Back in March 2020, I started playing with the idea of seeing if someone could control my camera remotely, while I communicate with them through FaceTime. I came across another photographer who had posted something online, thinking about the same thing. I reached out and suggested we put our heads together.<\/p>\n
I spent the following weekend in my home studio setting up the camera to operate while tethered and then connecting with Zoom. On the 1st of April, I did the first remote photography shoot that I was aware of at the time. It was a success, and we got some great images from it.<\/p>\n
Prior to the shoot I had announced it on Facebook and a few people replied to ask if it was an April Fool\u2019s joke. At the time it seemed so unusual that we could do this and make it work. Once I knew it could work, I upgraded my camera to a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV because it was able to trigger multiple lights in sync.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2206731A-7C1B-474E-A314-3248F3DE3DA7-309x400.jpeg\")
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I upgraded any other equipment that I thought might improve the experience by making things faster and smoother, so that I could conduct these shoots with less lag and have more consistent results. Protecting cable connections is crucial, so I invested in some quality Tether Tools cables as well as the Tetherblock to prevent port damage.<\/p>\n
I also bought faster cards. For my set-up, I have a high-spec MacBook Pro attached to a 32in BenQ monitor and an external portable SSD to store images on during shoots. But my upgrades didn\u2019t just stop at camera gear; I also installed new speakers and microphones at the front and back of my studio so that I can communicate with the other person clearly. I even installed dedicated Wi-Fi in the studio so there\u2019s no bandwidth going anywhere else.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/IMG_0219-286x400.jpeg\")
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Using Zoom, photographers can direct how they want the camera and lighting positioned, and direct my poses. But with my experience as a model and photographer, I can help new photographers navigate this new way of shooting by sharing my knowledge of lighting, composition, styling and posing, which I teach remotely. With travel restrictions and social distancing in place, photographers are able to engage in the creativity of a model shoot, at a time when studios are restricted.<\/p>\n
From my perspective as a model, I am conducting a \u2018normal\u2019 photo shoot in terms of hair, makeup and posing. I\u2019m doing that and I\u2019m also the studio assistant, adjusting lights and positioning the camera, so it\u2019s still pretty full on for me. I\u2019ve found remote shoots to be even more creative, especially with the mood boards I\u2019ve been getting.<\/p>\n
At first, I felt like I had a point to prove. It was a challenge to show people that although it was a new way of working, it was a viable option. Bear in mind that this has all come about because of the pandemic \u2013 there\u2019s been a real need for creative people to express themselves.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image0-289x400.jpeg\")
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They make a booking and then they\u2019ve got time to plan it and something to look forward to. Now that we\u2019re not having to think about kit, we\u2019ve got even more time to think about the creative side of things. Reflecting back It\u2019s given me the chance to work with photographers from all over the world, as well as the UK.<\/p>\n
I wouldn\u2019t have been able to travel to all of those places to shoot with all of these people in the same amount of time. It\u2019s been great. Do I think it will continue when things go back to normal? I don\u2019t see why not, because it gives you the chance to work with people that you might not otherwise get to meet or travel to.<\/p>\n
Kit list<\/strong> Indy is a professional fashion and portrait photographer from Birmingham, UK. He began his journey into full-time photography as a retoucher and now works for a large commercial business. Indy has been using remote photography to build a network of collaborators around the world. See his website<\/a> for more.<\/strong><\/p>\n I started dabbling with remote photography when when the notion of FaceTime shoots came up. After the first shoot, I wasn\u2019t a fan, I felt too removed. Also, I was at the mercy of video streaming quality and limited to just taking screenshots. But I then connected with a model in Canada whose father is a photographer, so she had access to a decent camera and I asked her: \u2018What happens if you share your screen with me, with your camera connected to Capture One?