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What is this shoot for?
This shoot is designed for you, the new model. New models are people that have
either never worked with a professional
lifestyle, fashion or beauty
photographer or may have worked with a pro only once or twice. All the models on this
portion of the shoot are new models from several modeling agencies in
Atlanta. It is designed to help the new model build a portfolio and
confidence in themselves.
I notice that the dates also
include Thursday and Friday. I can't miss school or work, can I still go?
Yes you can. Most models leave
home Friday after school or work and drive to St. Augustine and then shoot
either Saturday or Sunday and go home on Sunday. You tell us when you want
to arrive and shoot and if the day you want to shoot on is not full, we can accommodate
your request.
Your shoot will take part of one
day only. The exception would be if we ask you to shoot with someone else for
their shots, which means you get more shots to pick from for free.
There are several reasons we,
"the crew," arrive on Thursday, we do not want to be rushed to get
to St. Augustine by a set time so we allow for that by getting there early.
There have been some models that could not shoot on Saturday or Sunday, so this
allows them to shoot on the "off" days. The other reason is St.
Augustine is such a wonderful place to be and therefore is relaxing to my crew
and me. So we take advantage of this by showing up a day and a half early to
take full benefit of our time there, in fact we usually come back on
Monday.
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Do
I have to shoot in swimwear?
No. If you want to shoot swimwear that is OK
but it is not required. This is your shoot, not ours. We will shoot only
what you feel comfortable wearing. If you will look at the
photographs on this site you will see a very few shots where the models are
wearing swimwear or lingerie. If you have a great body, then it is a good
idea to show it. If you don't have a great body
, or if you aren't comfortable
shooting in a skimpy outfit, that is just fine. Again, it's your shoot, so tell
us.
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Where do we shoot?
The shoot is in and around Saint Augustine,
Florida which is just south of Jacksonville. We
shoot both in town as well as the beach.
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What is a "Test Shoot"?
A test shoot is where
a
model will go to a photographer and shoot with the photographer to get
pictures. As a model you will need these photographs for your portfolio, comp
card and your model web site. As a new model these images are acquired via a
series of test shoots. It is important to understand the importance of shooting
with a photographer that understands how to direct and shoot new talent,
understands make up, hair styling, wardrobe styling, and photography to deliver consistently
great images. One of the ways to find such photographers is to look at the
photographers own portfolio.
All of the images on this site are
shot in St Augustine using brand new models, that is to say the models on this site had never shot
in a professional environment before or had only
shot once before. The sole exception to this is the man & red headed woman
laying on the beach, the woman is a professional model and I used her in the
shot to help the male model get
the shot he wanted for his book. This is important to know because it
illustrates that my crew and I are very good at shooting new talent and allowing
them to relax in front of the camera.
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Do I shoot in my own clothes?
If you do the 3, 4 or 5 look test, the clothes
would part of what you went shopping with my stylist for prior to leaving for
Florida. If you did the 2 look test then your clothes would be used. Most of the
models bring some of their own clothes to shoot in and go shopping to
"fill in" the areas they are missing in their own wardrobe.
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Do I buy the clothes when we go
shopping?
Yes. However most models return the
items for a refund after shooting in them. We have a tag gun to re-attach the tags if need be. If you
have bought something that you know you are going to take back, tell us and we
will not put you in a situation that might damage the garment.
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Can my parents or a friend come to the
shoot?
Your parents and friends are most welcome, I like parents
to see the process and understand the effort by all parties to produce great
images. The only issue is when I am shooting you, your parents are not allowed to be
in sight, I want to make sure that you are not uncomfortable during your portion
of the shoot. Your parents can be present during the make up and hair process,
the wardrobe selection and and go with us to the location to observe the finishing process.
Just when I am shooting you is when they need to briefly disappear.
Once most parents see the process and numbers of people involved, they
choose to go
shopping, or head to the beach.
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Are there any other charges
for the shoot?
The only additional charges are
optional: $60 if you want a private room, such as if your
parents or a friend comes with you or you just want to have a private room. The only other monies spent would be for
food and transportation to and from St Augustine and as such are not part of the
shoot fee.
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Can I get a ride to and from
the shoot or can you get someone to ride with me?
Yes. I have never been
unable to get anyone a ride to and from the shoot.
