It's not easy to figure out how much of one's life is under one's own control.

Case in point, I tend underestimate what is brought to a shoot by the model. A good model brings a lot to a shoot.

I'm pretty realistic in the post-shoot debriefing phase. I objectively analyze causes of what went wrong (if anything). I'm cognizant of my own failures, and those of the model or the location. I'm aware when my artificial lighting is bad, or when the ambient light is poor, or when it was too cold for the model to work, etc.

However, I do internalize when it comes to my prior assessment of a shoot before it happens. Beforehand, I tend to think that I can create an imagined final product out of whatever photographic techniques and personality I bring to the event, regardless of the model's strengths and weaknesses. When I do this, I overestimate my powers. Every shoot is a collaboration, whether I know it or not.

Obviously, if my artistic goals don't match with the model's, or if the model doesn't understand my aesthetic goals, I'm pretty unlikely to get the glorious results I'm imagining. Seems so obvious when I write it down.

It is better to have a grand vision than none at all, but a realistic pre-shoot assessment is probably going to translate into better, more-deliberate artistic choices when the shoot takes place. I need to get on the same page as the model before the shoot, so we both know what's expected, and we're both ready to collaborate.