You have three minutes. The PR rep nixed your concept. The CEO’s office is boring. The light is terrible. The call time was noon and it’s midnight and the subject still isn’t here. The chickens won’t come out of the coop.

For photographers who shoot portrait assignments, there is always a new challenge to face. “With any shoot you do, you’ll always encounter something which you’ve never dealt with before,” says portraitist Jooney Woodward. “More than ever, photographers have to be super agile and be able to make something out of nothing,” says Ramona Rosales.

We asked five photographers about their most challenging recent assignments, and what they did to deliver images for their clients. Some of the keys, they say, are to stay calm; be adaptive and collaborative and a little bit sneaky; have a plan B and a plan C, and maybe a bag of tricks that includes a few squeaky toys.

You can read each what each photographer told us by clicking the links below:

Delivering on Challenging Assignments: Ramona Rosales’ Long Exposures of Chance The Rapper for Billboard

Delivering on Challenging Assignments: Christie Hemm Klok’s Poppy Chicken Portraits for the Washington Post

Delivering on Challenging Assignments: Johnny Tergo’s Multi-State Drug Rehab Exposé for The New York Times

Delivering on Challenging Assignments: Matt Salacuse’s Conceptual Shoot with Migos for NME

Delivering on Challenging Assignments: Jooney Woodward’s Odd Author Portrait for Telegraph Magazine