The 2-Minute Photo Habit
You don't need better equipment. You don't need advanced techniques. You don't need more time to practice.
You need one simple habit that takes two minutes and prevents 90% of photo frustration before it starts.
I'm talking about the pre-shoot check.
Two minutes before you press the shutter button, you scan your setup and verify that the conditions are actually set up for success. That's it. No complicated process, no technical expertise required—just intentional observation before you commit to shooting.
This habit transformed my photography results more than any piece of equipment or technique I learned in 13 years. And it'll do the same for you.
Why Most Photos Fail Before You Even Shoot
Most non-togs approach photography reactively. They need photos, they grab their camera or phone, they point and shoot, and then they hope the results work.
Sometimes they do. Often they don't. And when photos fail, it's usually because of problems that existed before the first shot—problems you could've spotted and fixed in two minutes.
Blurry photos? Your lighting was too dim or your subject was moving too fast. You could've checked that before shooting.
Distracting backgrounds? That pile of clutter was always there. You could've moved it before shooting.
Bad colors or weird color casts? You were mixing multiple light sources. You could've turned off competing lights before shooting.
Flat, boring photos? Your lighting was completely even with no dimension. You could've repositioned your light source before shooting.
Most photo problems aren't execution failures—they're observation failures. You didn't notice the issue before you started shooting, so you wasted time taking photos that were never going to work.
The pre-shoot check fixes this.
What the Pre-Shoot Check Actually Is
Before you take a single photo, spend two minutes scanning your setup with these questions:
1. What's my light source, and is it the only one?
Look around. Is light coming from a window? Great—are your indoor lights off? Is your main light a lamp? Great—are other lamps and overhead lights off? One light source creates consistent color. Multiple light sources create color cast nightmares your camera can't handle.
2. Where are the shadows, and do they help or hurt?
Shadows create dimension, but harsh shadows create distractions. If your shadows are so dark they hide important details, you need more light or a reflector. If shadows are falling in weird places (across faces, cutting products in half), reposition your subject or light source.
3. What's in my background, and does it distract?
Your eyes focus on your subject while shooting, but cameras capture everything equally. That stack of mail on the counter? It's in your shot. The busy patterned curtain? It's competing with your product. The random chair in the corner? It's pulling attention away from what matters. If it's distracting, move it or change your angle.
4. Is my framing intentional?
Are you leaving breathing room around your subject, or is everything crammed to the edges? Are you shooting from the right height and angle to show what matters? Is your composition directing attention where you want it, or is it accidentally emphasizing the wrong elements?
5. Can my camera actually handle these conditions?
Is the lighting bright enough to avoid blur? If you're shooting something that moves (kids, pets, products you're handling), do you have enough light for a fast shutter speed? If you're using your phone, are you close enough that digital zoom won't destroy quality?
Two minutes. Five questions. That's the habit.
How This Saves You Massive Time
I know what you're thinking: "But I'm trying to shoot faster, not slower. Adding a check step sounds like it'll take more time."
Here's the reality: two minutes of checking before you shoot saves you 20+ minutes of reshooting and editing after.
Catching a mixed lighting problem before you shoot means you don't spend 30 minutes later trying to color-correct photos in editing (and failing because you can't fix mixed color temperatures globally).
Noticing a distracting background before you shoot means you don't take 50 photos only to realize later that every single one has the same problem.
Confirming your lighting is adequate before you shoot means you don't end up with 100 blurry photos you have to delete and start over.
The pre-shoot check frontloads the problem-solving. You fix issues when they're easy to fix—before you've invested time shooting—instead of discovering them when they're hard or impossible to fix.
When I Started Using This Habit
I learned this the expensive way during a portrait session about five years into my photography career.
I showed up to photograph a family at their home. Beautiful house, great natural light from the windows, excited clients. I did my typical setup, started shooting, and felt good about the session.
When I uploaded the photos later, I wanted to throw my camera across the room.
Every single photo had a green color cast. The skin tones looked sickly. The whites looked dingy. And I couldn't fix it cleanly in editing because the color temperature was inconsistent across every frame.
The problem? The family had their overhead fluorescent lights on while I was using window light. I never asked them to turn the lights off because I was focused on the window light and didn't even register the overhead lights as a factor.
Two seconds of observation—"Hey, can we turn off the overhead lights?"—would've prevented the entire disaster. Instead, I spent four hours trying to salvage photos in Photoshop and delivered results I wasn't proud of.
After that session, I started doing the pre-shoot check every single time. I'd arrive at a location, set up my shot, and then pause for two minutes to systematically scan for problems before I started shooting.
My reshoot rate dropped to almost zero. My editing time was cut in half. And my clients got better photos because I was catching and fixing issues proactively instead of reactively.
The Non-Tog Version
You don't need to think like a professional photographer to use this habit. You just need to train yourself to pause and observe before you shoot.
Set up your product on your shooting surface. Before you start taking photos, look at the whole scene. Is there only one light source? Are shadows falling where you want them? Is the background clean and simple? Is everything positioned intentionally?
If the answer to any question is no, fix it now. Move your product closer to the window. Turn off the overhead light. Clear the clutter from the background. Adjust the angle.
Then shoot.
That's it. That's the habit that changes everything.
Start With One Question
If checking five things feels overwhelming, start with just one: "What's my light source, and is it the only one?"
That single question prevents the most common photo disaster—mixed lighting creating unfixable color problems. Master that one check, and you'll immediately see better, more consistent results.
Once that becomes automatic, add the second question. Then the third. Build the habit incrementally instead of trying to implement everything at once.
Within a month, the pre-shoot check will feel natural. You'll do it without thinking. And your photos will consistently look better because you're preventing problems instead of fixing them.
The Two-Minute Investment
Two minutes before you shoot can save you hours of frustration after you shoot.
Two minutes of intentional observation prevents blurry photos, distracting backgrounds, bad lighting, and unfixable color problems.
Two minutes is the difference between hoping your photos work and knowing they will.
Start using the pre-shoot check today. Your future self—the one who isn't spending an hour editing or reshooting photos—will thank you.
Ready to master the setups that actually work? Download my free "Easy Lighting Guide"—it walks you through 5 simple lighting setups you can execute in minutes, complete with exactly what to check before you shoot.
