Bayer Photography - Model Portfolios Information

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Model Photography Sessions and Packages

Preparing for Your Photo Session

Every model needs the basic marketing tools of the trade - a portfolio and composite cards. At a minimum, a model should have a good clean head shot, and one good, simple full-length shot (in something that will show off the model's shape - a fitted dress, a leotard, swim wear or lingerie).

We are excited to collaborate with you in creating a great set of images for your modeling portfolio! We work with beginners as well as established models to create head shots, portfolio images and portfolio updates. Our experience with hundreds of high school seniors has taught us the techniques of great modeling photography. We make the experience fun, comfortable and collaborative, whether for a new, aspiring model, or an experienced professional.

Professionalism and great photography - that's what you get at Bayer Photography! So, book your session today!

Call us at 952-412-0165!

High quality portfolio photography requires preparation time as well as shooting time. For that reason, we require a non-refundable appointment fee of $75 to schedule your shoot. If you need to change your appointment, you must do so at least three days before your booking. Cancellation or postponements received less than 72 hours before your appointment will result in forfeiture of your deposit. Otherwise, your appointment fee will be credited toward your package. We accept all major credit cards.

Below are some basic packages that should meet your needs. Look them over and let's discuss what will work best for you. Package pricing is only available with a signed modeling release. We will work with you to select images for your package to ensure excellence of all images you use for your modeling promotion.

		$595
Two models can share this package (share costs, appointment time and services)
·	Six hours of appointment time
·	Photography in studio, on studio grounds and other outdoor locations
·	No limit on outfit changes
·	Sixteen 8x10 enlargements total to be selected by model(s)
·	Two CD-ROMs, each with 20 web-sized digital images

		$395
Two models can share this package (share costs, appointment time and services)
·	Three hours of appointment time
·	Photography in studio and on studio grounds
·	Up to eight outfit changes
·	Six 8x10 enlargements total to be selected by model(s)
·	Two CD-ROMs, each with 20 web-sized digital images

		$195

·	Two hours of appointment time
·	In studio headshot and full-length poses
·	Up to three outfit changes, all shot on white seamless background
·	Two 8x10 enlargements (one headshot and one full-length)
·	Ten web-sized digital images on CD-ROM

		$95

·	Up to 30 minutes of appointment time
·	In studio headshot poses on a white seamless background
·	Two 8x10 enlargements selected by model

	All enlargements include basic retouching of blemishes and softening under eyes. Additional retouching will cost extra. Ask for a quote.

All images will be presented at a View & Choose session about a week after your photography session. There will be no paper proofs. Your images will be shown as a multimedia presentation on a large screen in our studio. Please bring anyone you want involved in deciding which photographs you want enlarged and reproduced on a photo CD. We do have the ability to place your images online for others to view. Cost of online proofing is $75. We must know if you want to do this at the time of the photo shoot.

You are responsible for your own make-up and hair styling. We can help you find a professional for this purpose for an additional fee. Allow two weeks before your booking to schedule this service. See the detailed information about make-up and hair below.

Please ask about a price quote for composite cards, also know as Zed cards, Sed cards, T-cards; or a photographic business card.

Please ask for prices of additional prints.

To receive package pricing, you must sign a comprehensive modeling which grants to the studio and the photographer the right to use the photos for any purpose without further payment or compensation to you. In consideration for the model release, you receive a substantial discount off of our normal studio session fees, as wall as a copyright waiver that allows you to reproduce the photographs (with a photo credit to the studio) for composite cards, business cards and other modeling promotional materials.

If you are unwilling to sign the modeling release, you will be charged at portrait or commercial rates, depending on the planned use for the photographs.

As a model, you will be judged on both your performance AND your looks. There are many simple things you can do that will help you appear professional and be successful. All of the hints on this page are drawn from the experience of many experienced modeling photographers.

