Your Photoshoot

Before we shoot, we will communicate about the obvious details like time and place, but we’ll also need to collaborate to plan so many other things like color schemes, outfits, mood, etc. Just like you wouldn’t go on stage to deliver a speech without a speech prepared, I feel like I do my best work when I know the people I’m shooting with, and when I know the plan. So about a week before the shoot, if possible, expect to have a brief phone call so we can talk about how we’ll make your photos and your experience memorable.

Prepare to Create

Images that Pop

In a world where there are images everywhere, I want to work with you to make images that stand out–images that make people stop for just a little longer before they move on. Sometimes the striking element is simple, like a ballerina wearing a pair of Converse Chucks, and sometimes we’ll need to be more elaborate. So we’ll need to make a plan together. What is your shoot concept? What colors do you want to use? How do you propose we carry out your vision?

For dancers, what poses, jumps, and positions do you want? How much movement can you do safely before starting to fatigue? How do we organize the shoot to get the most out of your physical ability while also keeping you safe?

Film and Practice

So film yourself. Practice in the mirror. Get a good idea of how each pose, position, and jump looks to the camera and get a good idea for which angles make that movement most attractive. Story time: recently I shot a group of dancers for a school, and I asked the teacher to tell the students to do mirror and film work and come prepared for the shoot. Each dancer had only ten minutes in front of the camera. The dancers who came prepared and had a plan got as many as 10 good shots. The ones who didn’t know what they wanted only got 3 to 4 good shots. You can get a lot out of a very short time period if you are prepared ahead of time!

Wardrobe

As a photographer, I love bringing your vision to light. I’m not a fashion guru, so I generally leave wardrobe decisions up to my models. However as a fairly conservative guy I prefer to shoot modest looks. In dance and in fashion, I always want to stay far away from any outfit or pose that would be considered immodest or sexually charged by conservative standards. There’s a lot of room to be creative and fashionable while still being conservative.

Grooming vs. Photoshopping

Photoshop

I love you looking your best! And there are a lot of versions of “best,” depending on your taste and fashion. You should know going in that I don’t do a lot of editing on my people. Sure there’s a good bit of color correction, recomposition, and background stuff to worry about, but besides blemish removal, I typically don’t do a lot of editing on people. And I will never change your body type or features. Ever. I have been asked to make people thinner, make their eyes bigger, or change their body type in other ways. My opinion is that people are beautiful and there’s really no need to change them.

Obviously we’ll want to choose angles and poses that flatter you and your body type. And we’ll want to highlight your best features and minimize the features you’re not as fond of. So as you prepare for your shoot please know that I like you just as you are and that we’ll work together to get the best angles for you.

Grooming

I won’t go into a list of grooming tips—I don’t know any of them—but I will say that your skincare preparation, your hair care, dental care, and having well maintained (and pressed) clothing can do a lot to make your photos the very best. Example: if you’re peeling from a recent sunburn or have lint all over your black sweater, that’s a lot of work to edit. I’ll definitely take care of editing these things, but my general rule is to minimize editing if possible. And since I do minimal touch up after the shoot, you’ll want to do what you can to make sure everything is perfect—like not eating crackers just before a shoot where you’re expected to smile. That said, I’m going to make sure we get the very best version of you, and hopefully spot anything out of place. And the only reason I mention grooming at all is that good grooming can save a ton of work in photoshop. Less work means I can deliver more photos in the same time, and charge my clients less money overall.

During the Shoot

Rapport

I feel like the connection I have with the people I shoot has a lot to do with how the photos turn out. I love creating good art and you’ll find that I’m supportive and good-natured. I love working with you to get the look you want out of the shoot, and I want you to be happy with the photos. Therefore it’s my job (and my pleasure!) to take your vision and creativity and help you find the best angle as we capture it. I can also help with your poses to make the lines and angles look just right. When you shoot with me you’ll enter a judgment-free zone where you can let yourself just create. If you know one of my clients, ask them how they were treated and how the photos turned out, or check my reviews to get a sense of how people feel about working with me.

