Category Archives: Business

Top 5 Inspirational Photographers and artists

30 Sunday Jun 2013

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As a photographer and digital artist I am always using the web to seek out other photographers and artists, sometimes to network, others just to look at amazing work and sometimes purely for inspiration.

We all need people and things to inspire us in our daily lives, it is how we grow as people and it is how we grow as professionals, without inspiration there is only stagnation and with stagnation there is self doubt.

As my photography and digital artistry has progressed my list of inspirational photographers & artists has grown and I’d like to share with you my top five inspirational photographers & artists (in no particular order)

1) Damien Lovegrove

Damien learned his trade as a cameraman and lighting director during 14 years at the BBC, working on programmes such as the Clothes Show, Top of the Pops and Casualty. Days off from filming were often spent taking photographs for a variety of top name clients including Peugeot, Motorola, and Adidas.

Anyone who has met Damien can’t fail to be inspired and motivated by his enthusiasm for his second career. So much so that once you get him started on a subject it’s hard to shut him up…

Fifteen years on, Damien has become one of the foremost photographers and trainers in the industry. A published writer and regular columnist, Damien has travelled the globe shooting and sharing his knowledge and expertise.

Lovegrove Consulting

Lovegrove Photography

2) Glyn Dewis

Glyn Dewis is a Photographer, Retoucher, Trainer and Photoshop World Instructor currently based just outside of Oxford in the UK.

Working both Nationally and Internationally his main area of work sees him shooting Promotional and Commercial material for Industry Professionals, Physique Athletes, Musicians, Bands and Up and Coming Actors.

An Adobe Community Professional, he teaches Workshops and 1-1 Coaching specifically covering all aspects of Adobe® Photoshop® from the Basics through to Advanced Retouching Techniques, and is also available for National and International Speaking/Talks, Seminars and Workshops on both Photography & Photoshop.

Glyn Dewis

3) Dave Kai Piper

Dave is a photographer specialising in Couture Fashion, Lingerie, Evening-wear, Bespoke Bridal & Millinery Fashions. Dave is based in London & Bristol and he also writes an entertaining and informative Blog

DKP Photography

4) Julia Boggio

The award-winning and internationally renowned photographer Julia Boggio established her studio in London in 2005. Her aim then – as it still is today – was to create a unique photography studio that would enable everyone to enjoy the sort of high-end fashion shoot experience normally associated with style magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair.

From the moment you arrive at her studio you’ll feel like you’re at one of the top fashion studios in Paris or Milan, and about to be photographed for one of the world’s top glossy magazines. Her work – especially her now famous Vintage Boudoir photoshoots – has established Julia as one of the country’s leading portrait photographers, and her photographs are used in exhibitions and magazines worldwide. She is also a popular columnist for Photo Pro magazine and is regularly interviewed for other photography and lifestyle magazines.

Julia Boggio Studios

5) Neil Van Niekerk

Neil is a Photographer, trainer and author based in New Jersey in the USA. Best known perhaps for his amazing “Tangents” blog where he not only showcases his amazing work, but also provides useful insight into why and how he took them.

Tangents

 

Best – Colin

5 Top Tips for a stress free photoshoot

09 Sunday Jun 2013

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It can be a very rewarding experience working with models, both for the photographer and the model. But when things go wrong all too often I hear models complaining about their photographer or photographers complaining about their model and worse still photographers and models making these complaints in online forums or on Facebook which sometimes attract many thousands of views – sadly neither put the model or the photographer in good light.

All too often these complaints are borne out of frustration that the shoot didn’t go as planned, or that the model or the photographer didn’t get the pictures they wanted.

Its an old adage I know, but one which is very apt for those in the photographic industry, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.

