Hi; I'm Robert Destefano, chief cook and bottle washer of Robert Destefano Photography and robertdestefano.com.

I don't mean to be a prick or anything...  really... but friends requests are for people I have worked with. This isn't MySpace. If you want to work with me, just drop me a message, and we can talk. If you really like my work, but are not local enough, I'd love to see a tag or picture comment. I respond to all messages.

Services Offered:
Glamour Photography - studio shots with the purpose of making you look beautiful.

Mystical and Creative Photography - customized creative shooting to create a specific feeling, and often including significant photoshop alterations.

Enviormental Portraits - a photograph of you in a particular place or doing a particular activity/sport

Photoshop Services - customize your photographs for you on a contract basis.

If I contact you and ask you if you would like to shoot, you can assume the request is for a TFCD shoot (my terms for TFCD are at the bottom of the page). I pay models (only) when a client is paying for the shoot. Please don't approach me with - I'll be in your area and would love to work with you. My fee is....   

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The biggest thing I ask from a model is a relaxed approach - in short, the ability to laugh. I want you to be professional about keeping appointments, but beyond that, serious has little place in what I need. I want you to be able to relax, joke about things and goof for the camera. Even if I'm a lot closer to your parent's age than your's, I still like humor, irreverence and a general lack of seriousness.

I am fully aware that references will either make or break me in this endeavor, so I want you to enjoy the shoot and love the pictures enough to want to come back and shoot more projects with me.
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Shooting Costs/Sitting Fees: At this time, I'm offering TFCD for projects listed below, and would like to hear from you if you have an idea that would complement my portfolio and that you want to shoot TFCD. If you want pictures without signing a stock release, please contact me for rates. I'm sure you'll find they're quite reasonable.
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Particular interests at this time in Reno and surrounding area:

Figure skaters of both genders

X-gamers of both genders

18-30 female with bridal dress
18-30 male in tuxedo

Ballet, both genders, 16 - 30 for clothed ballet shooting, particularly an on-location shoot if you have access to a stage.

Capoeira dancing. I will travel to your location for this.

Horse riding: I am looking for women (16 - 35) who can ride a horse for several themes:
** Riding in fresh snow
** Shallow water and beach. I have been in touch with one of the stables in Half Moon Bay (just south of San Francisco) and can rent a horse for the shoot, but you're responsible for riding and caring for the horse.
** Barrel racers
** Jumpers in green grass field
** Dressage in green grass field

1950s - 1960s male retro look;
16 - 25: Beaver Cleaver - Leave it to Beaver
30 - 50: Matt Damon in The Good Shepherd
            Michael Douglas in Falling Down

Both genders, all ages for enviormental portraits. If you have some ideas for a shoot and want me to do it, please pitch the idea to me. I might not need or want it, and if so, will quote you a reasonable price, which you can accept or decline. On the other hand, I might really like the idea and add some ideas of my own. In short, it can't hurt to ask, but have some ideas of what you're asking for.

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Since contact information, escorts, TFCD, ages, etc seem to be so controversial on Model Mayhem, here comes the really boring but necessary part where I spell out how I do things. Since I'm a professional, I'll spell out my policies and procedures so that you know where I stand. You're free to discuss, accept or reject them. If it's reasonable, I will of course discuss things.

Meeting: I insist on speaking by phone or in person with a model before a shoot, and I require a phone number before shooting. Anything less than that is unprofessional.

First, please drop me a message if you're interested in working with me. If I am interested in working with you also, I'll give you a phone number, and we can talk. Once we've covered the basic idea of the shoot by message, it is a waste of time to send messages back and forth discussing details over three days or more when a 15 minute phone call will solve all of that.

Models: I understand that people who have initially appeared responsible have turned into stalkers. I can only assure you that I'm not a lonely guy and am only interested in pictures... not long interminable discussions either by messaging or by phone. If you're concerned about stalking from our initial phone call, please feel free to use *67 or whatever it is that disables caller ID.
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Minors: I'll be glad to work with minors, but no nudity or implied nudity of anyone under 18 under any circumstances. Although a parent does not have to stay at the shoot, I must meet at least one parent prior to shooting to get the release signed. No exceptions. I will ask for a driver's license of all models prior to shooting pretty much along the same lines as if you might get carded buying alcohol.
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I'll provide soft drinks for all shoots, and lunch for all-day shoots. For TFCD shoots, adults may have alcoholic beverages in moderation if they wish, but for a paid shoot with a client, we'll stick to soft drinks.

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Escorts: I don't mind if you bring an escort with you to a shoot, but we cannot have interference in the shoot. If you bring an escort, please follow these guidelines:

**  Ask them to stay quiet and unobtrusive - in short, to let you handle things. An escort that's giggling at you, trying to direct you or making you tense will ruin the shoot. It would be best if the escort could blend into the woodwork, so to speak.
**  Please bring someone you're comfortable with. Being tense or embarrassed comes through the lens. You need to be able to improvise, laugh and goof for the camera, whether clothed or not.
**  Some positions in dance or yoga will be difficult and will require 20 or 30 seconds of absolute concentration. Please do not allow interference in these types of shoots.
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Paid Models: For a highly experienced model and a very specific project, I'll pay for model time. Rates will be negotiated at the time. I expect a paid professional model to be on time, sign a release, be professional and friendly, and to not expect prints after the session. That's TFCD.
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Having said that, I prefer TFCD for its collaborative nature. My terms for this are that I will do the shoot and require a model release. In exchange, I'll do a couple things for you:

**  First, I'll shoot any ideas/goals you have for your own portfolio, and indeed welcome your ideas.
**  Secondly I'll give you all of the pictures from the shoot that reflect well on both you and I, and I'll do this within two weeks. These pictures will be large enough to print, and will have my name blended into the color along an unobtrusive edge - not across the picture.
**  TFCD does NOT mean I will give you the raw images right out of the camera, nor does it mean that I'll give you all of the images from the shoot. If that's what it means to you, forget it. I will give you all the prints I judge as quality. I presume that you are interested in my skills based on my portfolio (rather than this long winded page), and part of those skills include deciding what looks good and what doesn't.
**  You'll get a digital copy of at least every print I send in for stock. Practically, what this means is that you'll get at least one excellent image and at least four to five very good images and probably a lot more. The quality of the images is going to primarily depend on how relaxed you are.
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I will hold the copyright and all rights to the pictures. I'll use the prints for stock photography and will get income from them which you'll have no rights to. You may print and use the prints to show for portfolio, promotional and to gain work. I will have no right to any percentage you receive from future jobs that your portfolio gets, but you may not sell these prints without prior permission.

If all this is ok with you, please feel free to contact me through MM or through my website for a shoot.

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Non Model Mayhem models:
Rick Brown, Reno, NV
Brad Loomis, Healthy Bodies, Portolla, CA
Derek Cecil, Reno Police Dept
Freddy Christiansen - the nut on the motorcycle
Self-Portrait, whoever the heck he was. Darn guy wouldn't smile!
Josh Sinocruz, United Studios of Self Defense, Reno, NV
Andrea Gardella
Lindsey Roberts, specializing in ballet and suspension
Statue in Goldwell Museum, Rhyolite, NV, by permission
Andrew Ryan is the guy who looks like he's going to drown

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