Frequently asked questions about my Award Winning professional photography business

The Questions:

Q - Do you shoot video?

Q - What do you do... other than take photos?

Q - How much do you charge for a photo shoot?

Q - How long does it take to get the photos from you?

Q - Why do I want to hire you and not some other photographer?

Q - I don't see what I am looking for on your website, do you have other photography I can look at?

Q - How long does it take to set up a shoot?

Q -Do you ever run out of ideas?

Q - What is your specialty?

The Answers:

Q - Do you shoot video?

A - All the time! I started to shoot motion over 30 years ago, first with Super 8mm then I bought an Arriflex 35mm motion picture film camera. I then moved to a video camera and now I use a Canon 35mm DSLR to shoot most of my video projects. I can also use any camera that may be needed for a special requirement, like 4K, 8K or high speed etc.

Q - What do you do... other than take photos and video?

A - This is a really good question. A lot of people think professional photographers take photos all the time. In a way we do, but a lot of time is spent talking to clients about a project, getting the details of a project then spending a lot of time creatively thinking.

I think about the scope of the project: Where I feel we should shoot, who do I want with me crew wise, how am I going to shoot the images (sometimes clients will ask for really challenging photos) what are the logistical issues, time of the year issues (Does the client want a tropical feel and we are shooting in January?) what gear should I bring? How many and what kind of crew do I need?

I do a lot of thinking about what I call the "Mechanical Aspects" of the job: When, who, what, where, why. On all of my major projects, I will give my producer the parameters of the project and then they will deal with the mechanical aspects of the job: Hotel rooms, airline tickets, rental cars/SUVs, mini or full sized vans, big trucks, caterer, transfers, local drivers for the vehicles, ID the closest hospital(s), local assistants, local styling crew etc.

I also think about the creative. The creative may be making suggestions to the client about locations, make up or hair ideas, wardrobe ideas, unless it is a fashion shoot, props to bring, ideas I have for imagery etc. In the estimation process all of these come together so I can then give the client a price and make a statement about my vision and the creative way to shoot their project.

Creativity is a big part of what I bring to the job, and this can be spontaneous on location during the shoot and it can also be through creative thought at home, in the office, in the shower (one of the best places for me to think), driving etc. I have been in the middle of something unrelated to a project and an idea just shows up in my head for a different project, I go to that job's folder and open the "Ideas" file and add the idea. I then go back the original thing I was working on. This is an example of my A.D.D. working to my advantage!

Q - How much do you charge for a shoot?

A-There is not a "One fits all" answer, this is like going to a car dealership and asking, "How much is a car" vs. asking "How much is this car". There are 2 parts of the cost, one is my creative fee which includes my time and the exercise of my creativity. The second part of the fee is how long you want to use the image(s), where they will be used (Magazine, newspaper, website, social media, posters etc.) how large they will be used and other uses.

I do not have a set fee as every job is unique. Some jobs are very easy to plan for, others may take a week of planning and preparation. Then take several days to shoot, travel and return. Then several days for the post production work.

The best answer I can give is through a conversation either by phone or e-mail. If you are a small business and have limited usage of the photos, then the price will be on the low end. If you are a major B2C client with worldwide offices and usage, the price will be considerably higher. Every advertising photographer I know of charges in this fashion.

To distill this down: Time to shoot, how much creative effort will be put into the creation of the images and then the usage.

Q - How long does it take to get the photos and/or videos from you?

A - Answer for still photography only, see below for video. This depends on the number of images and what you need done to them. Some projects I may only shoot 200 images, other projects have exceeded 10,000 for a client who wants a large library of images. Also it depends on your deadline. If you need some images immediately this may be possible if I send them to a professional retoucher or do them in house. The price will differ based on who does the work. But if you have an urgent need this needs to be addressed up front and made clear to me before I even estimate the job.

Answer for video - Depending on your requirements, the number and length of the videos(s) it may take 2-3 days to a month or more. Example: You want a video, in English, showing your product or service. You want the video to be about 3 minutes long. Then you want a 1 minute version, a 30 second version and a 10 second version. Plus you want all of these to have Spanish and a French voice over versions. Also you want Spanish and French subtitles. Plus you have 30 products or services meaning you want 30 3 minute videos with 30 1 minute versions and 30 second versions and 30 10 second versions. Additionally we will need to travel to 6 different locations scattered all over North America or around the globe.

When faced with this I will hire 6 different local crews to shoot "B" roll while I direct the primary sequences, then hire outside editors if you have a short timeline.

As with the stills, the price and timeline will differ based on who does the work. But if you have an urgent need this needs to be addressed up front and made clear to me before I even estimate the job. I also realize that sometime you think you have "X" time but something has happened and you need it in half the time. This is not a problem but the price will change and it will go up. I only ask you let us know the moment you are aware of the "Issue". I have a fair amount of very good outside help and we can address this given enough time.

