leave on the day of the shoot. That could lead to a delay in everything that follows if we can't find something.

The time when you perform your rituals is a part of the process. Just like some have coffee every morning, we prepare the night before.

That includes:

* Charging batteries

* Cleaning lenses

* Formatting cards

* Selecting the gear we need

* Packing the bags

The fact that we have this photography ritual means we're prepared on the day of the photoshoot. We've considered our needs, packed our gear and are ready to go.

Of course, that's only one ritual.

When you arrive at your location, you may need to unpack and setup. The way you get ready to shoot can also have an impact on everything that follows. You want to know where you keep your gear, make sure it's protected, and configure your gear for the photoshoot at hand.

Not every photoshoot is complex. Even if it's something as simple as walking around with a body and one lens, I have a small ritual so I know where I keep my lens cap (front left pocket).

Photography Rituals While You Shoot

What do you need to do while you're shooting?

I'm often going through a mental checklist for my photoshoot ritual. In most cases, I'm looking for light, background and subject.

You may have your own rituals for composition – looking for angles, leading lines, or just walking around your subject to work the scene. It's all part of making sure that you get the shot you need and don't come home empty-handed.

Once I'm done at the scene, I have another ritual for breaking the set. That sometimes means breaking down soft boxes, stowing my gear in the bag and definitely protecting the cards with my photos.

Post Processing Photography Rituals

Once I'm back from a photoshoot, there are two more rituals that are very important to me.

First, I need to empty my bags and stow my gear in their place at home. Lighting gear goes in one area, camera and lenses go in another, and my camera bags get stuffed in a closet overflowing with even more camera bags. I want everything to be where I expect it when it's time for the next photoshoot.

Second, I need to make sure I get those photos loaded on my computer.