Ten aspiring fashion photographers meet each other and fashion photographer Russell James in the first episode of The Shot. The prizes are revealed to be the chance to shoot a fashion spread for Marie Claire magazine and Victoria's Secret, and $100,000 provided by Vaseline. For their first challenge, the photographers participate in a nude photo shoot.

In the first shot this week, the eight remaining contestants were strapped into harnesses off of a cliff in Malibu Creek State Park, one hundred feet off the ground. The second shot had the two teams shooting evening wear underwater with help from supermodel Kristy Hinze.

The seven remaining contestants head off to Malibu Beach, where they shoot a women's volleyball game. Using what they learned about capturing motion in a picture, the photographers are given a challenge to get a great 3D shot of two models bouncing on a trampoline using a digital multi-camera system.

The episode began with the six remaining contestants blowing off some steam by having a food fight. After, the photographers shot a picture focusing on texture with their fellow contestants as the models. The second challenge entailed shooting an ad campaign for makeup mogul Vincent Longo. For the shoot, the contestants took one close-up and one body shot.

Things get tense as four of the remaining five photographers begin to gang up on John. For the first challenge, the contestants were sent to a breakdancing competition, where they were to find three inspirational dancers to shoot. Those pictures were then placed in a gallery, where the general public decided on a winner. The next assignment was to shoot an ad campaign for Vaseline, with a little help from Dave Navarro.

The first challenge for the remaining four photographers was to try their hand as a paparazzi at a red-carpet event. For their second challenge, the contestants met with Marie Claire editor Joyce Caruso Corrigan, who took them to an airport runway. There, they shot singer Joss Stone.

In the first-season finale, the three remaining contestants head off to Hawaii to work with three Victoria's Secret models. After shooting, only two photographers remain; they are sent to a mansion, where they shoot a cover for a Victoria's Secret catalogue, and a winner is crowned.