I just came back from Los Angeles, where I was visiting some friends. During the trip, I had the omakase at Asanebo, and I was pretty impressed – the fish was first rate. For anyone taking a trip to LA, I highly recommend it.
Omakase is where the chef chooses the meal for you. It means “entrusting” in Japanese, and in theory, it should get you the best meal and freshest cuts. To do so, though, you have to cede control and believe that the chef’s knowledge about the meal will be of greater value than your knowledge about your palette and preferences. It doesn’t always work out for the better, but very often, it will get you a better meal than you’d know to order.
In photography, there is something similar. Shot lists. Do you want to trust the photographer or provide a list of must-have moments? Shot lists are a little like ordering from the menu instead of having the omakase. It probably assures a good set of pictures, but you will probably be missing out on getting the very best from your photographer.
How does it impact the photographer? One good example is when someone asks me to shoot the back of the dress as it’s being put on. I know some people see it as a must-have image, but I’ve seen enough times where shooting someone from the front is the better way to go that I ask people to approach it more loosely. After all, you don’t usually see the bride’s face (or anyone else’s for that matter) from the back. Instead, I usually decide what and where to shoot based on what I see happening. But if I get a request for a shot of the back from someone, that’s what I’ll try to shoot, and it might translate to a missed opportunity.
The problem with shot lists is that they are created in a vacuum, and real life is much messier and less predictable. There’s no way to know that any particular situation is going to occur, much less work well as a picture. Even in controlled situations, such as posed shots, the best solutions often come spontaneously based on the light and the surroundings. Once someone has asks for a specific shot, it anchors a photographer, leading them to try to find a way to get the requested shot instead of looking for the best picture possible.
So when do I think shot lists work? They’re great for static objects. I might not know that the back of the chairs at the reception were sewn by hand just for the wedding, so it’s not something I’d definitely get. Shot lists for formals and group shots are useful, as well. After that, it’s a little harder to say. The key is really that the list isn’t overwhelming. Some shots can be pretty hard to get, and they can take a lot of attention and effort, meaning that there will be a trade-off to get them.
On the other hand, some things are pretty easy to insert into the day. For example, I don’t usually take pictures of couples doing a dip unless I sense that it’s something that would work well for them, but I’m happy to do so if someone asks, and it doesn’t really break up the flow of things.
When do shot lists not work? The obvious examples are the long lists pulled from various websites. For me, this is doubly true, since we shoot most of the day unscripted. When I first started doing this, I remember receiving a list that was so long that I had no time to shoot anything other than what was on the list. Even things that are seemingly simple, like a request to get shots of 5 specific people can take up a lot of attention. Very specific actions are also challenging. Some of the broader ones aren’t too hard – getting a bride walking out of a car isn’t usually too hard if the logistics allow for it. But getting glasses clinking during a toast or a shot of someone’s father laughing can be difficult to come by.
By and large, I don’t tend to work off shot lists. However, I do encourage people to let me know what they’re thinking. When you’re deciding whether to provide a shot list to your photographer, you want to keep in mind how much it will affect his or her shooting. If you are dreaming of a particular image that your photographer might not think to take, I’d suggest bringing it up. If you know that you will not be happy without certain things, talk it over. If, on the other hand, you want the photographer to perform at their best, you’ll need to allow for a certain amount of creative freedom, and you might just want to order the omakase. Though it’s hard to let go of certain things, if you trust your photographer’s instinct, you can believe that what you’re going to get is going to be the best thing possible.