	·	Maintain healthy weight levels and exercise on a daily basis to keep muscles toned.
	·	Establish healthy eating habits. This includes lots of fruits and vegetables as well as avoiding fats and snacks. Avoid caffeine, smoking, alcohol and other substances which deplete your energy and health.
	·	Don't change you looks before a job! Avoid last minute perms, colorings or haircuts unless you are specifically instructed to do so. Longer hair is almost always preferred on models because it is more versatile (you can make long hair look short, but you can't make short hair look long).
	·	Avoid wearing make-up except for actual jobs and interviews. Make-up blocks pores in the skin leading to unhealthy skin (and sometimes acne and pimples). Bathe often and use appropriate skin care products to keep your skin healthy.
	·	Avoid the sun! Sunburn is not only bad for your career but it's also unhealthy. Tan lines are nearly impossible to cover with make-up It's much easier to get a pale looking model to look tan than it is to get a tan looking model to look pale. If you feel the need to have a tan, use high quality self-tanning products that color your skin rather than tan it. The key is to apply it evenly (often you need help with this) and do not put on clothes until it is completely dry.
	·	All models need professional manicures and pedicures to keep their nails in great shape.
	·	Be CAREFUL! Bruises, scars, scratches (and worse yet, tattoos) damage your body. Body piercing, which has become very popular, should be kept to a minimum. Always remember that your body is your "product;" keep it in as pristine shape as possible.
	·	Women (and men, depending on the project) should shave or wax unwanted body hair a day before the job. This will give enough time to allow any red marks to fade. When shaving, always have in the same direction that the hair is laying down. If you shave "against the grain" you'll end up cutting the hair off below the surface of the skin, resulting in razor burn as the in-grown hair tries to force a new hole through the skin for itself.
	·	Always arrive at each job freshly bathed and showered. Hair should be shampooed and conditioned to give it more body and height. Bring your own curling irons, hair spray, combs, berets, brushes, etc. that you'll need for your hair.
	·	If you will be posing in revealing clothing such as lingerie or swimwear, come to the photo session wearing loose fitting clothing and no socks or underwear. Anything that presses on the body creates reddish pressure marks which take up to an hour to go away. Do not wear tight clothing or clothing with elastic for 12 hours before this type of shoot.
	·	Pick out clothing ahead of time which will give you a variety of looks and which flatter your figure. Avoid distracting patterns which lead the viewer's eye away from you. All black or all white outfits are always good choices. Similarly, clothing with simple and classic "lines" also are beneficial. It's best to bring a much wider selection of clothes than what you will need so that the photographer has choices to pick out what they feel will work best.

Learn as much as you can about make-up and make-up products. Make-up is designed to enhance positive features, minimize negative features and draw attention to specific features.

On many shoots there will be no make-up artist and you will be responsible for applying your own make-up. You should learn the best colors and products for your particular skin type.

For photo shoots, don't use "street brand" make-up; instead, use professional "stage and screen" or "photography" make-up products. These cosmetics are much thicker than traditional make-up so that one application will smooth the skin and fill in pores. Often, these are referred to as "grease paints" because of their theater origins.

Many women use make-up that tends to darken their skin. Dark skin makes people look older - and accentuates line and wrinkles. It also makes the face look ridiculous when posing in swimwear or lingerie and skin that is not constantly exposed to the sun looks many shades paler than than the face.

The best choice of foundation is a color that matches the lightest color of the skin. For women, the foundation should match the color tones of the chest, an area normally covered, yet easy enough to hold a bottle of foundation next to to check the color.

Since the face is normally exposed to sunlight, it will be darker than this base color. The make-up will create a compromise color between the faces current color and the lightest part of the body. It also creates a more youthful appearance by lightening up facial features.

Other make-up should be applied to the eyes and cheekbones to draw out those features. As a general rule, lighten areas that you want to look closer or larger to the viewer, and darken area you want to look recessed.

You should assemble a large bad which you bring to every photo session and which you keep well stocked. This basic Photo Kit will help you be instantly ready to go out on any job. The items in this photo kit should ONLY be used for photo shoots, so that you know that you will have plenty on hand, and that items of clothing will be in "like-new" condition for the photos.