\u2019<\/p>\n In theory, I could have taken control of the app remotely, but that model of camera wasn\u2019t compatible. As we\u2019d arranged a date to do the shoot, I started searching for remote shooting applications. I initially came across an iPhone app called CLOS. It opens a video chat and when you press the shutter, it captures a photo locally on their device.<\/p>\n Better still, if your model is using the main rear camera the app captures a raw file \u2013 even if the phone itself doesn\u2019t natively support raw editing. This was an interesting discovery and I wondered how far I could push these files. After sharing some images, someone tagged a competitor app, the Shutter App. It was similar to CLOS, but more stable, the images came out cleaner and it gave me a nice desktop interface to work with. I now use Shutter App for all of my remote shoots.<\/p>\n It keeps all your shoots organised in folders within your online account.<\/p>\n It also uploads raw files in the background from the talent\u2019s phone, so they don\u2019t have to keep the app open after the shoot. With the current generation of phones, going back to iPhone X, you\u2019re getting a 12-16-megapixel file. It\u2019s more than enough for social media and you have a raw file that you can really push. Since I started doing these regularly, I\u2019ve been joking with my family and telling them: \u2018Guys, every weekend I\u2019m spending my mornings in Bali, my afternoons in Europe and evenings in LA.\u2019<\/p>\n Global connections<\/strong> We kept it simple with a white wall and did some beauty portraits, it worked a treat! Finding talent to collaborate with elicits a couple of responses. The common one is \u2018If you\u2019re just on the other side pushing a button, couldn\u2019t I do that myself?\u2019 To their credit, they could, but they don\u2019t.<\/p>\n People soon realise that they won\u2019t be able to leverage the creative eye of someone who knows what they\u2019re doing. And unless they know how to use post-production software, they won\u2019t be able to give files the same treatment I would. Remote photography takes away the gear. You\u2019re left with your eye and an exposure slider so you can focus purely on composition and light.<\/p>\n In terms of where this technology goes, I think it could be a great teaching tool. If you want someone to really see through your eyes, this is the nearest thing. If you\u2019re thinking about giving this a go, just do it. I started out pessimistic, but I\u2019m now in AP magazine because I tried something new. It\u2019s a small space right now, but if you want to expand your horizons and perhaps get your work noticed \u2013 go for it.<\/p>\n Kit list<\/strong> Specialising in fitness, portrait and wedding photography, Laura spent a year building her own studio that launched in March 2020. Due to the pandemic her studio had to close before it could take any bookings. Remote photography has given Laura a new line of business as she awaits reduced restrictions that will allow her to reopen again. See her website<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ve been shooting weddings for the past ten years, which is brilliant because you get to meet so many people. You also learn a lot about working in different spaces with natural light and how to use what you have to your best advantage, as well as flash photography.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s learning to work with different people, understanding what they do and don\u2019t like, coaching them to be as natural as possible and learning how to get the best out of them. Most of my portraiture is of women, not just models as such, but women of all descriptions and ages who want to feel good about themselves.<\/p>\n I was working for a studio for a number of years until it closed. Then I spent a year building my own studio and it was ready to launch, exactly as lockdown hit. All the weddings I had were cancelled; people are still cancelling weddings this year as well. I was stuck with not much to do.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a creative, it\u2019s very hard when you can\u2019t do what you love. I came across virtual shooting while listening to a conversation online with an American photographer. He shared some portraits of a woman with huge skyscraper buildings in the background. The images were really impressive, so I was intrigued to try it.<\/p>\n At first I was really nervous, because this is taking pictures with a phone. It\u2019s so different technically and you have less control. Also, focal lengths on phones aren\u2019t what I\u2019m used to working with, they\u2019re usually too wide. But I gave it a go and the experience of controlling the camera without holding it was unbelievable.