Try an older / adapted lens that has focus distances on it and practice range focusing.
If your camera has focus peaking, enable that.
I have focus zoom set to a custom button too so I can zoom in and check focus, but that's mostly for longer setups, something as quick as street it might not be as useful.
I have a PC I built as a nas, recently upgraded it to 4x8TB drives in raid 5, this gives me 24tb of storage as you lose one HDD to "parity" data but means a HDD can fail without data being lost.
This "hot copies" to an external 22tb drive overnight and does a full sync end of the week, so I have a local recovery for any data I may accidentally delete within a week. The 2tb smaller is just they didn't do a 24tb drive at a reasonable price, figure by the time I get to needing the capacity one will be available to swap out to.
Everything is then backed up to a cloud storage service (backblaze, which is ridiculously cheap for unlimited data backups) and can order a drive with all the data on them in absolute worse case I need to recover everything and quickly, rather than waiting for however long it takes to download the 12tb I have with them currently. The service also has a year of file versioning to help against bit rot, if a file is corrupted I have a year with which to notice and grab a replacement from the cloud. They have unlimited versioning but with the amount of data I'm storing it's a bit cost prohibitive to me.
All my photography is also sent to Amazon Photos (unlimited storage tier on my UK account, limited on my Aus account so your location may vary) - which I view as a free extra precaution given I'm already paying for prime for other reasons.
I'd like to upgrade to a better file system, like btrfs or zfs which will help prevent/ detect bit rot at the system level and be a tad more robust than the ntfs I currently use, but the system is a windows box to make it easy for my partner to also use where needed and going Linux to get these benefits has other knock on complications, badgering them in to windows has an air of unreliability, not something I'm comfortable risking on a storage system. So currently that's my only risk, which is a low enough probability to not be a massive concern.
Oh, you're the guy who shoots inside of musical instruments, like your work, very imaginative (and I imagine difficult to light!).
If you're going to reschedule, then no, if you're not going to go ahead with them now they cancelled, then yes.
I would suggest you find another photographer, even if you like this one, if they're going to do something that makes you uncomfortable (and, this example, extreme anxiety is very far above uncomfortable) then they're not right for you, regardless of any other positive.
Also find it a little harsh to listen to such a request and then be like, yeah, but amma do that anyways, but that's me I guess.
When reading the title I thought this was to do with the rise in scams and fake bots dm'ing you to try and illicit PPI, because that's become much more of a ballache than it used to be, to the point I don't really try and sell anything anymore.
Like, I'd upgrade my 4k lazer projector to an ultra-short throw with higher lumens and ended up giving it to a friend, it was an $1800 (aud) unit, could've got a grand for it, but seemed like too much hassle, was easier life to just pass it to my mate.
Communicate.
Be open and honest with the client so they can manage their end of the fall out.
Remediate.
Can she rent any missing essential, or re-purchase from a local store
Take the emotion out.
Flights lose stuff all the time, it's not her fault, she has no blame, this is a business.
Also, if she's good, this isn't her one shot, it's her current shot, if it doesn't work out, another one will be on the way, we don't live in hallmark movies where you only ever have once chance of making it out.
Can you collage the ones where only one person is looking?
On red carpets it's quite common for groups to be looking at a different photographer each, so my usual approach is to shoot like an American and then merge in the heads to get a final image that looks good with everyone looking in the same direction.
Always had an interest, even applied for the photography course at school but it wasn't run as short of applicants so ended up doing my second choice of business studies.
Never really had the funds to get in to it, but when I was a roadie for a few local bands you'd start to get a tad bored between set-up and strip down once you got to know the songs (in some cases better than the lead, shame I can't sing..) and you can't really have a drink as you need to drive home.
One night a guy from a band I'd got really good friends with gave me his canon dslr and asked me to get some shots for his socials (facebook was just about becoming a thing, don't believe we had instagram at that point) so I figured what the hell, I've always fancied it and had a go.
Really enjoyed it, saved up my roadie earnings and treat myself to a Nikon d5100 (as better low light than the canon I'd gotten used to) and it's been a wild ride since then in the intervening decades.
Obviously can't answer for your tutor, but my opinion on your points:
1.Studio portraits should only be taken with aperture of 5.6 or higher.
Is this true and does the same apply for outdoor portraits? Most of my outdoor portraits were taken with aperture 1.4 to 2.8, mostly because of less than optimal lighting conditions and I just love this beautiful bokeh.
You're in a studio, you control the light so you should be able to perfectly expose for f/5.6 in this light controlled environment. Depending on focal length and distance to subject, the narrower f/stops could result in a depth of field that doesn't encompass your subject, such as nose and ear tips going out of focus if you've nailed the eye at f/1.4 (which will give you around a centimetre of focus if you were a metre away with an 85mm lens getting a head shot - f/5.6 is over four centimetres, which is still not enough for this scenario, but the effects will be less exaggerated and the soft more useful).
But this is a generalisation, you may want that absolutely crushing small depth of field for some artistic reason in a shot. So, don't take it as a hard rule, more of a guidance to think about what you're trying to get out of this shot and to, typically, get a pleasing shot of the subject before the depth of field starts to drop off.
Even if they're a metre from the background, it's still going to be pleasingly out of focus in this scenario, and many similar.
- I am apparently supposed to use viewfinder only and not camera screen to frame the pictures, with both eyes open to see the model. Also taping the screen to correct the focus is a no-no.
