Pulling Together a Shot List
A white-faced capuchin stares beyond me, the photographer, to something behind me. I like to include a mix of images where the subject isn’t looking directly at me to create a furtive mood. I elected to crop it with some negative space to the right, where the natural darker patch is so that text could be easily overlaid on this image. Photo and story by: Annalise Kaylor
Every afternoon, somewhere between 2:00 pm and 3:25 pm, the rain starts dropping. At first, it’s a light pitter-patter that momentarily disrupts the oppressive humidity that blankets the Pacific side of Panama. It’s warm. It’s wet. And the restaurant has bizarre off-season hours which means that more coffee is not an option.
Every bit of travel is a chance to add to your library and collection. Much like the arc of a favorite movie or television show, each trip has its own narrative and collection of images. And yet, when assembled into your collective body of work, it neatly fits inside of that arc, as well.
Panama is a yearly, perhaps semi-yearly, outing for the two of us. Though it is a country the size of the state of South Carolina, Panama is home to 255 species of mammals, 972 indigenous bird species, and 222 different species of amphibians,
Simply, it’s a world of wonder for any wildlife photographer and we are here for it.
When you make your living as a wildlife photographer, be it full-time, part-time, or some-time, this type of trip isn’t all vacation and fun. They’re also work. But, being prepared ahead of time means working smarter and not harder, thus giving yourself plenty of space to enjoy the country without working, too.
Thinking With the End Result in Mind
In my last article, I shared that before a big work trip, I revisit my archive and look for gaps in my photo archive - what do I have too much of and where are the opportunities to create more? I also look at what exists in the stock agencies that carry my work and see what they need, too.
But stock photography is only one way I earn my income as a wildlife photographer. I also sell my stock video footage, co-lead workshops with Jared, and I pitch stories to magazines and news outlets. The photos I sell to the stock agencies are not the photos I’d use to market our wildlife photo workshop in Panama. The video clips I sell for stock are not the video clips I keep for my own work or for my own clients.
Similarly, I can’t just take a bunch of video clips and expect it to create a full story. I have to think about what the final version of that video needs to look like and work backward to create a list of what I need to shoot to make that final video come to life.
Still photography is no different. You must go into the field with a modicum of strategy or you’ll come back with a point-of-view that is all over the place. This is often why photographers struggle with “finding their style.” Style is so much more than how you process your photos. Quite literally, your style is how you see the world, and only you can decide how you show your view of the world to other people.
The Basics of a Shot List
More than just a list of the gaps in photos I’ve mentioned, a shot list is your roadmap to getting the most out of each outing. It’s easy to forget that you want a photo of a white-faced capuchin foraging through leaves for insects when you have two teenage monkeys wrestling on the branches in front of you. Having your list nearby, though, allows you to refocus your work and keep the end goals at the front of your mind.
When it comes to developing a complete archive, I recommend starting with the essential shots of photojournalism to get your creative juices flowing. Honing this skill is essential for anyone who desires to do assignment work. No editor will hire you for an assignment if all you photograph are portraits alone.
Establishing Shots
Establishing shots are the epitome of “show, don’t tell” photography. Show us where you are, and use these shots to put us, the viewers, in your shoes. A snail kite in the Everglades (where they are on the federal endangered list) is unique from a snail kite in Panama (where the introduction of apple snails to the water lured them down here). Their stories are entirely different on a multitude of levels. A photograph of a snail kite against the sky does nothing to tell me where you were when you photographed it or why I should care. Not only are these types of photos lackluster in the creativity department, but they also do nothing to tell us anything about your subject.
Establishing your scene sets a mood and a tone while providing context. Resist the urge to only photograph your subject up close. Gather some of the photographs that give us a sense of set and setting so that when we see the up-close photos we appreciate a bit more about your subject as a whole.
Detail Shots
Detail shots are to photo stories as adjectives are to the written word. They bring us closer to a subject and can help illustrate a photo story in a way that portraits and other photos cannot. What makes a subject unique or interesting? Is there a trait that helps differentiate it from a similar species? These small details can not only help drive your story forward but help people create a stronger connection to your subject.
Filler Photos
Every good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Photo stories are the same way. In between all of those parts is the filler work. This is where you can show how you and/or your subject made it to Point B from Point A. Just because they are “filler” photos doesn’t mean they are snapshots. They still need to be well-exposed with thoughtful compositions.
