I recently had the opportunity to spend time with Melissa and Jerry Ghionis and it was a delight to catch up again. Jerry is one of the best photographers in the world and also excellent on branding and business. Part of his success is built on a foundation of "building" a photo with a client. He has it down to five steps:
1. Lighting
2. Environment
3. Pose
4. Camera settings
5. EMOTIONS
NYC, 2015
Also a good reminder to STFD, step back and look at the shot artistically, then put the camera to the eye. Also it is good to use the right tools as in any craft. The Leica is perfect for street, the Phase One is spot on for studio but the Nikon D4 with a 70-200 lens provides the perfect compression for these natural light shots.
Pro tip: Chill out. Follow the five steps. Land on emotion that trumps all else. Do it. Repeat.