How I prepare for an editorial shoot

Editors book me for a point of view, not for a shot list, but a point of view still needs a plan. This is roughly how mine takes shape in the two weeks before a shoot.

1. The conversation

One call, forty minutes, no mood boards yet. I want to hear what the story is about before I see what other people have photographed.

2. The recce

If the location is within a few hours of Lisbon I drive there once, at the time of day we will be shooting. Light is the only variable I cannot negotiate on the day.

3. The edit

I deliver a tight edit, usually twenty to thirty frames, with a second folder of alternates. Nobody has ever asked for the alternates.