By filming without delay, Call says, you ease everyone’s anxious feelings—and you often end up with shots that are more creative. “Those instinctual shots don’t feel staged like the ones that might be on a shot list.”
Home Base / Salt Lake City, Utah
Activities / Climbing, Snowboarding, Trail Running, Surfing, Mountain Biking.
Insider Knowledge
Mike Call always tries to have his camera prepped before arrival on a documentary shoot so that he can shoot as soon as he gets on location. “Getting the first shot off creates momentum for the day and I feel like I don’t get frozen trying to decide what the first shot should be,” he says. “Usually, early morning is best. I prefer to not sit around deciding what the shot should be and waste that good light.”
I prefer to not sit around deciding what the shot should be and waste that good light. —Mike Call
Quick Tip
“It sounds so obvious, but have a checklist the night before the shoot to make sure you have your batteries charged and all your equipment and gear dialed,” says Call. “That will ensure that you can actually get that first shot off.”
