MILITARY / FORMATION SHOOT CHECKLIST

PVME Training Division — quick reference

Use this for: PVME military trainee work — outdoor formation portraits, indoor armory headshots, and unit composites. Trainee preorders arrive via the Jotform under provisionmultimediaenterprises@gmail.com. Confirm roster matches before any shutter releases.

Pre-shoot (day before / arrival)

  1. Reconcile Jotform preorder list against unit roster supplied by liaison. Flag missing or duplicate names BEFORE arrival.
  2. Confirm base access — gate pass, escort name, vehicle registration matches your visitor pass.
  3. Pack two Sony A7RV bodies, 70-200 GM (formation portraits), 24-70 GM (group + composites), 85mm GM (headshot backup), Profoto B10X + 3' octa, sandbags, gaff tape.
  4. Charge every battery the night before. Format CFexpress cards on the body that will shoot them.
  5. Print roster numbered 1–N with a check-box per trainee. Clipboard + pen.
  6. Pack: ColorChecker Passport, lens cloths, lint roller (uniforms attract everything), backup release forms.
  7. Confirm uniform standard with command — duty uniform, dress uniform, cover on/off. Different units have different rules; never assume.
  8. Arrive 60 min before scheduled formation. Drill sergeants do not wait.

Outdoor formation

  1. Scout the parade field — find a clean background (treeline, brick building, flag display). Avoid parking lots and signage.
  2. Verify sun angle — formation faces camera with sun behind photographer at 45° (light cheek shadow, no squint). Reposition formation if needed.
  3. Set 70-200 GM at 100–135mm for individual trainee portraits. Tripod planted at chest height of average trainee.
  4. Body settings: Manual, ISO 200, f/8, shutter 1/500, WB Daylight or Cloudy depending on sky, AF-C with Eye AF, single-frame drive.
  5. Mark trainee position with chalk or tape — exact distance from camera locks focus and lighting consistency across all subjects.
  6. Shoot 2 frames per trainee: relaxed-attention expression, then proud-but-calm. Verbal call: "head up, chin level, eyes to lens."
  7. Group formation shot: 24-70 GM at 35-50mm, f/11, depth covers front-to-back rows. Stand on a step ladder for elevation.
  8. After every 10 trainees, review tether or back-of-camera spot check for focus drift + exposure. Confirm roster check-box.

Indoor armory headshots

  1. Scout for a clean wall — gray, beige, or dark blue works. Avoid bulletin boards and clutter behind subject.
  2. Set Profoto B10X with 3' octa camera-left at 45°, 4 feet from subject mark. Sandbag the stand. Modeling lamp on.
  3. Body: Sony A7RV + 85mm GM, ISO 100, f/8, 1/200 shutter, WB Flash or 5500K, AF-S single point on near eye.
  4. ColorChecker frame before first trainee. Set Custom WB in-camera or note Kelvin for Capture One.
  5. Run trainees through in roster order — 30-second turn each. Hand on shoulder cue for posture. Shoot 3 frames per trainee.
  6. Re-check focus + exposure every 5 trainees. Wipe lens between groups if humidity rises.

Post-shoot

  1. Reconcile roster against captured frame count — every name has minimum 2 frames. Re-shoot any gaps before tearing down.
  2. Ingest cards to laptop + portable SSD before leaving base. Two copies before any card is reformatted.
  3. Brief debrief with unit liaison — confirm delivery date, file format, any composite requirements (unit insignia, badge banner).
  4. Deliver proof gallery to liaison within 72 hours; reconcile any name-spelling corrections against the Jotform preorder list before final export.