Q - Why do I want to hire you and not some other photographer or director?

A - I have 30+ years experience of shooting images. I have not stopped "Growing" as a photographer, meaning my style has evolved through the years. If you really like what I do, and my price and terms are agreeable to you, then you should hire me. A photographers style and the ability to solve problems is their value to clients. Style is a mix of how they see something, what do they want to include, or exclude in the image. The "finishing" of an image is also part of their style. To me "finishing" is not just retouching, but applying treatments* to the image as a whole or locally.

*Treatments are ways to visually enhance a photo. A treatment range from very subtle to very heavy. Treatments are personal to the photographer and can be modified to fit a client's needs.<p align="left" class="w3-text-deep-orange">

Q - I don't see what I am looking for on your website, do you have other imagery I can look at?

A - The short answer is maybe. Feel free to contact me about your needs. If I do not shoot that type of imagery I will help you to find the perfect person for you to hire. I am not all things to all people... nor do not want to try.

Q - How long does it take to set up a shoot?

A-This depends on the nature of your question. If you are asking about pre-production, which is the time spent working out the details of the shoot, thinking about how to best shoot the job, this is completely dependent on how many finished images you need, is there travel involved, do you need a styling crew, will I need an assistant(s), how many permits will I need to get etc.

Preparation can be as simple as my having a small bag of cameras all the way to bringing a lot of special gear, large numbers of crew and making travel plans. Typically for the majority of jobs there will be 1 to 4 days of prep. For the majority of my advertising projects, I will hire a producer so I can concentrate on thinking about the imagery you need.

If you are asking how long it takes to set up one of the images you want from your "Shot List", this can be as short as 5 minutes to hours. I do not shoot from any "Formula" as every image is unique. There are exceptions to this. If I am shooting a fashion "lookbook", then this is shot very quickly and the light/scene may not change much, if at all, as the fashion client needs a lot of garments shot in one day to be cost effective.

Most of my jobs are for advertising and marketing and these require a lot of time to "Polish, Finesse or Complete" the look of the image. Another phrase you will hear is "Production Values". This means you, the client, need stunning or interesting imagery and you understand it takes time to set the scene, set and adjust the light(s), position the talent, (Talent means the model(s), or in case of us shooting video, the actor(s)) then direct the talent, then shoot some test shots to make sure everything is in place and looks it's best. Then we start to shoot that look. Normally it takes much longer to set up the look/scene than it takes to actually shoot the look/scene.

Q - Do you ever run out of ideas?

A - Not yet! Creativity, once used on a regular basis, will continue to grow, and I have a huge passion for the photographic arts, both still and motion, and my work shows it. I should live long enough to shoot all the ideas I have... I am working on it though, The problem is, while shooting or thinking about shooting... I get more ideas, and I can't turn it off and don't want to. This is my delightful "vicious circle" of creative thought.

Q - What is your specialty?

A - In a word? People. Just about all of my advertising images will have at least one person in the image. Some of my "Personal Work" (These images or videos are something I just want to shoot and I am not being paid to create them) may not have people anywhere in the image. But my preference is creating imagery with people.

A more expanded answer is I have 2 areas of specialty: The first is fashion & beauty as these are frequently lumped into one category. I add portraits to this group as they are along the same lines as a beauty image, but without as much make up and hair artistry, if any at all.

The second is lifestyle, which can cover a wide swath of imagery. All of these have people in the image.

As a fashion photographer I just love great wardrobe. It is very exciting for me to take a great model, have them in a wonderful outfit, on a cool location in great light with the work of my styling crew then direct the action while shooting.

Equally exciting is a beauty image, where we have a great face that has make up meticulously applied with a strong sense of design or style and hair to match in wonderful light.

Another is a portrait, where I am creating an image that can range from a simple "Look" to a strong and powerful using unusual position and dramatic light.

Lifestyle is also a lot of fun. Where we delve into an image showing a slice of life that is so well done it does not look staged or forced and is 110% believable. This can be harder than you may think to do well.

So my question to you is: How can I help you today?
Or, what creative problem do you have that I may be able to help you solve?

We are based in Atlanta, Georgia, Los Angeles, CA, both are in the USA & Milan, Italy, and serve the nation and travel worldwide for projects, both video and stills. On average we travel 175 days a year from all over the USA, 48 out of 50 states, to Singapore to Japan, Europe and the Middle East. We are normally in Europe 2 or 3 times a year, mostly Italy and Germany, shooting for clients there.

If you would like to use this image, or any of my images for mock or comp use, please just ask. There is never a charge for this service. Educational use is permitted without charge, unless published, but please ask first. All commercial use is available only with a limited copyright release prior to use from the copyright holder, Steve Thornton. Thanks for looking!