Skin Care: Moisturizing cream, facial toner, skin conditioner, sunscreen/lotion

Bathing and Hygiene: Facial cleanser, facial tissues, mascara remover, nail clippers, nail file, scissors, tweezers, towel, Vitamin E stick (for sunburn and wounds), wash cloth, deodorant

Make-up:

	·	Skin: Foundation, blushes, blush brush, concealer, cosmetic sponges, cotton balls, cotton swabs, cover sticks, translucent powder, powder brush, powder puff
	·	Eyes: Mascara (water proof), eye liners, eye shadow, eyebrow brush, eyebrow pencil, eyelash curler, false eyelashes
	·	Lips: Lip balm, lip brushes, lip gloss, lip pencil, lipsticks, pencil sharpener
	·	Nails: Nail polish, nail polish remover

Hair Care: Bobby pins, brush, comb, curlers, curling iron, duck-bill clips, hair dryer, hair pins, hair spray, scrunches or hair bands, styling gel

Marketing/Photo Supplies: Appointment book, comp-cards, loupe (photo magnifying eyepiece), portfolio, voucher book (always bring to every job)

Clothing/Accessories: Bath robe (to wear in between photos, especially for lingerie, swimsuit or glamour shoots), panty hose (several pair in variety of colors), shoes and shoe polish (get a "bring list" to find out type and style), underwear (toned to match skin, thong-type preferred), sneakers (for comfort while getting ready or waiting between photo sets), assorted inexpensive jewelry (especially earrings, bracelets, necklaces)

Miscellaneous: Clothes pins (to tighten loose clothing), small mirror, mosquito/bug spray (for location work) and safety pins

The best way to learn to pose is to "just do it!" Get as much time in front of the mirror and the camera as possible. Clip out magazine ads and put together a "pose book" of 30-50 different poses. Practice them and find out which ones work best for you.

Here are some suggestions to help you:

	·	Study your proofs and contact sheets from photo sessions. Find out what types of poses make you look the best on film. What shows on film and what shows in the mirror are sometimes different.
	·	Learn how to break symmetry. Poses look more interesting if arms and legs are uneven. Many times you'll see models that have their bodies "twisted." This is very effective at making the model appear to be in motion.
	·	Practice your balance and condition your legs. Many times you'll need to hold a difficult pose which makes you feel off balance. While it may feel uncomfortable, it looks great on film. Once you don't have to worry about losing your balance, you can have more fun with the photos and your expressions will be much more natural.
	·	Work on your facial expressions (besides the "smile"). They are important to getting jobs and to being effective in communicating emotions. Practice in the mirror for 10 minutes every day making funny faces. Exercise your facial muscles. The more conditioned those muscles are, the easier it will be for you to come up with creative gestures and expressions.
	·	Learn to "find your light." Photographers usually use one light which is far brighter than the others - called a "main light." Usually, you want to point your chest and face toward that light, so that the important parts of your body are lit well. The photographer will pose your body different ways to emphasize different parts of the body. But if the photographer isn't directing you, try to keep pointed toward the light.
	·	Learn to "move." Some photographers prefer models that "move to the music" and simply shoot when they see something they like. Other photographers meticulously pose every detail. You will learn to adapt to the style of the photographer you are working with and they will adapt to your skills as well.

Photographers can be your best allies in finding modeling jobs. Be willing to work on photographers' pet projects whenever you can to get more experience, better portfolio photos and better working relationships. These may be free shoots or shoots for prints for your portfolio, but the experience and developing a relationship with the photographer can be important to your career.

Many models make the mistake of thinking that they should be paid every time they pose. When you're doing "tests" and working "on trade" with photographers, you are marketing yourself not only to the photographer, but to anyone who might see the images he creates.

Bring creative ideas to photographers for projects that you are interested in doing for yourself. Photographers love a challenge to do something wild and new. The best of all worlds is when the two of you work together to come up with a piece to be published to promote both your skills (like a postcard which both of you can use in mailings, a poster, or even a calendar).

Always jump at the opportunity to pose. If nothing else, it keeps you in practice. At the very best, the small and low-budget jobs are the creative works that win you the national contracts. Always work hard and never give up!