This profile is lengthy. What I have posted here I have done because I think its important information to put out there, based on previous experiences I have had. I put it all here so you know exactly who I am, what my work experience is, and what I expect from paid jobs and trade shoots. There will be a quiz at the end
LOL
About Me:
I am mostly going to accept paid shoots only going forward. I will entertain any reasonable offer so please give me a try.
I pride myself in being a "jill of all trades". I am always willing to assist and contribute to a project in any way I can. I have a great space here in my home to set up to do studio shoots with seamless backdrops and studio lighting, for those without a permanent studio space. I have done several shoots here in my home with great success.
I will never flake on you, I will always be honest with you and I set out to most definately meet your expectations and probably far exceed them.
A word about test shoots, special events, photography groups/camera club shoots and beginner/hobbyphotographers:
This is how I make my living and it is not a hobby for me.
Please understand if I work in trade, I need to be assured I will have professional print quality images I can use. If you are a beginner photographer, testing a new concept, new photography style or anything that you are uncertain on the quality of the outcome of the images, I'm open to doing paid shoots only.
I will no longer do photography meetup groups/camera club shoots in trade or on a kit fee/trade basis. I've been burned once, worked all day, and hardly received any images.
I am now going to be extremely selective in doing event/runway shows/theatrical productions for trade. I have been promised images, advertising space and other items for my work and have been left empty handed on several occasions now, which winds up not being "trade event" but me "working for free" event. I am fair and reasonable in my rates. If you would like to use me for your next runway show/theatrical production/event, please contact me to discuss!
What I expect from TF* shoots:
If you approach me for a TF*, please read the following so you are crystal clear as to what I expect from a shoot. I think its best to be clear upfront in my profile as to avoid confusion or frustration from either side. If you send me a message for a trade shoot, I will take it to understand that you have, in fact, read the following paragraphs about trade shoots with me so you know what I expect.
If you are not approaching me for a trade shoot, feel free to skip this section.
At this time, I AM looking for very SELECT TF* COLLABORATIVE shoots with skilled photographers for editorial, bridal, glamour/boudoir, pinup, fetish, headshots and before/after "makeover" type images. For collaborative shoots, I do like to assist with posing, location scouting, wardrobe and prop styling and model selection. If you're the type of person who gets bent out of shape when a makeup artist makes an artistic suggestion during a trade shoot, we might not work well together. I consider trade shoots a team effort by all parties involved, to acheive the best possible images we can.
I consider a simple verbal agreement is usually sufficient. I will want to have some input on the specific images I'm going to receive instead of allowing the photographer send things to me sight unseen. I want to ensure I receive images that I can and will want to use for my portfolio.
I will need a good selection of close up beauty shots or shots that clearly show the makeup work. Full-length shots are great, but unless I've also done the wardrobe styling, they aren't of much use to me.
I work in camera and I expect you to as well. I'm not sloppy in my makeup application, I would expect photographers to not be sloppy in their photography skills. I have an attention to detail and I expect the same from you. If you're using Photoshop to clean up all your mistakes, wrinkles in all your backdrops, fix all your lighting problems, then we probably won't work well together. I understand there will be a reasonable amount of retouching done to images but I expect that the photographers I work with to know enough about metering, image composition and the like so they aren't relying on Photoshop to fix what should have been done in camera.
I will now only be willing to do trade shoots with photographers who agree to releasing HIGH-RES LOSSLESS or NON-compressed files for me to be able to print from for my 11x14 portfolio book I can not print a book quality 11x14 image from a websized file I have a RAW image viewer on my computer to easily process RAW file formats, for those who ARE comfortable releasing .raw (or similar .raw-type file extensions).
If you are only willing to part with 72ppi web size images = no trade shoot. My goal is to obtain quality images to print from. So please understand that if all goes to plan with our shoot and we obtain excellent images, I am going to have to have the option to print them and I will need files that are a high enough resolution to do so.
For those of you with excellent in house printing capabilities of if you have a service you like and already use, I am perfectly fine negotiating to obtain prints instead of files. If you are handling the printing, I am absolutely ok to reimburse in full at cost--not retail markup (if you are also providing me with the file as well as the print) or in PART (if you are NOT also providing me with the file as well as the print) for the print as I would have to pay for printing costs myself anyway. If this is an option, let me know and we can discuss the specification of what type of prints I need.