Closing Shots
Though these are the shots that put a visual end to your experience, they don’t have to be the last photos you take. They just have to make visual sense that you’re at the end of this particular journey.
A closing shot might be a sloth making it to the top of the tree. Or, it may be that moment when a coyote looks up from her meal and down your lens with a hint of blood around her lips.
Other Shots for the List
As you start thinking through what photos you want on your list, also think about how you might photograph them. Being a photojournalist myself, I am always thinking about how an editor might use my work. If I have a cooperative subject, I try to make photos with:
Negative space to the left
Negative space to the right
Negative space up top (this is perfect for covers because they can put the masthead there)
Negative space below
Tight photo portrait
Medium distance portrait
Wide-angle portrait
Vertical portrait
Horizontal portrait
Of course, I’m also thinking through how to photograph these artfully, as well. I’m thinking about my foregrounds and backgrounds in each layout, as well as proper exposure.
Shot Lists Help You Carry Less
The most often-asked question Jared and I get when it comes to our workshops is “What gear do I need?” The fear of missing a shot because you brought the wrong gear is something we’ve all been through, but there are many situations that, no matter how well you research and prepare in advance, you cannot plan for.
When we fly to Panama, we can’t bring every single piece of gear we own. I brought three lenses with me. I am a Sony Pro, and my 400mm f/2.8 is my go-to lens for 90% of my photography so that is a no-brainer. I threw in a 1.4 teleconverter in case I want some extra reach for birds-in-flight (making my 400mm lens a 560mm f/4). Then I brought a 200-600mm lens, an all-purpose zoom that we use almost solely for video work. I also brought a 24-70 lens, also for video work. Though we’ll be doing some macro work on this trip, it’s not a huge priority for me, so I left the macro lens at home this time.
Jared brought his Nikon 500mm PF lens, which he loves for photographing birds in flight while handholding. He also rented the Nikon 120-300mm f/2.8 lens, knowing that it would be the perfect lens for the monkeys we photograph here. Finally, he brought two macro options. Jared does have some specific macro work in mind, so one is a manual wide-angle macro while the other is a more traditional macro lens.
We arrived at our choices of lenses and gear because our shot lists told us ahead of time what work each of us prioritized for this trip. Gone are the days when we lug everything around with us “just in case” an opportunity arises. I’d rather commit and make the most of a situation with the gear I have than lug around an extra four lenses that I’ll probably never use on that trip.
What My Actual List Says
I have a few different end goals for our trip to Panama (outside of our workshop), so I thought it would be helpful to end with what’s on my actual working shot list to give you a real-world example of what all of this (and the last article) looks like when pulled together:
Snail Kites
Perched on vegetation
Perched on branches
Need more males (have ton of juveniles)
Flight shots close up
Environmental portraits (wide, medium) in flight
With snail in talon
Hitting the water to grab a snail
White-faced Capuchins
Environmental shot of islands
Anything showing them using their feet as a tool
Searching leaves for insects
Hanging from tail
Play between troop members (video and stills)
Tight facial portraits
Anything that shows the prehensile tail in use for mobility
Golden-mantled Howler Monkeys
Horizontal shots showing the golden fringes
Male howling in action
Female with infant
Female nursing infant
Whole family
Eating flower buds or leaves while upside down
Geoffroy’s Tamarins
On palm vegetation (instead of invasive tall plants from last year)
Standing on back legs
Tight portraits with dark backgrounds
Details of feet and toes
“Mohawk” more upright
As much video as possible, horizontal and vertical
Birds
Montezuma’s Oropendola (and their weaver nests)
Great Kisskidee portrait
Adult rufescent tiger heron portrait
Tiger Heron in flight
As many Cocoi herons as possible if even seen
Wattled jacana portrait
Wattled jacana environmental shots
Any hummingbirds on native flowers
Yellow-headed caracaras portraits and flight
Keel-billed Toucan
Chestnut-mandibled toucan
Toucans with tree fruits eating especially
Other Shots
Anything with the native fern-like bamboo
Green iguanas
Trash/plant barriers around the Panama Canal
Any birds on native ginger plants
Birds using their bills as a tool
Animals using trash in their daily lives