Here are my 5 steps for ensuring that your next photo shoot goes without a hitch and model and photographer come away happy

1) Plan, Plan, Plan – I cannot stress how important it is for the photographer to plan their shoot – now I’m not suggesting planning with military precision down to the minutest detail – although if that’s how you work that’s fine – just ensure you have a photographic concept in mind, the right model, the right location, the right clothes and or props, a hairstylist and or Make Up artist, an assistant and everyone knows how to get to the location and at what time. Even in the Summer months make sure you have a warm coat and umbrella in the car – your freezing cold swim ware model will thank you for it

2) Communicate – I see so many photographers who sit behind the lens of a camera and click away without saying a word. Communicate with your model, they are not mind readers, they don’t know what you want unless you tell them. If you want the model to put her hand on her hip a bit higher than she has, tell her! All people need words of encouragement, tell the model her smile is gorgeous and she will smile a gorgeous smile – listen to some of the pro fashion photographers – they spend the entire shoot directing, cajoling and complimenting their models. The same communication needs to be for any stylists and MUA’s too – they don’t know EXACTLY what you want unless you tell them.

3) Always have a Plan B – Sometimes the best laid plans fall apart – always have a plan B, even if that Plan B is “we can’t continue – lets all reschedule”

4) Take regular breaks – It’s tough being a photographer – it’s equally tough being a model – you try standing on the beach in sub zero temperatures for hours on end! Always plan to have regular breaks for a drink, comfort breaks or just to look at what you have done so far – you will get more out of the model and consequently out of your shoot if you take regular breaks

5) Know when to stop – Its easy to keep clicking away – especially with modern DSLR’s of today – but if you have followed the four previous steps you will probably have “got the shot” by now – so stop – thank the model and the rest of your creative team and go home happy

Best

Colin

Interview with a model – Lorena Fernandez

07 Thursday Mar 2013

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Morning

I have shot with Lorena Fernandez several times during the past few years and she is always the consumate professional and great fun to work with. Back in November last year I asked Lorena for an interview with “The Starving Artist” blog and Lorena took some time out recently from her hectic schedule for that interview. Hopefully this will provide some insight into the life of a professional model.

{The Starving Artist} Good morning Lorena – thanks for coming into the office

{Lorena Fernandez} Hi Colin – great to be here – can’t wait to hear what you have to ask!

{TSA} Haha – ok! Lets crack on then. So Lorena, I know you are from Spain, but tell us a little bit about your origins and why you decided to settle here in the UK

{LF} I was born and raised in Valencia, a sunny coastal town in Spain. My whole family ‘looks’ Spanish but my great grandfather was German and somehow the ‘genes’ were passed on to me, to the point that most people tend to think I’m eastern European! I always like travelling and did my last year of Uni in the United States, by then I had met my now husband (who is from Bristol) and decided to move here with him (my English is better that his Spanish, so I had a better chance of finding a job here!).

{TSA} At what age did you start modelling?

{LF} When I was 4-5 years old, my parents put me in a modelling agency, as a blonde kid in a country where most kids are brunette was quite beneficial for me…I did several TV adverts, kid’s catwalks and children’s catalogues and through my teens continued with the modelling, expanding onto acting (studied Drama for 2 years) and hostessing/promotions too…Moving to the UK meant I had to almost start from scratch, as I did not know anybody in the industry. Fast forward 6 years, and I would say ‘I’m there!’

{TSA} So with all this experience behind you what would your “Dream
Modelling Job” be?

{LF} Well, I have to be realistic…my dream job would be walking the
catwalks of Paris, Milan or New York, but I never grew those extra 2-3
inches, so my next one in the list would be featuring on the likes of Vogue
and Elle…but if I’m completely honest, I enjoy my job so much, that every
photo shoot, catwalk, music video or film I do is part of my ‘living the
dream’! I am very happy with the way my life and my career has turned out.

{TSA} What’s your biggest luxury?

