Don’t tell everybody around that you are a beginner! Even if you are nervous don’t show it to the others. If you are confident or at least look confident, your model or subject will respond better to you and you will have more control. Yes, that is important. Never let control get out of your hands. It doesn’t mean that you should not be open to suggestions or ideas from your support team but you as a photographer should be the one in actual command. The other people can only advice but it is you who is actually taking a decision in the split second before every shutter release.

Your assistant plays a very important role. He should know his job and in fact should be able to read your mind! He should not be too interfering but at the same time should be able to sense that something is going wrong and should warn you about it. He must have complete presence of mind and ofcourse technically sound. Must have enough stamina to handle a demanding situation. He is there, so that you do not get exhausted and can concentrate on your actual work.

While you take the shots remember and keep in mind what your client needs and expects. Do not get carried away and shoot just for yourself. You may certainly do interesting and creative stuff but once you are sure that you have shot what is expected from you. Don’t forget that you are being paid for the execution of what has been planned out and the same has further been streamlined in the sense that graphic designers and other postproduction people are expecting that. I you don’t follow the fine guidelines you may put a lot of planning off track.

Never take up an assignment which technically you can not deliver. For example if the location requires wide angle of view and you do not have a wideangle lens you will not be doing justice to your shoot.

Make sure that you have packed everything required for the shoot. It is very embarrassing to be in a situation where you do not have one or the other bare essentials for the shoot to move ahead. It could be something as insignificant as a synchronization cord or a set of batteries!!! But without those you may not be able to continue at all or atleast not as planned. Also make sure that you have transferred all the images in the card from your previous shoot. Having a card with un transfered data is almost as good as not having the card! Don’t expect a fast enough or reliable computer on location.

Dont use equipment first time on the shoot
If you have borrowed equipment from a friend or have just bought it new, don’t use it first time on an important assignment. One, your hands are not set on the equipment yet, your attention will be diverted on the proper functioning of it rather than the actual shoot. And secondly, new equipment bought officially or from grey market, may have a manufacturing defect, which may come to your notice as you shoot or later as you transfer your images to the computer. If it is a film camera, only when the rolls are developed and returned!!! Too late!! Never forget the booklet, if you cant find a function, you certainly will need to refer to the manual. Bookmark the important areas of the manual for quick reference. Don’t refer to the manual in the presence of your client or support team, as psychologically it will dilute their confidence in you. However, do so rather than doing something wrong if you can’t avoid it.

Plan your shoot in your mind or better still on a piece of paper. Note down the sequence, props required, concept and everything that has come to your mind as you were conceptualizing the shoot. Ofcourse you can make changes as you proceed with the shoot for improvement. This way, you do not missout on important issues or points you want to highlight in your shoot. However, don’t overdo it also, let it be a starting point and your reflexes do the rest as per the situation.

concentrate on your shoot. Keep other things out of your schedule for that day. Undevided attention is what gives you the best results until you reach a point where you can handle small little routine jobs along with the shoot, although not advised. Your mind should be relaxed. Anyways, there sure will be unexpected distractions, don’t let them bother you, something you’ll learn over the time.

Don’t panic at all, If something is going wrong or the shoot is not working out the way expected, . That’s not even the last thing should do. If you have sensed the error while shooting, consider yourself lucky to have sensed it as you still have a chance to rectify the situation while everyone is available to you. After the packup it might have been too late.

Keep the shoot simple and complicate it only if you can handle it. Remember, your reputation depends on the result. Complex lighting doesn’t always mean better results! As I said earlier you should be in command and and that includes your lighting as well. If your complex lighting setup is not working for some reason, it is never too late to restore to a simpler setup. If you cant figure out if the ligting is fine or not, you shouldn’t be doing the shoot but getting back to your basic lessons!!

Are you shooting at the right pace? Don’t be too fast or slow. If you are expected to do a certain number of looks / products /locations, make sure that you are shooting at the right speed to cover everything on schedule. If the pace is slow due to other people or factors, check out those to be back on track. Try not to begin your shoot too late in the day. Towards the evening everyone tends to get more tired and wants to get back home. If the model or any of the team member is not professional enough may actually be waiting to be home rather than concentrating on the shoot. However, never rush. It is better to be late than rush beyond a point! There is basic minimum time which you need to setup and shoot. Don’t let there be a wastage of time otherwise.

Dont hesitate to speak out. If there is any deviation or otherwise. It is better to clear out things while the shoot is on than later on.