Safety

Your safety is my top priority. My dancers and athletes are like my children and it breaks my heart when people get injured. I will always err on the side of caution and safety. I will never deliberately put you in danger, but if I ask for a position or pose that’s outside your safe-level comfort zone, please don’t hesitate to say no. We can get plenty of great shots that keep you safe.

Additionally, where possible (and it’s amost always possible), I will always ask you to bring a friend. Not only are friends great support people, they can also help me get the most out of your personality and capture it in camera. When I shoot with dancers, it’s helpful if the friend you bring is another dancer; that way you can coach each other. Also with dance, fatigue is a factor, so it’s convenient to shoot one dancer while the other is resting. I love working with my people, and I prefer working with them in groups rather than one-on-one.

Allergies

I am allergic to most scents: lotion, perfume, body spray, scented hair products, etc. I will be grateful to you if you help me by avoiding scented products before you arrive.

Model Release

At the shoot (or before) I will ask you to sign a model release (where appropriate). The model release is so I can post your picture on my website(s).

After the Shoot

Photo Proofs

Generally within a day or two of the shoot I will share photo proofs online for you to view and select. They are generally unedited photos that I definitely don’t want you to publish. I generally put all of the photos from the shoot into the proof folder so you can see everything I captured. From the proofs, you’ll select the ones you want me to process.

Editing and Delivery

Once you’ve selected your favorites, I usually get to work editing them. I virtually always have photos ready in less than two weeks and most of the time in about a week. It does take time, and I’m generally fairly communicative about the timeline so you know when to expect.

Once edited, photos will be delivered via link in Dropbox. I will also post select photos on my website and give you a gallery there so your people can always come back and see the photos. Because everyone has differing aesthetic tastes, I always deliver all my photos in both color and in black and white too.

Exclusivity

It’s important that you not share the link to family and friends, but that you refer them to your page on my website. Why? The images in the dropbox are for you and you exclusively. I will license them to you so you can use them, print them, etc., but I hope you would respect the license and not send the link to third parties, even family and friends. Instead you can send people to my website where they can see the photos. The license will not allow you to sell or redistribute the photos or make money off them in any way, including merchandising, prints, sub-licensing, or other monetization.

Copyrights

Under current copyright law, the creator of a work owns that work for a long, long time. And so even though you appear in a photo the copyright for that photo will still belong to me. I intend to retain all copyright protections for the work I create. And even though I would ask that you respect the copyrights, the license I send with the photos is as liberal as you’ll ever get from a photographer. I want you to use the photos and I want you to get the most out of them. In that light, I probably won’t mind if you add a filter so the photo matches your instagram (or other feed). I’m less fond of cropping, but I don’t want to micromanage how you use the photos. Just make sure it still “feels” like my work.

Collaborations

I hold a special place in my heart for a good collaboration. After all, collaborating is how we learn and grow as artists. So pitch me a good collaboration! A great idea will always catch my attention and I have had some unbelievably good shoots when collaborating. That said, many people offer to collaborate with me so they can avoid paying for service. Sometimes it’s difficult to discern what people want out of a trade shoot, or TFP. Please be aware that I will consider true trades–a collaboration where all parties benefit mutually.

As an established professional photographer, I trade with established professional models and dancers. And sometimes I even collaborate when the trade is lopsided, but mostly trade shoots happen between people at the same level. So when you contact me looking to collaborate, ask yourself if the trade shoot you propose is mutually beneficial. Example, if you are a new model and need to build your portfolio, do that with a photographer who needs to also build their portfolio. Alternatively, to work with an established photographer, you should pay going rates. The experience you gain and the quality of photos you get from a professional will be well worth your time and money. 

So make your pitch! I’d love to try new things and make great art with new people. Or offer to pay my current rates.