Guy D'Alema, who's based in Atlanta and has shot on sets around the world for more than 10 years, agrees. You learn to get the essence shot, not shoot every time the camera rolls. Young photographers often think they have to follow the camera down the track all the time. D'Alema says he begins each day on the set with a precise shot list in his head, having studied the script carefully. You've got to know the keepers.
Cooper describes two types of still photographers on the set.
Then there are the specialty shooters that come in to get portraits of the actors, or get one shot that tells the whole story of the movie. While D'Alema falls into the first category, he also shoots portraits of the actors when they have downtime on the set. He believes shooting them in action and on the set preserves the most energy and ultimately contributes to more compelling photos. Even though they shoot hundreds of pictures, the publications tend to use those that are shot on the set. The quality may not be the best, but in the context of the scene, there's something in the actors' faces that makes a more interesting shot.