I was usually only using the screen since I lack the mobility (really bad knees injuries), so I preferred moving the camera around instead of my entire body to frame the pictures, having eye contact with the model is also easier this way for me. The focus on camera is also often not perfect and being able to quickly "correct it" by telling camera where to focus is very, very useful.
I've had this from a course I've been on, I think this comes from people who primarily used DSLR's where the viewfinder differs to the liveview of the rear screen, with EVF's they're starting to get more in aligment, though magnification and resolution will still differ, giving benefits to the EVF over the rear screen.
So I can see where they're coming from here, but, personally, I feel it's restrictive in artistic expression as your shots are all going to come from eye level, or where you can get your eye level. I use a TLR camera as my every day carry as I like it's kitsch old fashioned style and being film makes me slow down and consider the shot more, but being TLR also means I take shots from waist level as I'm looking down in to the top of it, rather than holding it up to eye level and this change in perspective also has an impact of the outcome.
So if you're really using your rear screen, and can tip it out, flip it etc.. to get some really good angles, unusual angels that will help with your artistry, then go for it, but also, don't overlook the benefits of the EVF and the assistance that can give you with nailing focus (as what's a great shot that's missed focus? - that's rhetorical rest of reddit..)
- Using tons of lights and equipment to get desired results. The photographer that leads the lectures is very fixated on complicating the scene by using multiple of expensive lights and giant reflectors.
Personally I don't own a ton of equipment, so I always look a ways to achieve things without resorting to that many lights and reflectors and usually I can find people being able to achieve those results with two or even one light, simply by adjusting the angle, distance or power of the light.
I absolutely understand that more equipment offers more possibilities, but I just feel like it's sometimes unnecessarily complicated by some photographers.
May be you're in a class a bit more advanced than you're at in your journey - don't take this as a slight, it isn't, we're all progressing and you'll come to understand better why this complexity is being used. Here I would say your tutor is possibly failing in not explaining the reasoning for all these lights, but, again, a studio environment is a light controlled environment and this is why you're using so many lights and reflectors, to absolutely control all the light, overpower any ambient and light the subject as you intend, not how it might come out - though it's a bit outside the scope of a reddit post to really get in to this topic to explain it, or, perhaps outside my scope to be able to condense it in a way that would be accessible.
- Having a large team of assistants. Last lesson we were split us into groups and had role assigned to each of us. Two people responsible for lights, director, photographer and so on. According to our teacher and the way he teaches us, having group of assistants is necessary or at least highly advised.
As someone who only ever worked alone (excluding the models of course) and plans to work alone in foreseeable future, I am not sure what to think of that.
The course isn't just for you, there may be some tailored aspects from questions you've posed or discussions at the start, but other people on the course may be on a different journey to you, they may want to head in to a more professional setting where this is the norm and they deserve the opportunity to have exposure to the process and know what's expected when they get there so they don't feel so out of place when the day comes.
- DSLR are better because they are more stable due to their heavier weight, compared to lighter mirrorless cameras. Also apparently information displayed on mirrorless cameras is lagging behind compared to DSLR, but I am not exactly sure what he was talking about.
nah mate..a dSLR has a huge mirror moving out the way and slapping back down when you take a shot - though that is less of an issue than the way most approach pushing the shutter button and rock the body as they do so (even on a tripod, this is why you find astro guess use remotes or delayed shutter firings).
Information wise, I'm not sure what bodies they've used, but you get more information on a mirrorless than a dSLR - settings like ISO / Aperture / Shutter Speed are equal, you'll probably have things like vertical balance on both (though I've only seen it on mirrorless personally), but only a mirrorless will give you focus peaking (highlighting areas in focus - as you simply can't do that with an optical viewfinder..).
Using the EVF you'll get a more detailed image than any rear screen so when reviewing and punching in to check focus will be a benefit on a mirrorless (hell, you can punch in with focus zoom on most mirrorless through the EVF before you've taken the picture - dSLR will let you do that on the rear screen, but, as said, less detailed, and, you're supposed to be using the viewfinder right? ; ) ).
Haven't read the other replies as yet to not bias my responses above, will read through now as the biggest takeaway you should get from this is there's no right answer.
Everyone has their preferences, experiences that've driven an idea and how they feel things should be, but that might not be what you're after or work for you. Take what you like from the course, try another course with someone else in the future, get a wide range of opinions, pick what works with what you're aiming to achieve, keep your mind open to the fact that some of your pre-conceptions, or what sounded like wise words from a great teacher, may actually, not be. It's all a guide.
(except for my responses above, they're cold hard immutable facts.. = p )
There's a thing as being too cheap.
If something was so far under the competition you start to question quality, especially on something you might not be able to qualify yourself.
Such as, at the moment we're quoting for an electrician for some work, I have a broad sense of what's involved but no the intricacies (otherwise I'd be doing it myself), one quoted $300 which is substantially lower than around $800 several others have quoted, so we're not even going to talk to them as it's so cheap we're not sure if they've misunderstood the requirement or just aren't very good and under-pricing to be selected.
So, similarly, if I was to see most photoshoots going around $500 for five pictures, and you're doing six for $60, I'm going to move on as that's just too cheap, I might enquire a little, see if I can explain the discrepancy, but ultimately, if I'm paying for it, I want quality and want to do it once.
If you're looking to build portfolio and charging less, try instead a local TFP group, you get to pad your portfolio and impress perspective clients and you gain experience, all of which you can then feel more confident charging market rate.