Contact & FAQ

Best ways to contact me

E-mail: rmtphotography@gmail.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/firstfocus

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/pages/First-Focus-Photography/108079022646

Facebook Personal Profile: www.facebook.com/firstfocus

TEST SHOOT FAQ

Please do not get offended if I do not choose to do a TF shoot with you. There are many reasons as to why you do not suite my personal projects. Remember, they are experimental and on my own time, but paid shoots come first. Contact me for rates.

If you have hired me for a shoot then you can skip this page. This concerns Test Shoot and Time For projects where I give my free time with out charge in exchange for Models / Make Up Artists (MUA) / Hair stylists time and skill on collaboration projects. Due to lack of time for test shoots and personal work, I am mainly looking to work with signed or  experienced models.

I have done quite a few test shoots and this page tries to answer the the common questions.

Quick summary

• We shoot for quality over quantity
• You will get 5-10 digital copies of edited images, depending on shoot &  amount of editing required
• We will both decide together which images are going to be edited after the shoot
• I own copyright i.e. you cannot edit, sell or have images published with out my permission
• The images are not for commercial purposes, only for portfolio and self promotion
• No show / flake = You will not get another chance
• You cover all your own costs getting to and during the shoot and I cover mine
• You will get images within 28 days via a download link to full versions. They may also be put on facebook and I will tag you. You will get them quicker if I have no other work on – Editing takes time.
• Don’t mail me ( or any other photographer) a day after a shoot asking about the images.. its really annoying
• If you mail me looking for a test shoot, give me as much information about you as you can, including pics

IN DETAIL

What is a TF* / Test Shoot?

TF means ‘Time For’ i.e. I give my time as a photographer in return for providing you the model with the images for your portfolio / book. You the model provide you time and skill in return, I get the experience that comes with a photo shoot and the ability to use the images for my portfolio.

TF* Shoots can also be called Test Shoots

Another good definition :

A model portfolio test shoot or time for prints shoot is where a model or potential model attends a shoot with a photographer or studio without having to pay a fee and may receive pictures to use for their portfolio. Although often described as Time for Prints (TFP) it is far more common now for images to be supplied on CD which allows easy use for web portfolios and is therefore known as TFCD (Time for CD). All images taken at a TFP/TFCD/test shoot are still the copyright of the photographer and must not be used or sold without their permission including submission to magazine competitions. You may find that you are offered free Time for Prints (TFP/TFCD) shoots which will not cost you other than your time and travel.

Do you shoot everyone who asks for a Test Shoot?

A couple of months ago, I would have said yes. But lately I have been getting a lot busier and more and more people asking for a test shoot.On average get to do a test shoot once or twice a month.

To increase your changes of getting a test shoot, try to approach me with as much details as possible. Do not ask me for a test shoot and then ask me to come up with ideas / style / theme / location etc., lately, I just don’t have the time for that. The more you come to me with, the better chances are of it happening. I do have my own ideas for shoots that I will be looking for models, but you must bring something to the table first before I offer my suggestions.

It is a different story if I approach you for a shoot as the chances are that I have seen your work before and have already thought of a style, location etc.

Where will the images we take be viewable?

Currently there are three main places online where I publish my work.

My website, Facebook and Model Mayhem. I may also upload the photos to other discussion forums and portfolio websites as needed. I may also put up behind the scenes type shots where the equipment is in view for educational purposes.

At the end of the day, it is a test photoshoot where I will be testing out new looks and in order to learn from there, I usually post them online to see what other photographers think.

Will the images be sold for any purpose or published?

No, not unless we do a shoot with the intention of selling images or sending them off for publication.. If however the opportunity arises that some body is interested in using the images for a commercial reason, I will get in touch with you to let you know.

What if I don’t feel like shooting on the organised day just don’t want to turn up?

Be Honest and Straight! – If you are going to cancel at least tell me in advance and not have me waste time and money in travel and renting equipment. Failing to turn up / flaking out is unprofessional and a waste of my time that you are getting for free. The result of you flaking out is that I will not consider working with you again, and obviously a bad reference if anybody asks. I will not purposely name and shame flakers.

What if I can’t make a shoot for a genuine reason

Stuff happens that are beyond our control. If you have a genuine reason, we can work around it. If you don’t have a genuine excuse for failing to show at a shoot, I will consider it as flaking out and will not work with you in the future. I am sorry to say that the following excuses are among some that I have received are not genuine and not accepted.:

‘I am not in the mood’

‘I was on the beer last night and hungover, can we do it tomorrow’

‘I am not at home yet, can we do it another day’

‘I feel fat today, can we cancel’

‘I don’t look good today, can we reschedule’

….etc etc

This is my first shoot and I may be a bit nervous?

If it is your first, shoot then firstly fair play to you for doing it .  I generally like to meet up with models who I have never worked with before ( if they are experienced or not). During this pre-shoot meeting, we will discuss the shoot, finalise location, style, time and date etc. A secondary purpose of the meeting is to act as an ice-breaker and so we can get to know each other a little better before we shoot. It will make things much easier for you on the day.

Can I bring an escort /  chaperon / friend / boyfriend?

