need help with quoting for model shoot

[cgipson1]

Are product shoots really that much different than a portrait used to promote the product?

I am not a product Ronny, I am a human being!

I find there is a lack of supporting evidence for this hypothesis.

^This! Many of Runnah's posts support my theory, that:

A. Runnah is a small child in a third world country, that is suffering from severe sleep deprivation
B. Runnah is a rather intelligent, non-malicious computer bot written by a sleep deprived small child in a third world country.

 

[imagemaker46]

i've never done a portrait before, not ever. that's why i'm nervous - i've turned down lots of jobs because i'm shy and don't have the experience, and worry i'll look like an idiot (obviously i have self esteem issues haha), but i just need to stop saying no and get some experience!

You made the statement "I'm a professional photographer" with that comes the responsibility of being just that. By what you have said you are clearly not ready to bill yourself as a professional, regardless if you believe you are. What you should do is take some courses on portrait photography, there must be some camera clubs they may even be able to help you out. If you are turning down jobs because you can't handle the mental pressure, it's really time to just take a couple of steps back until you get some confidence and experience in yourself. We've all been through the same thing, the difference is the majority on this forum aren't calling themselves professionals, even though the quality of the work many produce is at that level.

I'm not sure that's totally fair comment Scott; after all I think one can be a professional without being skilled in all aspects of the craft. I like to think of myself as a reasonably decent portrait shooter, but stick me in a nightclub and tell me to get good party shots, ehhh, I'd probably have a tough go the first round or two. That said, as I indicated earlier, I don't think it's professional to take on work you're not competent at, nor to "practice" on the customer's time and dime.

Perhaps not totally fair, so I will go back to my original comment, tell the client to use someone else that can do the job.

 

[tirediron]

Are product shoots really that much different than a portrait used to promote the product? They both utilize off camera flash. Given that the OP is a professional photographer, I'm not judging or saying one way or the other, shouldn't a little research and say an hour of shooting be able to produce one good photo that the client is looking for?

I suspect different photographers will have different viewpoints. IMO, they are quite different. Yes, they both utilize studio lighting, but the nature and application of the lighting can be very different. For instance, a highly reflective product such as a watch or ring may rely heavily on subtractive lighting, using many small lights clustered tightly around a desk or worktable with dozens of small gobos and reflectors carefullly placed here and there, where as a complex fashion shot may require several large lights with large SBs, and modifiers such as grids and snoots. Granted, if you understand lighting theory and are good at one, you should be at least mediocre at the other, but if you don't practice... even Tiger Woods would probably be no more than a hack golfer if he didn't practice hours every day...

 

[tirediron]

Perhaps not totally fair, so I will go back to my original comment, tell the client to use someone else that can do the job.

And on that sir, we agree!

 

[runnah]

^This! Many of Runnah's posts support my theory, that:

A. Runnah is a small child in a third world country, that is suffering from severe sleep deprivation
B. Runnah is a rather intelligent, non-malicious computer bot written by a sleep deprived small child in a third world country.

I am of flesh and bytes... I mean blood.

 

[cgipson1]

You made the statement "I'm a professional photographer" with that comes the responsibility of being just that. By what you have said you are clearly not ready to bill yourself as a professional, regardless if you believe you are. What you should do is take some courses on portrait photography, there must be some camera clubs they may even be able to help you out. If you are turning down jobs because you can't handle the mental pressure, it's really time to just take a couple of steps back until you get some confidence and experience in yourself. We've all been through the same thing, the difference is the majority on this forum aren't calling themselves professionals, even though the quality of the work many produce is at that level.

I'm not sure that's totally fair comment Scott; after all I think one can be a professional without being skilled in all aspects of the craft. I like to think of myself as a reasonably decent portrait shooter, but stick me in a nightclub and tell me to get good party shots, ehhh, I'd probably have a tough go the first round or two. That said, as I indicated earlier, I don't think it's professional to take on work you're not competent at, nor to "practice" on the customer's time and dime.

Perhaps not totally fair, so I will go back to my original comment, tell the client to use someone else that can do the job.

I agree that a "client" should never have to "pay" a photographer to learn something that they don't know how to do, at the shoot itself. If a gig was accepted, the photographer should already have the knowledge to do a competent, professional job before they show up at the shoot!

 

[vintagesnaps]

I think you need to accept jobs that you feel confident in your ability to handle. If someone asked me to take pictures of backlit signs in an arena or a group of people holding a big fake cardboard check before a game I'd say sure, I can do that; if they asked me to photograph a wedding I'd run screaming into the night (unless it's a wedding involving a limo on ice, then I might consider it.)

I agree it takes lots of practice and learning but I don't think during a paid shoot is the time and place to be just starting to learn how to do a particular type shot; learning how to do it first would more likely help a photographer be successful at it.

 

[imagemaker46]

There are jobs that I know I can shoot, but I will still recommend friends that specialize in them. Clients appreciate it, and somewhere down the road the favour comes back.

 

[de_tec_tive]

thanks so much for your advice everyone, i really appreciate it. you're right, learning while the client it paying is not the way to do it, it's unfair to them. i'll pass them on some details of other friends they can ask.

the other jobs i've passed up on doing were bands (i do alot of live music). i might join some facebook groups etc that have models wanting to do shoots so i can get some practice first. thank you!