{LF} I find this question a bit ambiguous…if you mean what the luxury
items I spend my money on, you need to know that I’m a bit – a lot – of a
geek, so I always need to have the latest gadget (there is only the two of
us in our house, but we have 3 iPads, 3 iPhones, 5 flat screen TVs, 2
Xbox-360 consoles, a Playstation III, a Wii, 2 latptops and a PC, which is
great for gaming sessions with friends!
If you are talking in a more figuratively way, my biggest luxury is being
healthy and having a supporting family who has always told me that with hard
work and dedication there is nothing I can’t achieve! They always make me
aim for the best, so I was a straight A student, graduated from university
with the highest GPA (I made into the ‘President’s List’, meaning I was one
of the 10 best marks from everybody graduating that summer) and in all my
jobs I tried to give 110% – nothing (and nobody) can ever be perfect, but
it’s fun trying to get there!

{TSA} I did mean figuratively – but great answer anyway! So, how would you
define your own personal modelling style?

{LF} I guess I’m what you call a classic look – long wavy blonde hair, blue
eyes and round face and body contours – so no surprise my favourite shoots
are portraits and I love modelling wedding dresses and ball-gowns on the
catwalk!
And I am a happy person, so I would say my best shots are when I’m smiling!
Of course, sometime I end up being ‘cliched’ into the same styles, so every
now and again I love doing jobs that push the boundaries, like the ‘Corpse
Bride’ shoot we did last year…it’s been great for me in terms of
networking, as everybody remembers those photos and gets surprised to see
that I was the girl under the amazing special effects make-up!

Thunder & lightening, very very frightening !!

Thunder & lightening, very very frightening !!

{TSA} Thanks for the “Corpse Bride” plug! Modelling is tough though how do you stay in shape?

{LF} Ok, to say it clear and loud, anybody who knows me, knows my love for good food! In Spain we have 5 meals a day, so when they see me eating that much in this country, I have to admit it must be down to good genes! But also the fact that I eat healthy food and use olive oil in all my cooking – that is my worst kept secret, I swear by olive oil! Of course every now and then I’m unhealthy, who can say no to bangers and mash or a proper full english breakfast! If I’m feeling too unhealthy, I drop by the gym (I say drop by, as I’m no gym-bunny and this is almost my last resort!). I try to walk for at least 30 mins every day and I’m a true believer that any night I go out clubbing, dancing all night must help too! Oh and retail therapy – good for your health to walk and carry ‘heavy bags’ for a good 4-5 hours and also good for your mind – I love shopping!

{TSA} Who do you admire and would most like to meet?

{LF} I admire people that pursue their dreams, that make the most with what
life throws at them and that enjoy the lives and careers – that’s what I aspire to!
I know it’s not realistic, but I would love to meet Leonardo Da Vinci, it amazes me how intelligent he was to make the most of his work, on a time in history where there were no computers or gadgets to do the thinking for you; I’m fascinated by all those ‘inventors’ who made amazing things – it was all down to their intellect and efficient use of the resources around them! Also, as a most trivial look at people I would like to meet, I would say Claudia Schiffer (my favourite model) and Craig David (my favourite singer).

{TSA} So what’s the best advise you have ever received? 

{LF} From my dad: ‘be the best, work hard, don’t let anybody tell you there
is something you can’t achieve, you have to believe in yourself before anybody else does’ – let’s say I’m trying to make him a proud dad!

{TSA} I think he must be proud! So tell us what you do in your “downtime”?

{LF} As mentioned in previous questions: I eat, shop, dance, play
video-games…and model! I enjoy my job so much, sometimes it does not feel
like a job!

{TSA} What is the most interesting shoot you have ever done?

{LF} I already mentioned the ‘Corpse Bride’ shoot (awesome make up, awesome location, awesome people to work with). Also some of my acting/extra roles can be quite fun, as you turn into a complete different ‘person’ each time – I have ‘been’ a nurse, a kidnap victim (three times, one of them as a vampire hostage), an art thief, a turn-of-the-century lady, an air hostess, a victorian maid, Princess Leia and a psychiatric patient, among others! Finally one of the jobs I enjoy most (for the excitement) is working as a grid girl in Silverstone, the cars are extraordinary (and the are revving,
inches away from you), everybody is in hight spirits and there are cameras
everywhere! My idea of heaven!

