01/21/11 14:46 Model Advice
Model Advice
In 2011 and much of 2010, the biggest problem I've
faced in setting up photo shoots is locking down
suitable outdoor locations. Production in Los
Angeles, or any other major metropolitan area, is not
as simple as it may look. First, let's address
guerilla shoots with no permits. I used to do them
all the time and still do them on occasion. If you
watch the behind-the-scenes on "The Social Network,"
you will hear the producers talking about how they
hired a mime to distract people from their use of a
location without permits. A major motion picture and
they still had to cut corners to get the shots they
wanted! That's because, when a guerilla shoot goes
wrong, it can go
really wrong. You can get
fined, locked up, harassed - it can kill the mood for
a shoot for the day. If you're shooting a model with
a commercial look in a turtle neck sweater and jeans,
most people won't bother you. But if you're shooting
curvy models in skimpy clothes that can stop traffic,
trust me it will not be long before you get stopped
in a public place. So the guerilla shoot is really
not practical for glamour photography.
For years, photographers have used hotel rooms to get
around this. The problem is, hotel room look
like...well, hotel rooms. Studio photography is a
nice option, but studio photos tend to have a staid
look and are overused right now in glamour
photography.
So that leaves the legitimate route of shooting
outdoors, which a lot of photographers are not even
familiar with. Let's use a beach as an example. To
secure a public beach for a shoot,
first you have
to have insurance. That's right - the city is
not going to give you a permit to shoot a model on
some rocks she could fall off of and drown without
liability insurance. I currently have photography
insurance through Thomas Pickard. It is $700 a year -
as much as some people's car insurance. Next, you
will need to get a permit to shoot. What you will
find is that they will be very concerned about
whether you are shooting stills or video (video
permits are more expensive and may require a local
officer at a fee of $65 per hour from the moment you
set up). Also, how late are you shooting and where on
the beach. Some areas are off limits. The permit will
usually cost about $50 - $100, but the time in
coordinating it is worth another $150 in sweat
equity. Give yourself at least a week in advance to
do it. The wheels of government agencies turn slowly.
And don't be surprised if you run into a desk jockey
who treats these beaches as their own private domain
and are on considerable power trips.
Finally, make sure you watch the weather carefully.
If you're shooting at the beach, even if sunny, it
could be very misty and humid. Humidity and hair do
not mix well. So where are hair and make-up gonna set
up where the wind is not blowing constantly and the
elements are not undoing their hard work? You may
need to rent a production RV. A friend of mine who
produces these type of outdoor shoots told me that on
average, done legitimately (e.g., by companies like
Neutrogena, J Crew), they cost upward of $10,000 per
day. See a photo below from one such set up.
Bottom line is that outdoor shoots done correctly are
a major pain. Done guerilla style there is a
considerable risk of things going wrong. There is no
easy answer to this dilemma the photographer faces,
but it helps to at least know the parameters.
Tags:Outdoor Photo Shoots