50 women 13 hours all getting portraits

jlykins · Mar 2, 2009

I've been working with an event company recently that sets up parties for women. As a matter of fact I just shot a party for them Friday night. Anyway, they're going to have an event at the end of March for 50 women and one of the services is a photo session for them all. I have 13 hours to get through 50 women... Also the whole idea of these parties is to make women feel sexy and such, I mean the other services that they're offering are things like Pure romance products, strip tease lessons, spray tanning... I'm assuming that these aren't going to be strait forward sessions. They'll be wanting to do "glamor" or "sexy" posing, which isn't a problem except that they might take a little more time than a quick setup a "normal" pose and shoot.... No real point in this thread other than venting my pain that I already feel about this event...

impressme · Mar 2, 2009

Good luck with that one! It sounds practically impossible!

Side note- I was checking out your site and I absolutely love "The Way Home"... it's an amazing shot!

kundalini · Mar 2, 2009

According to your numbers, that gives you 15.6 minutes with each model...... with NO breaks in the action. Doesn't sound do-able nor feasible if you're the lone photog. Get a second to help you out.

jlykins · Mar 2, 2009

impressme said:
Good luck with that one! It sounds practically impossible!

Side note- I was checking out your site and I absolutely love "The Way Home"... it's an amazing shot!

Thanks! I have gotten a lot of good feedback from that image. There's actually a story behind the name too. While I was out there on this bridge taking that shot, some kids comes walking up and he told me that crossing that train bridge was how he got home every day. Now, that is a very active train bridge. As a matter of fact, I was a little worried about going out there to take that shot because you have to walk out a concrete bridge which is roughly 500 feet just to get to the metal one. If a train had rounded the bend, I would have been a little screwed, but anyway that's how I came up with the name the way home.

kundalini said:
According to your numbers, that gives you 15.6 minutes with each model...... with NO breaks in the action. Doesn't sound do-able nor feasible if you're the lone photog. Get a second to help you out.

Yeah I have another photog working for me that is going to work that event with me. She's going to relieve me for a break and then I'll do the same for her. It'll all work out. I hope.

Jeffrey Byrnes · Mar 2, 2009

I think the easiest thing for you to do is have one place set as side for you to shoot. A nice spot in a room that doesnt get bothered. Have an assistant go and bring the women to you to shoot so youre not running about trying to track them down. Take names down of the ones you shot so you know who you have done. Take emails down to, you never know if they would like to purchase additional prints from you.

And check this site out. Dustin Snipes Blog

Good luck.

craig · Mar 2, 2009

Piece of cake. You will definitely need your own corner. I would distribute a printed a card for them to fill out. That way all you will have to do is write down the frame number. If your camera has a flashing highlight function use it. Make a mark or figure out where they can stand so you will not have to fiddle with lights too much.

Try and cut your time as much as possible. Maybe assign each women a time to show up. 13 hours sounds too long to be cost effective.

Love & Bass

jlykins · Mar 3, 2009

craig said:
Piece of cake. You will definitely need your own corner. I would distribute a printed a card for them to fill out. That way all you will have to do is write down the frame number. If your camera has a flashing highlight function use it. Make a mark or figure out where they can stand so you will not have to fiddle with lights too much.

Try and cut your time as much as possible. Maybe assign each women a time to show up. 13 hours sounds too long to be cost effective.

Love & Bass

Good ideas. I just found out that it got cut to 30 women, and I'll still have all of that time if I need it. Plus I have a second photog working with me. No big deal. Now I get to enjoy myself. This is a womans only party, and I'll be the only guy there. If only I wasn't married... :mrgreen:

Bthornton · Mar 3, 2009

I have done these very same types of party shoots in the Detroit area and it has always been a nightmare. There has always been 2 of us and we work nonstop for 10 plus hours. A lot of the women coming to these are only coming for the free stuff and do not even know portraits will be taken so they are not dressed the way they would dress had they known. I even had a women ask if we could remove her armpit hair via photoshop since she did not know she would be doing photos and did not shave!
I have done these 6 times (I booked them all before doing the 1st one) and have made less than $500 on any of the total! I will never do that type of shoot again.
I had a whole room to shoot in and a changing area. I had brought silk sheets, boa's a few cool chairs, ect for props.
I hope your event goes better than mine did but is was the same companies "Pure romance products, strip tease lessons, spray tanning... "
If you want to pick my brain on staying organized with your paperwork ect during the shoot email me and I can give you some tips on what I figured out that worked for me.
Sorry if I rained on your parade, I really hope your shoot works out for you.

jlykins · Mar 3, 2009

No no, you didn't rain on my parade. I'm sure it'll be a nightmare. The thing is I contracted for the whole year with the owners of the event company at an hourly rate for their parties. I'll just do what I can with it, and hopefully it turns out alright.

CrimsonFoxPhotography · Mar 3, 2009

Bthornton said:
I have done these very same types of party shoots in the Detroit area and it has always been a nightmare. There has always been 2 of us and we work nonstop for 10 plus hours. A lot of the women coming to these are only coming for the free stuff and do not even know portraits will be taken so they are not dressed the way they would dress had they known. I even had a women ask if we could remove her armpit hair via photoshop since she did not know she would be doing photos and did not shave!
I have done these 6 times (I booked them all before doing the 1st one) and have made less than $500 on any of the total! I will never do that type of shoot again.
I had a whole room to shoot in and a changing area. I had brought silk sheets, boa's a few cool chairs, ect for props.
I hope your event goes better than mine did but is was the same companies "Pure romance products, strip tease lessons, spray tanning... "
If you want to pick my brain on staying organized with your paperwork ect during the shoot email me and I can give you some tips on what I figured out that worked for me.
Sorry if I rained on your parade, I really hope your shoot works out for you.

I'd be interested to hear your tips. I've been considering doing this type of thing so I'm working through potential gameplans and logistics.