If you thought about the technique you wouldn t get the shot. You ve got to pick the right moment and go for it. It is also very important to gain the trust of the actors early on as this can make a real difference. You need to let the actors see the stills as soon as possible. It s only natural that they wonder how they look and you need to reassure them that they are looking good.
Different photographers have different techniques.
Some ask actors to remain in place at the end of each scene so that they can get the shot, but Ken prefers to use a blimp, a cunning box that covers the camera and muffles the sound of the shutter clicking. This means that he can take photos during filming. People are very intolerant towards the stills photographer, they don t really want to hang around after doing a scene. That said I do enjoy it, even though it involves a high degree of masochism.