Sometimes (or make that more often that not), as photographers, time is not on our side. If you're a wedding photographer, the bride is invariably running behind schedule, if you're photographing families, you have to be quick off the mark before the children get bored/hungry/tired, and if you're a corporate photographer, it's a given that the person you're photographing will be fitting their portrait session in between two important meetings.
When I know that I will have very little time for a corporate portrait, my preparation beforehand is of the utmost importance. I'll arrive about an hour before my subject is due to appear, scout the location for suitable areas in which to photograph, clear the background, check the light, open blinds etc, and do some test shots with my lighting setup. This means that when they arrive, I am not messing around with cables, light stands and the like, and can give all my attention to the subject and coaxing the best expressions from them.
This session called for some head shots plus some "in conversation" pictures. The latter always take a little more time, as when there are two or more people in the frame, the chances that both will be displaying the perfect expression/gesture simultaneously, are much lower. I had exactly half and hour to do all of these shots, so every minute was crucial.
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