<\/p>\n As far as securing bookings go, I put some pictures up and offered virtual shoots and I\u2019ve been inundated. The response has been amazing. I think it\u2019s because everyone\u2019s bored, and they want to look nice and didn\u2019t imagine they would have the opportunity to do a photo shoot in their house. And I feel like I\u2019m getting to capture their most authentic selves, because they\u2019re so comfortable at home.<\/p>\n Honestly, it\u2019s given me a new lease of life, I\u2019ve loved meeting new people from all over the world. My next shoot is with a person in Hawaii and then Florida after that.<\/p>\n Conducting a shoot<\/strong> During the call, we\u2019ll decide which areas to shoot in and which outfits will work best. I can\u2019t imagine how the shoot would go if I went in blind.<\/p>\n That prep work is vital, and it also helps your model feel confident and happy with what you\u2019re doing. On shoot day, I get them to download the Shutter App and if they don\u2019t have a tripod, I\u2019ll tell them to grab a tin of beans and secure the phone with a hairband.<\/p>\n Then they can put it on a chair, some boxes or a window sill. Typically, I\u2019ll give each client 30-45 minutes of shooting time, which is more than enough to do three looks and get some good options.<\/p>\n Kit list<\/strong> Tim Dunk has been working as a professional portrait and wedding photographer full time for four years. As one of the pioneers of remote photography, Tim has seen an uptick in business since incorporating this new tool. facetimphotos.com\/book-a-shoot.<\/strong><\/p>\n I was losing my mind at the start of lockdown, watching my wedding work for the year go up in flames. I stumbled across remote photography completely by accident. I was on a FaceTime call with my eight-year-old daughter and it kept flashing up on my screen that she was taking photos of me.<\/p>\n I asked her to stop messing with the phone and talk to me, but then a week later a lightbulb went off. I thought, \u2018I wonder if that could be a way to stay creative and see some friends!\u2019 That\u2019s how I started out.<\/p>\n I wasn\u2019t looking to start a new area of business, it was just something to do. I tried it out with a couple of friends and it was just so much fun. Initially the pictures weren\u2019t of the quality that\u2019s possible now, but they were good enough. I kept at it and it really took off.<\/p>\n It seemed the idea of having something new to do really appealed to people. It\u2019s spread quickly and I\u2019ve had some great media coverage. But most importantly, it\u2019s kept me really busy.<\/p>\n Taking on a new challenge<\/strong> Instead, to lower the overall exposure, I had to get the subject to place something bright in a part of the frame. It\u2019s been a really interesting process and I\u2019ve learnt a lot about light. I was treating the quality \u2013 or lack of \u2013 the same as I\u2019d treat a Polaroid, they\u2019re not going to come out tack-sharp and that\u2019s not the point.<\/p>\n I had a great time shooting these really lo-fi, lo-res images until somebody came along with a better way. Now there are apps that allow you to take full control of a person\u2019s smartphone camera and upload them afterwards or during the shoot. You can now shoot with the full raw quality of a phone camera and they\u2019re pretty good these days. The difference in quality is unreal.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve since shot some really interesting commercial work and have had some photographs enlarged on digital billboards in train stations and so forth. The fact that I\u2019ve shot those images across continents, blows my mind. It\u2019s crazy, but it\u2019s also the same in many ways. A lot of it is coaching and instructing the talent on where to place the phone and help them build towers of things to place you on.<\/p>\n Just like in person, you still give creative direction, but now you also give some technical direction too. You still have to develop a rapport with them and create an environment of trust, which is crucial when you\u2019re taking photos. There are a lot of levels to it, but it\u2019s all stuff that I enjoy; finding the light and having the opportunity to connect with people. It has made this last year, which could\u2019ve been entirely bleak, into a really wonderful thing.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve shot in Siberia, Ghana, Argentina, all from Leeds. It\u2019s not a poor substitute for being there with a camera. In a lot of circumstances it\u2019s better. You can really put people at ease when they\u2019re at home, chatting on the phone. Rather than having somebody with a big camera in their face. Remote photography gets you into places and gets people more relaxed than they would be otherwise. In addition it allows you to shoot all kinds of vulnerable people, such as people who may still be shielding.<\/p>\n You can go anywhere and it doesn\u2019t cost anything.<\/p>\n Kit list<\/strong> 1) Prepare a mood board. Share and discuss your ideas beforehand with your model so you\u2019re both working towards the same goal. Huawei The pandemic has revealed a new frontier for photography; shoot any time, any place. Jon Devo speaks to four pros who are getting great remote portraits<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":148667,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"product-category":[],"class_list":["post-148590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-photo-news"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nCanon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma Art 24-70mm f\/2.8, webcam and Tether Tools cables.<\/p>\n
