This site features the work of John McQuiston.
Learn more at photoquist.com.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Viewer Mail

Not viewer mail, exactly, but an e-mail from a visitor to our website. She was a referral (very cool!) and "very very interested" in hiring me (very very cool!).

She had some questions about the service and how the shoots worked. Things like how much direction do I give versus the client choosing his/her poses, shooting at multiple locations and having wardrobe changes.

I wrote a detailed note answering them and thought I'd share it here in case it helped anyone else better understand the business model of Philip Randolph Parker Photography.
Hi C-----,

Thank you for checking out my site! I appreciate the interest.

The pictures I shot with Jahara were great fun. I made suggestions for some of the shots -- like the ones when she walked on the railroad tracks in her heels (what a good sport she was!) -- for others she did what she wanted and I tried to capture the moment.

It's a collaborative process where we bounce ideas off of each other so that we get the shots you want for your portfolio and I get to brag that I took them!

For the $200 you get digital copies of ALL the shots we take on our shoot. I don't remember how many shots I took with Jahara. My most recent shoot with a couple and their 8-month-old daughter was 380 shots. They're not all great shots, I'll tell you that up front. No photographer is going to nail every single frame.

And some shots are very similar as I snap several frames of every pose we do. Of those 380 shots with that couple and their daughter, I posted 14 on my website — the ones I considered the best of the best. There are 19 of from my shoot Jahara on my site. She might be able to tell you how many shots she considers portfolio-worthy.

Remember, you don't pay me until you've seen the photos and decide they're worth it. We'll review them on my laptop right after the shoot. Of course, if you decide they're not worth paying for, you don't get to keep them.

I provide only digital copies. Many photographers will have low-priced session fees and then require that you buy your prints from them. That's pretty standard in photography and I don't want to give you the impression that you're getting ripped off if you hire a photographer who works that way. But, at least for now, I don't. I give you digital copies that you can take to any printer you choose. I've used Wal-Mart and been pleased with the results.

As for shooting in a garden and in Ybor City, I designed the $200 service for single location shoots. That's mainly because the early morning light that gives us the best photos lasts for only a few hours. We'd lose too much of that light driving from one place to another. It's better to spend that time shooting.

Wardrobe changes are no problem as long as they don't take too long. You might remember a shot I took of Jahara as she put on a boot during the wardrobe change she did on our shoot. Another couple featured on my website's gallery page — Erica and Brandon — also brought a change of clothes and changed up their look. Just remember that we have a limited window — one to three hours — of really good light to work with.

I'll be happy to call you to talk more about what kinds of shots you want and to set up a time, let me know when a good time to reach you is.

Have a great day!

John McQuiston

For more information about singles, couples & family photography — including location portraits and engagement sessions, visit www.photoquist.com.

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