This was my reply to someone asking this question.
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What if you don't have access to a computer or laptop when you are shooting? I'm not trying to be awkward but I have always been told that lighting is the single most important thing in photography (though I cant speak for shooting porn) and its the thing that's been the steepest learning curve for me. I have used light meters and looking at histograms on the camera and about a million other things but its still the hardest thing (for me) in photography as a beginner.
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We are talking about pornography not photography, so different mediums. Think along the lines of an author uses a typewriter but not a typist. Think about it, you use a camera to create the image in the viewers mind.
If you don't have a laptop or a computer close by get one or practice close by one until you know the lighting you need. But if lighting is not your strength get it until it's acceptable and practice getting the niche right, don't aim at Playboy style.
Look at doing an "amateur" style of porn. Motivate and direct the model to be at ease and natural. Go for a single flash light shot onto an umbrella or soft box and remember the settings and readings on the Histogram. A single light with an umbrella will cost $1,000 absolute max and there are cheaper ones.
Shooting with a strobe light puts you in control of the light and you can set it for an amateur effect very easily. Practice is the key.
Props and clothing are pretty simple.
Knowing the niche should be easy if you're shooting it. If you don't know it why are you shooting it? Look around at the successes here, they know their niche.
Directing a model to do as you need is the tough one and even people with years of experience find it tough at times. This is a competitive market. If you can't convince the surfer who buys, he's usually an expert on his favorite niche, he will not buy, you can't afford the traffic and you're left with the 95% telling us it's all down to traffic. Because you need loads of it to get a sale.
The above is a generalisation, but look at the sites that convert and ask yourself if it's because they have the niche right or thousands of surfers? The great ones have both.
Some would say "If you can't afford a laptop or computer to check the exposure, you should not be shooting." Of course I would never say something like that though.
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