\nYour guide: Inderjeet Sagoo<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/CLOS_000308-320x400.jpg\")
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\nThe portraits of Robin on this page came about after I reached out to her. We met while I was on a trip in South Africa last and we did some shoots in person. I didn\u2019t know when I would be able to return so I thought, \u2018If she\u2019s got a decent internet connection, why don\u2019t we try a remote shoot?\u2019<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/CLOS_000341-320x400.jpg\")
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/CLOS_000240-320x400.jpg\")
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\nThe Shutter App, iPhone, Capture One Pro, Infinite Color Panel (colour grading tool), CLOS (remote shooting app).<\/p>\n
\nYour guide: Laura Skye<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/photo-19776-19776-1616106525726-300x400.jpg\")
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\nOnce someone\u2019s made an enquiry and we set a date, I make a point of having a couple of conversations with them. Before the shoot, I will call them via a video call so they can see my face; I think that\u2019s really important.<\/p>\n
\nThe Shutter App, Adobe Lightroom.<\/p>\n
\nYour guide: Tim Dunk<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/FaceTimPhotos.com-1-300x400.jpg\")
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\nThe original method of capturing screenshots through FaceTime resulted in JPEG files that were only 1200px on the long edge. Also, the image quality was dependent on the strength of the talent\u2019s internet connection. You had no control over focal points or focal ranges and no manual exposure control.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/FaceTimPhotos.com-5-300x400.jpg\")
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/FaceTimPhotos.com-6-300x400.jpg\")
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/FaceTimPhotos.com-7-300x400.jpg\")
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/FaceTimPhotos.com-9-300x400.jpg\")
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\nCLOS app, the Shutter App.<\/p>\n
\nTop tips for remote photography<\/h2>\n
\n2) Trust is important. If you\u2019re working with someone for the first time, arrange a FaceTime call before the shoot and start to build a rapport with them.
\n3) Explore the space via video before the shoot date to find the best areas for light. You need to know how to work with natural light for best results and pay attention to what it\u2019s doing to the face and the body.
\n4) Approach the shoot as you would a face-to-face one. Good communication and directing still come into play.
\n5) Reach out to people who are willing to shoot and embrace this new and exciting way of connecting with one another, and accept there will be challenges to overcome at first.
\n6) If your model doesn\u2019t have a tripod, they may have a flat mate or family member willing to help out. Furniture and stacking books is also another alternative solution.
\n7) The newer the phone, the better; and the more storage, the better. It\u2019s also advisable to check data plan and Wi-Fi connection capabilities.
\n8) Get to know raw processing. Files will come in flat, and they may shock you. Apple ProRes RAW highlight retention is impressive and worth checking out.
\n9) Be sure to select the \u2018Upload images after shoot\u2019 option otherwise it causes lag on the video feed during the shoot. The video feed view depends on the Wi-Fi and data \u2013 if it lags, it can make it harder to see and more challenging to communicate with them.
\n10) Finally, have fun and experiment as much as you can. The more you challenge yourself, the more you will learn, which will allow you to capture the best photos you can.<\/p>\n
\nBest phone brands for remote photography<\/h2>\n
\nSamsung
\nXiaomi
\nSony
\nOppo
\niPhone<\/p>\n
\nTo read more articles like this one subscribe to our print magazine today. You\u2019ll save money every week and enjoy having each issue delivered to your door!\u00a0Click\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"