I need to have at least 2-4 finished and edited/retouched web-sized files per look that we do so I have options on rotating images from time to time to keep my online port fresh. I would much rather have a small selection of "WOW!" images than a disc full of "meh" images that I will never use. I realize this may put some people off, however,
I am looking to obtain professional caliber publication/magazine quality images and to make archival quality prints for my book. Please take a look at the images I have on some of my lists as this is a gauge for the type of quality I am now looking for.
I require for trade shoots that do NOT bear your watermark on any PRINT SIZED files you send me . This is not because I have some ulterior motive and want to "steal" your images to profit from or to do something nefarious with them, but rather because if I should decide to use one of the images we shot in my book that I present to agencies, I can not have a watermarked image on prints in my book. I'm not here to run off with your image to sell to anyone. Please understand this when approaching me for a tradeshoot.
I will always give you photographer credit anywhere your image is used and I ask the same professional reciprocity. I do realize that the photographer retains the copyright and it's never my intention to step on anyone's toes in that regard. I sometimes watermark images with my own logo when I post them on social networks or on MM, so please let me know if you have a problem with this. I have NO problem receiving web-size .jpg files WITH your watermark for posting on MM, Facebook, Dripbook, etc. Images that I post online will either bear your watermark or mine, to ensure that a third party is not stealing images from our shoot for their own personal gain.
I have and can do my own light retouching (removing blemishes, smoothing imperfections, cropping/resizing, etc) and of course, photographers retain ultimate veto power if you do not like what I've done to your image, just let me know. I've never had anyone complain. I want to make sure everyone who was involved in the making of the image is happy with how they are presented online.
And one final word in regards to retouching. I have seen a lot of images floating around that have had a lot of exaggerated retouching done to them. I am more than willing to allow you to do the retouching on our collaborative images as long as you please understand that I do have some guidelines that I kindly ask to be respected. Those who work with me must understand that the types of retouching that may be acceptable for a PHOTOGRAPHER'S book probably is NOT acceptable for a MAKEUP ARTIST'S book. I expect SUBTLE (as in, it should NOT "look" like its been retouched, even if it has) and tasteful retouching (minor alternations and corrections) for beauty images. I can't have the final images look so heavily retouched that it makes booking agents wonder if my work really is so bad that it requires "all that retouching". I also ask that you refrain from drastically altering the models facial features/contours or alter the makeup job that I provided. The skin needs to look LIKE skin (this means if I can see that you've used a heavy opaque blur tool on their skin, I won't be able to use it in my book), their eyes to look like regular human eyes (no enlarged pupils/exaggerated irises and they should look like human eyes, not dolls or robots) and the actual makeup I have done to largely be left alone, unless its to correct minor imperfections (blemishes/ errant specks of unnamed particles, stray hairs) or natural looking minor enhancements. I would be displeased to have the eyeshadow/lip/blush color dramatically skewed or 'shopped "makeup" placed in the image that wasn't put there by me. I need to show MY work, not your Photoshopping skills. Please note that if I see any images posted by you from our trade session that have retouching or editing choices that I do not feel presents me in a positive way, I will likely request that my credit be removed from them.
So, in short, unless you are a photographer who has an advanced digital darkroom skills and specializes in extremely detail oriented, pixel by pixel, natural looking, non-photoshoppy looking retouching that is appropriate for makeup artist books and clean beauty image standards and can show sufficient proof of such in your own port, I'm probably going to prefer to farm out the retouching to someone who specializes in such and who's skills and port demonstrate the type of retouching I'm needing for mine. Its nothing personal.
Word to Models: I'm always looking for new faces, but I do have some fair and reasonable expectations:
1. DO NOT FLAKE. I don't care how gorgeous you are or how entitled you feel to jerk people around. Many of my shoots are highly planned out, with looks designed in advance and in some circumstances, wardrobe purchased for the shoot, props rented or deposits placed on locations. Please don't forget this.
2. Please represent your look fairly in your profile. Everyone changes their look from time to time, fluctuates in their weight and (gasp!) even gets a blemish now and then. But if I hire you as a blonde and you show up with black hair, you had shoulder length hair and show up with a pixie cut, or you show up with cystic acne all over your face when I hired you for a clean beauty shoot, I will be pretty unhappy with you. And I might actually cancel the shoot if you have misrepresented your look. Its pretty simple. Take care of your skin, keep your profile updated to show your most recent look (even if its just a simple snapshot) and practice full disclosure if you have any major weight changes.
That is all.
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