I have no problem with some body accompanying you do a shoot.  It can generally work out well as an extra pair of hands can be useful to help with the preparations.  If you are brining some one and they are going to hand around, then there are a few things to mention:

• I am the photographer not them. So they should not interfere or try to take control of the shoot.
• If they are there, they might as well do something. This means that they may be asked to hold a light, help get cloths ready etc. If they are not being useful then there is no point in being there
• Unless they have some experience, then they must not interfere with the shoot in anyway
• If you want to bring a boyfriend / girlfriend and they are the jealous type, then please leave them at home
• They are not allowed to bring their own camera and take photos

If you are under 18, then I insist that you bring along an escort and permission from a parent or guardian.

Will you give me direction and tell me what do you?

I will try my best to direct you during a shoot.  Some people have a natural instinct for modelling, others need to be encouraged a bit. I generally ask a model to get into a pose and then usually demonstrate it my self if it is too hard to explain. Some times when you are not posing at all is when the best shots come about, every one is different but I will try my best.

I like to do free posing a good bit during a shoot. This is where I will take a set of images in quick succession while you will have to pull a random pose for each shot.  It can be quite fun and can yield some interesting results some times.

I am going out the night before a shoot…. But I will be grand in the morning

If you turn up to the shoot hung-over and unable to work, then that is as good as a no show and again, I will not work with you again. If you are driving to a shoot hung-over, you could potentially still be over the drink drive limit also.

You need a good nights sleep before a photoshoot.  If not, your still will look tired and at the end of the day it will affect the  end result.

I have to travel to you, will you cover my travel costs?

TF* means Time For something, so that means no money is exchanged, only images and skill etc. I don’t pay for your travel. We both give our time for free and cover our own costs. I am usually travelling too so I have to cover my own travel costs first.

Times where money may be exchanged is if I ask a MUA for a specific look and I will contribute towards the cost of replacing the products used.

I think I am a great model, so will  you pay me?

No, unless I ask you to take part in a paid shoot, then a TF* shoot does not involve money. It is the photographer who generally has the higher costs anyway in all the equipment and all the editing time that goes into the photos.

I need prints for my book / portfolio, do you print them for me?

Currently I don’t offer prints for a test / TF shoots due to their cost. I do provide you with full size images that you can print your self. If I ever decide to get some prints of images for my self, then I will order some extra copies for you also.

What is the story with Digital Images you provide?

I provide you with 3 versions of each image that I decide to edit from a pick of photos that we decide on. I only pick the best images from a shoot to a max of 5-10.  The three versions are:

One large for printing, one large with my watermark and one small version with my watermark for uploading onto facebook etc.. It would be nice if you would only use the print ones for actual printing for your portfolio and the other copies with my watermark every where else to show who was the photographer.

How will I know what images you are going to edit, I might not like it?

At the end of the shoot, we will sit down and view all the images on my computer. There we will spend up to an hour if needed to go through all the images and whittle the list down to 10-20 images that we both like and are happy with. This way you know exactly what I may be editing and so there are no surprises.

If we are out on location, then this is generally done in the car on the laptop.  It is good to get it done as possible after the shoot while its still fresh in your head.

I want the Raw Files and  all the images taken, will you give them out?

Sorry, I do not give out the RAW files to anyone on a test shoot. I also will not give you all the images taken. This is so that only the best images are used and seen by others. I do no burn cd’s with all the images straight after the shoot. You will get the edited copies only.

In rare occasions where a model agency may ask to see some of the other shots, I can provide a contact sheet or reduced sizes versions of images in a pdf. It is both parties best interest to only have the best photos out in public.

How many different images will I get?

There is no set amount of images that you get, it depends on the shoot. Some shoots may be just one look and may only yield a handful of looks etc. 5-10 max is usually what I try to pick and edit. Editing time required is also a factor. If each photo takes more than an hour to edit, then that reduced the amount of over all images being used.. Each photo can take an hour to edit so 10 photos is 10 extra hours of work that I have to do.

When you send me the digital images, can I edit them?

NO! You are not allowed to edit any pictures, of any photographer unless given permission to do so, it’s the law. Copyright law states that the Photographer owns the images. You do get a license to use the images but not edit them. You are NOT PERMITTED to crop, edit or manipulate any image given to you by me unless given permission by me, AND ONLY ME

Can I take picture on my own camera for FaceBook?

NO! I am the photographer and you are the model. In some cases some ‘behind the scenes’ shoots are ok, but generally photos of the main look are not allowed. You are not allowed to use your own camera to take pictures during the shoot. Too much hard work goes into preparing a shoot to have it ruined by bad quality photos.

When will I get my images?

Please remember, editing takes time. This is not a paying project and the paid work comes first, so bare that in mind when contacting a photographer a day after a shoot looking for images. I try my best to get all images edited and put on Facebook with in 14 days. I will then send you a download link with in 21 days.

Generally I like to try to edit a few photo’s a day, so if you have 10 photos, that will take about a week. I will usually put it on FaceBook as soon as its done or upload a few every couple of days. Once I have all the images edited, only then will I email you a download link to all the images.

Any other questions, drop me a mail

Cheers