Bridal Fashion - Lorena F

Bridal Fashion – Lorena F

{TSA} And finally – Do you have any advice for those just wanting to start
out on a career in modelling?

{LF} This is not an easy world (the past few years have shown a boom in models and photographers) so you need to stand out and prove your worth. You have to be active, especially online where most of the jobs (and key people) are now. So:
– Build your portfolio, to create impactful images so that you can
make a name for yourself (and update it regularly).
– Network: have as many profiles online as you can, you never know where the next opportunity is going to come from. Join groups, forums and discussions; be seen and be heard.
– Show professionalism. You can be the most beautiful model around, but you will still be working with real people who also want the best for their careers, so you need to be polite, adaptable and presentable (take care of your image and health, is your best tool after all!).
– Practice, practice, practice. There is always a first time for every job, but the more you work the best you get at it…sometimes you’ll get offers for low paid or not paid at all jobs, but make sure to choose them carefully: a paid job may be more enticing (nobody likes working for free), but that unpaid job with prospects to publication will probably open more doors for you.
– And finally, enjoy what you do. If you are happy, it shows (and it’s contagious) – who doesn’t want to work with an easy-going, positive person?  And again this benefits you in the long run, as word-of-mouth will describe you as a ‘great model’, the one that offers the whole package.

{TSA} Sound advice there Lorena. That about wraps it up – thanks so much for
your time Lorena!

{LF} Thanks Colin!!

Lorena is a professional actress/model and you can see her work here, Lorena Fernandez and you can follow her on Twitter @lorena__F

Always open your post

11 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by in Business, Photography, Wildlife

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Morning

Most mornings when I open the mail it’s either bills 😦 junk mail 😦 😦 or some other meaningless piece of paper that either ends up in the bin, or worse, left unopened.

Today though was a different matter!

In the mail today I received a certificate from The Societies.

The Societies are the fastest growing worldwide association for professional photographers. They manage eight internationally recognised photographic organisations focusing on prime services to full time and aspiring full time photographers

Each month they run competitions under each of their organisations, I myself belong to the SINWP and the SWPP (Society of International Nature & Wildlife Photographers & Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers)

The standard of these competitions is very high as the entries each month come from photographers from all over the world. Each entry is ranked as follows:

Gold: Awards will go forward to the annual judging and are deemed to be images of the highest standard and will be published in Professional Imagemaker 

Highly Commended: Above standard. These images will be reviewed every three months and have the potential of being reclassified as Gold.

Not Awarded: Unfortunately these images fall below the standard required to be given an award.

Disqualified: These images have not adhered to the competition rules or category definitions.

The annual judging takes place at a hotel in London in January where the winner of each category is crowned Photographer of the Year and wins a nice trophy.

So I was happy today.

The image is of a common Buzzard in flight and posted below – along with the certificate 🙂

Buzzard

goldawardswpp-blog

Best – Colin

Back to Basics – one light setup

07 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by in Business, Lighting, Photography

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Morning

All photographers need light, be it daylight, sunlight, flashlight, or even moon light, we all need light, because without light there is only darkness.

I see photographers spending hours setting up 3, 4, 5, 6 or even more lights to light a single subject in a studio – fine if you are being commissioned to shoot a big brand commercial where you only have one opportunity to pull off the shot, but for normal paying clients it’s really NOT necessary.

Sometimes people over complicate things, you don’t really NEED to use multiple lights to get the best out of your subject. You might think that using a main light with a fill light and perhaps a hair light to separate them from the background is the way it should be done – and if you read most of the text books on studio lighting you will be right – but you don’t HAVE to do it that way.

If you know how to shape and modify light, and position the light correctly, you can create a stunningly simple image that your clients will love.

This image of Emily was taken with a single light, a single exposure and the only Photoshop work was to convert to mono, everything else is straight out of camera.

