I used to just point my camera and pray everything I captured came together. This approach works sometimes but it is not very efficient. I used to find myself spend too much time going through footage and trying to find the right shot.

As I gain experience, I settle more into a routine with the creative process. I approach every project the same. It does not matter if it’s a personal project, a photoshoot or an event.

It is a great feeling to capture a photo you are proud of and have other people blown away by your creativity. It is a great feeling to edit a video and have your clients get emotion every time they watch it. It is also a great feeling to get paid for work you love it do.

With a simple and consistent approach to the creative process, I continue to gain confidence and product a better product.

Here is my approach for every shoot:

INFORMATION: Gathering as much information as you can is extremely important. Where are you shooting? Is your subject male or female? What’s the weather? How’s the lighting? What gear do I plan to commit to?

STORYTELLING: Good storytelling is a game changer. If you can tell a compelling story with your photos and video, you will win over your audience. I keep it basic so I develop a beginning, middle and end to my story. I write these thoughts down and constantly go over them in my head.

SHOT LIST: From my story, I make a detailed shot list in my phone. I list all of the shots I need to get to effectively tell my story. I do this the night before a shoot and review it right before I leave out for a shoot and again when arrive at my location.

EXECUTE: I’ve put in the preliminary work, now this is the fun part. I get to shoot and I get my shots. It’s vital I get my shots. I never get less by I’m always open to get more. It’s that simple.

Everything starts with a limitless idea and I reverse engineer it to make it a reality. This approach to the creative process makes it easy for anyone to create compelling content. I used to wing it and I was barely getting by. Now, this is my approach and it’s really paying off.

Take this approach and shoot something within the next few days, post it on social and tag @hinessightstudios on Instagram.