valentinephoto
12th of April 2008 (Sat), 07:44
Hi everyone! This morning I was working on my pre-shoot consultation points to cover and wanted to run them by everyone here and get some help incase I'm forgetting to cover something.
Before I hold a photoshoot with any of my clients (my clients are normal people, not models that are doing this for work), I will be doing pre-photoshoot consultations (at least one) over the phone, through email or in person. I have only been doing shoots for my friends, so I've never sat down to make it more professional, so any help is much appreciated.
Here are the 11 points I have and a brief description of what I plan to cover in each point. I have a more detailed document of all the points and exact questions/points I want to get across but wanted to just do a brief description here. Of course some things listed below are specific to the way I'm running my business, but in general I believe you'll get the idea.
1. DATE/TIME/LOCATION - what days and times work best for the client. Explain our shooting schedule and how long they will be estimated to be here. Are they coming to the home studio or will I be going to their home or location of choice?
2. REASON - is there a specific reason for the shoot? If so, do they need their photos by a certain date?
3. PHOTO PACKAGE - what package are they interested in? Explain package in detail including everything included, pricing, deposit required and time needed at the shoot to accomplish the package. Also describe add-on options (black & white/sepia copies of their photos, additional retouching, photo books, etc.)
4. SET OPTIONS - explain the various photosets we offer (i.e. bedroom, kitchen), plus backdrop and prop options available at the studio. Suggest other props the client could bring.
5. WARDROBE/ACCESSORIES - picking the best colors for the photosets/backdrops they select and what compliments their hair/skin/eye color. Always tell them to bring a back-up outfit and let them know about the clothing, shoes and jewelry available on the website for purchase and to purchase them at least 2 weeks prior to their scheduled shoot date.
6. HAIR/MAKE-UP - what works best on camera, info on hiring a makeup artist/hair stylist, local salon contacts, what to bring with them.
7. 12-24 HOURS BEFORE SHOOT - don't shave too close to the time to avoid red marks/bumps/cuts, get plenty of sleep, have wardrobe selected and de-wrinkled, arrive with loose fitting clothing/underwear to avoid lines on the body (like the lines a bra strap could create), call/email with any last minute questions.
8. ARRIVAL TIME - when to show up and what we do first (get there 10-15 minutes early, get a few test shots and change into first oufit, do last minute touch-ups).
9. DURING THE SHOOT - when we take breaks, the flow I like to work in when taking pictures and set changes
10. AFTER SHOOT - viewing photos, selecting photos for retouching & print, selecting images for use in portfolio (and filling out model release/image release form)
11. WHAT HAPPENS LAST - after client leaves retouching begins, prints are sent to our photolab, once we receive the prints we package them up and mail it off to the client, along with the image CD.
Before I hold a photoshoot with any of my clients (my clients are normal people, not models that are doing this for work), I will be doing pre-photoshoot consultations (at least one) over the phone, through email or in person. I have only been doing shoots for my friends, so I've never sat down to make it more professional, so any help is much appreciated.
Here are the 11 points I have and a brief description of what I plan to cover in each point. I have a more detailed document of all the points and exact questions/points I want to get across but wanted to just do a brief description here. Of course some things listed below are specific to the way I'm running my business, but in general I believe you'll get the idea.
1. DATE/TIME/LOCATION - what days and times work best for the client. Explain our shooting schedule and how long they will be estimated to be here. Are they coming to the home studio or will I be going to their home or location of choice?
2. REASON - is there a specific reason for the shoot? If so, do they need their photos by a certain date?
3. PHOTO PACKAGE - what package are they interested in? Explain package in detail including everything included, pricing, deposit required and time needed at the shoot to accomplish the package. Also describe add-on options (black & white/sepia copies of their photos, additional retouching, photo books, etc.)
4. SET OPTIONS - explain the various photosets we offer (i.e. bedroom, kitchen), plus backdrop and prop options available at the studio. Suggest other props the client could bring.
5. WARDROBE/ACCESSORIES - picking the best colors for the photosets/backdrops they select and what compliments their hair/skin/eye color. Always tell them to bring a back-up outfit and let them know about the clothing, shoes and jewelry available on the website for purchase and to purchase them at least 2 weeks prior to their scheduled shoot date.
6. HAIR/MAKE-UP - what works best on camera, info on hiring a makeup artist/hair stylist, local salon contacts, what to bring with them.
7. 12-24 HOURS BEFORE SHOOT - don't shave too close to the time to avoid red marks/bumps/cuts, get plenty of sleep, have wardrobe selected and de-wrinkled, arrive with loose fitting clothing/underwear to avoid lines on the body (like the lines a bra strap could create), call/email with any last minute questions.
8. ARRIVAL TIME - when to show up and what we do first (get there 10-15 minutes early, get a few test shots and change into first oufit, do last minute touch-ups).
9. DURING THE SHOOT - when we take breaks, the flow I like to work in when taking pictures and set changes
10. AFTER SHOOT - viewing photos, selecting photos for retouching & print, selecting images for use in portfolio (and filling out model release/image release form)
11. WHAT HAPPENS LAST - after client leaves retouching begins, prints are sent to our photolab, once we receive the prints we package them up and mail it off to the client, along with the image CD.