One Light

Have a think about how I shot this, with just a single light source.

With one light it is quite simple to add light modifiers to shape the light and add some drama to your image.

This picture of Holly was shot using a continuous light source off to my left and simply shot through a set of blinds strapped to a light stand. Careful positioning results in a pleasing composition, with the light striking the eyes and the mouth.

One light

So you see, it is quite easy to create beautiful and simple images that clients will love, with no more than a single light source and some light modifiers.

Best – Colin

 

 

Why are some photographers so expensive?

02 Friday Nov 2012

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Afternoon

It’s a question I hear quite regularly, a client rings up for a price on a family portrait session or maybe a pre-engagement shoot, and then after informing them of the cost, there is a sharp intake of breath and the words “why are you so expensive, xyz photographer can do it for £x”

There is more to being a “Professional Photographer” than just having a £600 DSLR and being able to take “nice pictures” the skill needs to be honed over many years. In fact, running a successful photography business these days requires more than just good photography skills, you need a sound business head, with good marketing and sales skills, and above all you need to be a “people person”

Coupled with this the fact that a “Professional Photographer” may also have a studio to run, with all those associated costs, not least the photographic accessories like backgrounds, props, lights, stands and all the other paraphernalia that makes up a photographers studio space. Even without the studio space, there are still computers with enough storage space for the ever increasing size of image files, software programmes for editing, a website to be managed and kept up to date, and don’t forget Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance.

Breaking this down even further, lets say I charge £250 for a 1 hour photo shoot. Many clients see that as me charging £250 per hour, more than the cost of their lawyer in some instances. But lets take a look at the work involved.

1hr Photo session (Studio Shoot)

  • Telephone/email discussions with client (30 minutes)
  • Studio Prep (30mins to 1 hour)
  • Photo Shoot (1 hour)
  • Load images onto computer (30 minutes)
  • Back up images to external media (30 minutes)
  • Catalogue, key word, and grade images 30-60 minutes)
  • Editing of images (2-3 hours depending on level of retouching)
  • Backing up of edited images (30 minutes)
  • Arrange viewing session with client (1 hour)

If the shoot is on location then there is additional prep time, load/unload vehicles, travel to/from location.

Clearly from this we can see that I am not charging £250 per hour!

But lets get back to the question, why can xyz photographer down the road shoot the session cheaper than me? Well, there are many reasons for this, they may be “weekend warriors” a slightly disparaging term for Photographers who during the week are at work in their chosen profession but at weekends they shoot weddings or portraits for money, either as a hobby or genuinely because they are just starting out in the business.

They may have a different business model than me, i.e. low price, high turnover or they may not offer any additional services i.e. they don’t do any retouching. Their overheads maybe considerably less too. And one very important thing to ask yourself is, do they have the proper insurance in place.

I often say this to my clients. Buying the services of a pro photographer is no different to buying the services of a lawyer, plumber, electrician or dentist. You wouldn’t hire a lawyer because he was the cheapest, so why hire a photographer because he is the cheapest?

Remember, in life, you get what you pay for.

Best – Colin

 

 

 

Should I allow a Chaperone?

25 Thursday Oct 2012

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Afternoon

About a month ago I was contacted by a lady out of the blue that had seen my work (via various www & social networking sites) and wanted me to shoot her with a very specific theme in mind. She was able to provide a MUA (make up artist) and all the necessary props for this shoot, she just wanted me to source a location that fitted the theme, and of course, take the photographs.

I won’t mention the theme of the shoot as that will be for another blog post – but suffice it to say the lady will be fully clothed, it is not topless/nude/implied nude, just a regular shoot with a cool theme.

There is a very good location available for this shoot, an abandoned building that suits the theme well, I even went and double checked to make sure. We exchanged a few emails, arranged a date and time and she even provided me with the details of the MUA she had chosen. So it was all in my diary.

Then I get another email from her today, completely out of the blue, saying that she was bringing her husband along as chaperone, end of.

