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Here are a few things to know about doing a photo session. Some of this information may sound trivial, but believe me it saves me a lot of time by making sure everyone is aware of what is expected before the shoot. It also makes sure that you are aware of how I work and what my limitations are. Hopefully, this will start a dialog that might spur some questions that I might have missed. Before I get started with that I always find it best to give a brief introduction about myself and how I came to enjoy photography.
To get the very best picture I will go back to 2008. Don’t worry, I’ll make this part quick. Brandie, my wife, and I allowed our two small children to set up a lemonade stand in our front yard one day. Over the course of them selling their drinks we met a gentleman that signed us up for a fitness group case study. During the six week program both Brandie and I lost several percentages in body-fat. It was shortly after that Brandie had been asked over and over again if she was a fitness competitor. She was not at the time but on January 1st of 2009 she began training for her first competition. Not knowing which class she was best suited for she entered in both the Bikini and the Figure classes. She placed 4th and 5th on her very first show. That gained her the recognition of a photographer at the show who promptly scheduled a photo-shoot for the next day. Subsequently, other photographers asked for her to pose for them until just a few months later she was invited to a three day shoot in New Mexico. There were a handful of other models there. I watched the two photographers as they worked with Brandie and the other models and fell infatuated with the results that were developed. Not long after I bought my first camera and began shooting. First shooting with Brandie, then other friends until I felt comfortable enough with my skill and technique to approach others that I didn’t know to ask for their participation in a session. Everything that I have accomplished so far is the platform for my best work, and that has yet to come. I say the “best is yet to come”, not as an arrogant statement, nor as a statement of self-doubt. I simply mean that each session that I am involved with I develop what I consider my art form a little deeper. And as with any artist my plans and ambitions stretch a little further as I develop. I have worked with several fitness competitors, engaged couples, soon to be graduates and most recently I have begun to work with some bands to provide promotional images. I love Texas Country music and I have a deep passion of shooting live performances. It is an inherently difficult discipline because I cannot pose the performers; I can only capture what they give. I cannot see me never shooting pictures, both at live performances and while working with individuals. All of this came from letting our two kiddoes sell some lemonade on the roadside. By the way they made almost $95 that day. I am very excited to be moving forward to many new projects. For now I would like to focus on the one that you will be involved with. So with all that being said I want to let you know what to expect.
First and foremost, there are a bunch of models that will pose nude. There are also plenty of photographers that will accommodate that style of imagery. Plain and simple, I don’t shoot nude. I am married and out of respect for myself and my wife, who was also my kindergarten sweetheart, I DO NOT shoot other models nude. If “sexy” is the desirable result, there are ways to capture that without being nude.
Secondly. Brandie always attends my photo sessions. This is for many reasons. She is there to assist me with my lights and gear, as well as to add a bit of comfort to someone that isn’t accustomed to being in front of a camera. Brandie is also there for my protection. It is sad to say, but there is a potential for someone to accuse a photographer of inappropriate conduct.
If you wish to do so you may bring up to ONE person to your shoot. It can be your boyfriend, best friend… whatever. I have been to every photo-shoot my wife has been a part of. But here’s the thing, they are there much like Brandie is for me. I may ask them to give me a hand with holding a light or reflector. They are also there to help you with wardrobe changes hair and makeup. What they are not there for is to be a creative director and ask me to shoot a certain way. Neither are they there to be a bouncer. We will have discussed ahead of time what style of images you want to shoot and what your limitations are. I have yet to have this be a problem but many of my colleagues have. I have heard horror stories of boyfriends, moms and husbands telling the photographer “you can’t shoot her like that!”
Don’t expect to be able to have your escort in any of your images. When I have time I enjoy including them in the parting shots of the session so they feel included in the project but we are there for a reason.
Wardrobe, hair, make-up, transportation and other incidentals are your responsibility unless I otherwise say they will be provided for you. Typically that only happens when a client has a particular creative direction and they are willing to pay for those accommodations.
Many sessions will take place “on-location” sometimes it may be multiple locations. Weather at a venue or otherwise the model as well as her stylist or escort will be expected to act in a professional manner. Loud and obnoxious or disruptive behaviors, as well as vulgar language are all examples of problems that will not be tolerated. Please only use your phones if it is relevant to the session. Facebook posts etc. can wait until the session is complete. If at any time I feel that these simple considerations are not being recognized, I reserve the right to end the session.
After the shoot is complete I will review the images and pick out the ones that I feel will be mutually beneficial to the model and myself. During the shoot I will take as many images as I can paying special attention to certain criteria. A typical session can usually give between 5-20 good images. Once complete, those images will be loaded to a gallery for you to view. In most instances you will be given web-ready digital images. You will be able to use these for all your social networking sites. You will also have the opportunity to purchase prints from a gallery that will be shipped directly from the lab to you.
Images are absolutely not to be altered, cropped or manipulated in any way. I do not sell or provide images on CD. I understand that some photographers will shoot 500 images and then put them all on a disc un-edited and provide that to the model. I don’t. Not very fond of those that do. You will find that serious photographers will have the same opinion because they invest serious money in their equipment and the revenue from the images is how that is financed. Giving away high resolution images might help you but it is a detriment to me.
Although I do my very best to provide my clients with the “look” they want in their images, I have a particular style of shooting and editing.
Costs for photo sessions are separate from cost of prints. The cost of a session is determinate upon the total details of the shoot including time, number of participants, scope of the project and expenses incurred for the project. The estimated bill for the session will be given to you before the session begins and must be satisfied at that time.

Brandie Mischele Dean MM# 1201816

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