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Can I go shopping in Florida
for the shoot if I miss shopping in Atlanta?
No, there is no time to do this
once we are in Saint Augustine. All shopping must be finished prior to the
shoot.
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Why go to St. Augustine? Can't I
shoot with you in Atlanta?
The locations in St. Augustine
are varied and can't be found in Atlanta. The shots you get in St Augustine will
be very different than what you get in Atlanta. On average the light in St
Augustine is vastly superior to most days in Atlanta. Then there is also the
beach, which will never be confused for Atlanta. Of course we can shoot in
Atlanta, although for me this is very difficult. I travel on average 150 days a
year shooting commercial advertising for clients and magazine fashion editorial
projects throughout the USA. So when I get home I tend not to test shoot due to
the amount of time consumed by shooting just one test at a time.
Another reason is the value of
this shoot vs. a shoot in Atlanta. Let us say that you shot a 3 look test here.
The charges to do this here would be: Shoot fee $450.00, Make up/Hair artist
$100, wardrobe stylist $125.00, so the total to shoot here would be $675.00 - in
St Augustine, $595.00! A much better deal.
There is an added
issue which is not quite so calculable in terms of dollars and cents but still has
very high value to a beginning model. That is being part of a fun event, having
a good sized photography crew to help you with everything that is necessary to
get great shots, shooting with people with the same experience level (little or
none) and being able to watch someone else shoot to garner ideas from. This
shoot is as close to a commercial shoot as you can get without actually being on
a commercial shoot.
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How long of a drive is
it to St Augustine?
From Atlanta, driving the
speed limit, with no stops and in light traffic it is a 5.5 - 6 hour drive. I will
give you very clear and concise
directions
to the hotel. All but the last
7
miles is Interstate.
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When I get to St. Augustine can I do more
looks
than I originally paid for?
Yes. Extra looks are $125.00
each including film, processing, make up & hair styling and wardrobe
styling. Please note that this is only available on a time permit basis.
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When I
return from the shoot in St. Augustine I will have some great pictures, what do
I do next?
This is a
very good question. There are 4 tools you will need to succeed as a model. Of these 4
tools, all
of them require great pictures.
The tools are:
#1 Portfolio - #2 Comp card - #3 Web site - #4 Getting listed with modeling agencies.
All of the
shots you get from the St. Augustine shoot can be used for all of the above.
Even getting listed with an agency is greatly assisted by having terrific shots.
Having these great shots are the key to your success. The models that have great shots
in their portfolio and on their comp cards are the ones that will work the most,
garner more money per job and get called for by their name, rather than by
description, when the modeling job casting process starts.
When a model is
asked for by his or her name by the client, they run an excellent chance of
being booked by the client. This type of casting call is called a
"request" casting. This usually occurs when the client has seen you or
your comp card in the agency, worked with you in the past or had a recommendation
from an insider within the modeling or photographic community. This does not
usually happen unless you are using great shots. Every top model understands the
extreme value of great shots and will move heaven and earth to get them. Great
shots to a model are
worth
their weight in Platinum.
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What is a look??
A look is a location, outfit, hair style &
makeup combination. Example: You are wearing a top and jeans and we shoot you in
that outfit. We then have you change clothes and then we change your hairstyle
and touch up your makeup or change your makeup and you shoot again in a
different location. This would be a 2 look test.
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How
many looks should I have you take
of me?
The short answer is as many as you can afford.
You are going to be judged by your range of looks in your portfolio and on your
comp card. Some shots are going to be better than others especially when you are
brand new at modeling. So the more you have to choose from the better.
Everyone has a budget and that is why I have several packages to choose from. I
have also shot just one model for an entire day. Most models just can't afford
this but if you can you may wish to consider it. The exception to "more is
better" are very young children,
usually under the age of 11 where I do not suggest more than 3 looks.
My
skin is broken out, is this going to cause a problem?
Probably not. In this day & age retouching is common and
expected. The exception is if your skin is covered with really bad acne. This
will cause some problems. If your skin is covered in small bumps then this will
not cause any real issue. If you are not sure set up a meeting with Steve
and have him look at your skin. Look in the
retouching section
to see examples of retouching.
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This entire web site is © Steve
Thornton