Now the internet, for all its problems, can be a wonderful thing – the very first thing I do, when I receive any contact from a client, or prospective client, is to check them out on the web – nothing too heavy or deep, I’m no PI, but I do like to check people are who they say they are and do what they say they do – it’s just common sense really.

I’d also assume that any female contacting a male photographer would do the same, probably to a greater degree, you do hear so many “horror stories” that surely it’s the most sensible thing to do. And certainly as she contacted me she must have at least checked me out to some degree.

So the email from her was a little surprising, to say the least.

I only ever shoot one on one with a client or model if I have worked with them before, they know me and I know them. There is always a secondary (sometimes more) person present, usually an MUA, or stylist (or both). If this was a topless/implied nude shoot then I could understand a chaperone request, but not for this.

The MUA’s & stylists are professionals, they know to keep out of the way on set, the chaperone is not, so that is one extra person I have to be aware of, and I don’t want to be worrying or thinking about this person when I am trying to be creative with camera. Nor do I want husband tripping over a cable and breaking a leg either.

Some men (read most men!!) get extremely protective of their wifes/girlfriends especially when other men are around – a million years of evolution hasn’t changed much there! So when I say to the model – do this or do that, or pose like this or smile in this way, I want the model to do it without a glare from the husband/boyfriend – it just makes life easier.

So my dilemma is this – do I break my own rules and go ahead with this shoot with the chaperone present, or do I stick to my guns and explain my stance with the client?

Would be interested to know what you would do in this situation.

Best  – Colin

Do you trust your models?

23 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in Business, General, Photography

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Evening

I was chatting to a photographer friend of mine today over a coffee in my local Starbucks and the subject of using models on a TFP basis came up. (for those non photographer readers here, TFP stands for, Time for Print, which is a throw back from the pre digital age when photographers and models would collaborate together but no money would change hands, the photographer shoots the model and the model would receive prints as payment, hence TFP. These days with the advent of digital it is usually abbreviated to just TF, same rules apply, but model receives digital images in place of prints)

During the course of the conversation my friend mentioned that he only ever provides low res Facebook quality images to models, AND they are watermarked. This did seem a little strange to me, after all, the model has given up her time for free and in most cases has travelled at her own expense to the location, so why only give them 800×800 pixel images with a watermark as payment – I mean, models want to use images for their portfolios too!

His response to this was that with the advent of the digital age, no one ever wants prints (and if the models asks for prints he will provide a print at cost price, but NOT the image file). Models are only interested in posting to Facebook or Twitter (or other social media websites) and sharing the pictures via email to all their “hundreds” of friends.

This is very true, I see pictures that I have taken pop up almost daily on Facebook profiles etc and can totally understand the immediate gratification when posting an image online, a picture posted now can be seen by someone everywhere in the world within minutes – how cool is that !

But, as the conversation rumbled on my friend said something that really did get me thinking. Lets say I do a photo shoot, it went REALLY well, the images were AMAZING and I had agreed to provide high res images to a model – what is there stopping that model then selling my work (as it is high res 300 dpi) and making money – or worse still (in his opinion) either the model, or the models partner “having a go at it” with “Photoshop” and then posting it on the Internet but still crediting me.

Wait, a “license to use agreement” I hear you all cry!

Well yes, that SHOULD do it, but lets be honest, if a model is that unscrupulous that she would think of selling your work in the first place would a license agreement deter her. After all, what are the chances of being found out?

As for the Photoshopping that can also be stopped by a license agreement, but if someone wants to photoshop one of my images, with photography being such a subjective art, who is to say that their version is better/worse than mine?

There is a whole can of words to be opened up with this, but personally I think it just boils down to trust – I trust people until proven other wise – if I found an image of mine had been commercially sold by a model that I had trusted with a high res image, then I’d never work with her again and would certainly let it be known within my circle that she (or he if a male model) shouldn’t be trusted!

This industry is very “tight” word soon gets around.

And just to make my position clear on this, I always provide unmarked low res Facebook images, I also *usually* provide high res images on a CD, with the requisite license agreement. (Occasionally I forget to do the high res images and time passes by, but when prompted by the model I always deliver)

To my knowledge I have never had an image used without my permission, modified or sold (touch wood!!)

We could both still have been sat in Starbucks now discussing this, we will never agree, neither of us are wrong, but what works for me, just doesn’t work for him….

Best – Colin

Doing Business

11 Thursday Oct 2012

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Morning

A few tips today about doing business to business transactions or working together in a business partnership. This post is based on a very true story, the names of the parties will be changed to protect the innocent. This story is about the photographic industry, but applies equally to other industries.

Dave (not is real name) a professional studio photographer was just locking up after a long day in the studio when he got a tap on the shoulder from John (not his real name) a business tenant in the same building as Dave. John runs an online business selling specialist clothing to private individuals

John tells Dave he has been looking for a photographer to go into business with and he has a fantastic business proposition for Dave which will make both of them heaps of money. Dave is intrigued and decides to meet with John to discuss.

Over the next few weeks they meet regularly to discuss Johns proposition, the business idea evolves into a tangible plan of action to move forward. Johns business idea is to use models (supplied by Dave) to model his clothing lines and have professional location based photographs taken (by Dave). The finished photos to be sold on a subscription based website (by John) They agree on a 50/50 partnership with all profits split equally

Dave wants to put something down in writing and set up a company, but John wants some test shoots completed first. Dave organises a test shoot, finds a model who will work on a TF basis (TF = time for, model works for free but receives edited photos for her time) finds a location.

Everything goes well and a few days later John receives the edited pictures, he is blown away by the quality of the photography and the editing. He asks Dave to organise more shoots ASAP

There is still nothing written down or agreed in writing, but Dave is happy to organise more shoots. The next shoot goes as well as the first, John loves the photos but then out of the blue Dave receives an email from John saying that as the pictures are so commercially saleable they must not be released onto the Internet, the models must not be allowed to have more than a single image, John requires all the RAW images along with full Copyright of all the images.

Dave gets straight on the phone and explains to John that the industry does not work like that, models have to have the images else they either won’t work, or need to be paid, a photographer should never give up RAW files and there is no need for copyright assignment as a license to use agreement could be put into place.

A heated argument takes place, John does not understand any of this and just wants all the images and all the copyright. Eventually Dave convinces John that a license agreement is sufficient, RAW files are not needed and models will receive a limited number of finished images.

Dave had booked three shoots the following day with three different models at three different locations, all models were working TF and were travelling up to 50 miles.

On the morning of the shoot Dave receives yet another email from John saying after he had slept on it he wanted joint copyright to the images or he was not prepared to shoot. This was 1 hour before the first shoot of the day. As a photographer dealing with models he has a reputation to uphold, not just for quality of work, but also for reliability. So with that in mind Dave agreed to joint Copyright, sent an email confirming and got ready for the shoot.

During the shoot the tone of the posing and direction from John changed dramatically and Dave ended up shooting images he was really uneasy with. Upon reviewing the images after the shoot Dave said he was not prepared to shoot this type of images – John was angry, said shoot it or don’t work again, Dave walked away.

Dave spoke with a solicitor concerning the joint Copyright and asked if he could stop the images he was uneasy with from being published – he could not.

So, both parties ended up with joint Copyright of a single set of images, but the business idea failed as the two would never work together again.

Some lessons to be learned, know the industry you want to work with and if you don’t know it well, then trust that the person you wish to work with does actually know the industry and listen to them. Put written contracts in place before you agree work, not after you have started and photographers, never ever sign away Copyright before you have shot!

If there were binding contracts in place then Dave and John would more than likely be running a successful business together making lots of money.

But sometimes you just have to walk away – Dave didn’t and should have done, he ignored the alarm bells because he thought he’d make lots of money – which turned out to be a poor business decision.

Best – Colin